[ncc-announce] [news] Billing Changes for 2019

Dear RIPE NCC members,

We would like to notify you about changes to our billing processes that
will come into effect for 2019. Invoicing will take place one month
later than usual on 18 February 2019 to ensure you have time to plan for
the changes listed below.

1. Move to annual billing schedule only
On 13 December, the RIPE NCC Executive Board resolved to move the
billing process for members to an annual scheme only.

This change to annual billing only is aimed at reducing complexity for
our members, eliminating repeated late payments and reminders, and also
bringing efficiencies to our processes. With the increasing number of
LIR accounts, the quarterly payments schedule has put a heavy burden on
our administration. This option also means that members often have to be
notified several times per year about late invoice payments.

For members with only one LIR account, we will design a transition plan
for those with cash flow limitations and who therefore have difficulty
meeting the payment schedule. We will provide details about this in
January 2019.

2. No longer sending annual separate account statements
In line with our efforts to make our billing processes more efficient
and member-friendly, we will no longer send the annual account statement
to members separately from the invoice. This has caused confusion in the
past for members who are receiving financial statements before the
invoice is available to pay. The annual invoice will include all
charging details, including the membership contribution and, when
applicable, independent resources, legacy resources and the
redistribution from 2018. More details on the calculation for the
redistribution will be communicated in January 2019.

We will notify all billing contacts about the changes to our billing
processes.

The full billing procedure for 2019 is available at:
https://www.ripe.net/participate/member-support/payment/ripe-ncc-billing-procedure-2019

There is a webpage that provides additional information on our billing
procedure and also gives further details that are useful for members in
Russia and Ukraine:
https://www.ripe.net/participate/member-support/payment/ripe-ncc-billing-procedure-2019/information-on-billing-and-payment-2019

We are confident that these changes will simplify the billing process
and we trust that you will support our efforts to increase efficiencies
at the RIPE NCC. If you have questions or you want to request support
from us, please contact <billing at ripe.net>.

Kind regards,

Gwen van Berne
Chief Financial Officer
RIPE NCC