Metrics - Digital Products - Subscription Licence Sales

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Metrics and Reporting

Definition

A single Digital Product purchased by a third-party subscriber or licencee, to grant access to one or more of their users, for a contracted period.

Principles

1. The single Digital Product is purchased by a third party subscriber or licencee
2. The Digital product must be defined
3. You may additionally report optional metrics
4. Evidence to support the claim must be retained and made available for a minimum period

Requirements

1. The single Digital Product is purchased by a third party subscriber or licencee

   1. There must be a contractual arrangement between the publisher and the subscriber or licencee for a defined period.

   2. A Subscription Licence Sale is defined as one transaction with a subscriber or licencee (granting access to the product for one or more users).

   3. You must be able to provide evidence of each sale claimed, the number of users (if applicable), the contracted period and the price paid.

   4. Digital Product claims must be audited by ABC Staff Auditors.

2. The Digital product must be defined

   1. By product name.

   2. By a product type/description that appropriately describes the product certified. For example: restricted access website.

3. You may additionally report optional metrics

   1. If you wish to report optional analyses or breakouts, please discuss this with us, so we can review the additional evidence and audit work involved. Examples may include information regarding price paid or the purchasers.

   2. You may optionally report the number of users. The number of users reported for a particular Subscription Licence Sale may be either:

      • The number stated in the contract. Or

      • Based on actual access/usage by the user(s). If using this method this must be based on unique activity and therefore be de-duplicated between users for each month.

   3. You may optionally report by average price.

4. Evidence to support the claim must be retained and made available for a minimum period

   1. For all Digital Products reported, you must be able to provide any records relevant to the claim, including those necessary to support any optional metrics or analyses reported.

   2. Records supporting the claim must be retained, and made available to us on request (in accordance with the ABC Byelaws), until we have completed the audit of the subsequent certificate, unless we agree otherwise.

Reporting

You will report Digital Products – Subscription Licence Sales as follows, which will be reported on the ABC Certificate:

1. By Digital Product, including name and product type/description. For example Cycling News Route Planner - App

2. By the average number of Subscription Licence Sales claimed in the Reporting Period, calculated as follows:

   1. Identify the number of Subscription Licence Sales that are live on the last day of each month in the Reporting Period.

   2. Aggregate these and calculate the average number of Subscription Licence Sales across each month in the Reporting Period.

3. You must report Digital Products – Subscription Licence Sales for the relevant Reporting Period, which will be a whole calendar month or any combination of consecutive calendar months (up to a maximum of 12).

4. You may include two or more separate Digital Products on a single certificate (these can be from different brands):

   1. They will be listed individually, with a figure for each.

   2. They must each fall within the same Reporting Period , being a whole calendar month or any combination of consecutive calendar months (up to a maximum of 12).

5. You may additionally report optional metrics.

   1. if additionally reporting by average price and/or users this will be calculated as follows:

      1. Identify the number of Subscription Licence Sales that are live on the last day of each month in the Reporting Period and the total revenue for these Subscription Licence Sales.

      2. Aggregate these and calculate the average number of Subscription Licence Sales and average price paid in the Reporting Period.

      3. If you are reporting the users associated with the Subscription Licence Sales reported use the same process to arrive at an average across the last day of each of the months in the period.

      4. If you are reporting Subscription Licence Sales as being sold as part of a bundle (of 2 or more products) then you will report the average bundle price and a statement that the average is a bundle price will be included.

         
         Example: Two month Reporting Period

      	January	February	Total	Average (to be reported)
      No. of Subscription Licence Sales live on last day of month	10	20	30	Number: 15  (30/2 months)
      Total Revenue	£500	£820	£1,320	Price: £44    (1,320/30 subs)
      No. of users (for Subscription Licence Sales live on last day of month)	60	90	150	Users: 75    (150/2 months)

6. All products will appear in the relevant data tables and reports. However, where you’re reporting products to these Reporting Standards on an ABC Brand Report or Group Report, you may ask us to not publish the individual certificate(s).