Gov/en/Portal:R&D/Innovations:Subscription
💡 In simple words: A subscription means you pay a small amount every month to use the platform, instead of paying a big fee each time. It is like a monthly pass, and the money is shared to keep the community strong.
⚠️ Not yet approved. This page describes a proposal that is still under community review. It is documented here so it can be discussed, improved and endorsed.
Wiki Core · Concept
The Subscription Model
Subscription Model at a Glance
| Monthly price | CHF 1 (≈1 EUR ≈1 USD) |
| Annual price | CHF 10/year |
| Annual increase | +5%/year |
| Billing method | At Transaction time |
| Inactive months | Retroactive billing |
| 1B users scenario | CHF 12B/year revenue |
| NOT in | Funding Contract |
| See also | Fund WikiDeal |
| See also | Why Fund WikiDeal |
The WikiDeal Subscription Model is the revenue engine that makes the entire system sustainable — and the source of funds that ultimately pay back early funders through Cash Rewards. At CHF 1/month, it is designed for global accessibility: approximately equivalent to 1 EUR and 1 USD (not an exact equivalence), making it one of the most affordable community memberships in the digital economy.
CHF 1/month is not a price for a service — it is a membership in a community-governed commons. Every franc goes back to the community.
📋 Subscription Access Rules
- Free access: WikiDeal is freely accessible — browse, read, and explore contracts without any subscription.
- Contract signing requires subscription: To sign a contract on WikiDeal, both parties must be up to date with their monthly subscription. If there are overdue months, the unpaid fees are settled at the time of signing.
- Retroactive billing: If a user has never paid or has missed months, all overdue subscription fees are collected retroactively at the time of their next contract signing.
- Charged on top of commission: The subscription fee is billed in addition to the transaction commission — not deducted from it. The transaction itself carries a double commission: one for the User Group operating the service, and one for the WikiDeal platform. This double commission must be between 5% and 15%, with justified exceptions possible in either direction.
- Micro-payments for small transactions: For frequent small transactions, overdue subscription fees may be collected in micro-installments spread across multiple transactions. For larger contracts, the full overdue amount is settled in one payment at signing.
Pricing Structure
- Monthly: CHF 1.00 per month
- Annual: CHF 10.00 per year (slight discount vs. 12×1 = CHF 12)
- Annual value increase: 5% per year (same as Rewards) — CHF 1.05 in year 1, CHF 1.10 in year 2, etc.
The 5% annual increase ensures the subscription keeps pace with the value growth of Rewards, maintaining alignment between funders and users over time.
Billing at Transaction Time
WikiDeal uses a unique billing approach: subscription fees are billed at Transaction time, not as a recurring monthly charge. This means:
- If you sign a contract in March but had not paid January or February, those fees are collected retroactively at the March transaction.
- Inactive users are not constantly billed — but their subscription debt accumulates and is settled in full at their next contract signing.
- The subscription fee is billed in addition to the transaction commission — it is never deducted from the commission.
- For frequent small transactions, overdue fees may be spread across micro-payments. For larger contracts, the full overdue amount is settled in a single payment.
- The transaction commission itself is a double commission: one part goes to the User Group operating the service, one part to the WikiDeal platform. The total double commission must be between 5% and 15%, with justified exceptions possible in either direction.
Why CHF 1/Month?
The CHF 1/month price is not arbitrary — it is calculated to be:
- Globally accessible — approximately equivalent to 1 EUR and 1 USD in most markets (approximate, not exact)
- Below the friction threshold — low enough that cost is not a barrier to participation
- Scalable to sustainability — at large user numbers, CHF 1/month generates transformative revenue
- Fair — no tiered pricing, no premium plans: everyone pays the same
Scalability: The Path to CHF 12 Billion
| Users | Monthly Revenue (CHF) | Annual Revenue (CHF) |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | 10,000 | 120,000 |
| 100,000 | 100,000 | 1,200,000 |
| 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 12,000,000 |
| 1,000,000,000 | 1,000,000,000 | 12,000,000,000 |
At 1 billion users × CHF 12/year = CHF 12 billion annual revenue. This is the long-term vision — not a promise, but a demonstration of the model's potential.
Subscription Revenue and Funders
The subscription model is the direct source of the revenue that pays back early funders. When you fund WikiDeal today, you are betting that subscription revenue will grow to the point where your Cash Rewards can be converted to CHF. The subscription model is therefore not just a pricing decision — it is the financial mechanism that makes the entire Rewards system work.
ℹ️ The subscription model is separate from the Funding Contract. The Funding Contract governs your funding contribution and Reward allocation. The subscription model governs ongoing membership and usage fees. These are two distinct financial flows.
What Subscription Revenue Funds
- Platform operations (servers, development, maintenance)
- Cash Rewards conversion for eligible funders
- Community programmes and User Group support
- Open Call rewards for community contributors
See also: Cash Rewards Why Fund WikiDeal Fund WikiDeal Funding Contract Balance Boost
💡 Improve this concept — submit a proposal via Open Call