Last updated: January 2026 · 3 min read · Audience: Authors, students, early-career researchers · Reading level: Introductory
Introduction
The article processing charge, or APC, is the fee paid to an open-access publisher to make a peer- reviewed article freely available to readers. It is one of the most common and most misunderstood aspects of contemporary academic publishing. This guide explains what an APC actually funds, why published rates vary by orders of magnitude, when in the workflow the fee is charged, and how authors should evaluate value for money.
What an APC actually funds
An APC funds the production work that converts an accepted manuscript into a permanent published record. Typical components include editorial management of the peer review process, copy-editing and typesetting, DOI registration and metadata deposit with services such as Crossref, hosting on a stable publication platform, submission of metadata to indexing databases, and long-term preservation. Note that an APC does not pay reviewers, who serve without payment.
Why APCs vary so widely
Published APCs range from under USD 50 at small or non-commercial publishers to several thousand US dollars at large commercial ones. The difference is largely structural rather than functional. Large commercial publishers carry significant overheads — platform development, brand maintenance, sales infrastructure, and shareholder returns — that small operations do not. The core production work is comparable; the cost base is not.
EP Journals applies a flat APC of approximately USD 30 per accepted article across the portfolio. The fee covers editorial production, DOI registration, hosting, and indexing submission, and is set at a level that makes structured open-access publishing accessible to authors without major institutional or funder support.
When the fee is charged
Reputable publishers charge the APC after acceptance, not at submission. Charging at submission, or tying acceptance to payment, is a serious warning sign and is incompatible with credible peer review. At EP Journals, the APC is invoiced after the editorial decision to accept; payment does not influence the editorial process.
Waivers and discounts
Many publishers offer waivers or discounts for authors from low-income countries, for early-career researchers, or under institutional agreements. Waiver decisions are typically made independently of editorial assessment, so that the question of payment cannot influence whether a manuscript is accepted. Authors who require a waiver should request it before submission rather than after the editorial decision.
How to evaluate an APC
When comparing APCs, ask what is actually delivered for the fee. Does the journal operate a credible peer review process? Is the article assigned a DOI and submitted to recognised indexing services? Is the publication platform stable and is content preserved long-term? Is editorial governance identifiable and documented? A low APC at a well-governed journal can deliver more value than a high APC at a journal whose process is opaque.
Key points
- APCs fund production, infrastructure, and indexing — not peer review labour.
- Wide variation in APCs reflects publisher cost structures, not service quality.
- Reputable publishers invoice the APC after acceptance, never as a precondition of review.
- Waivers and discounts exist; request them before submission where needed.
- Evaluate value by what the fee delivers, not by the headline price alone.
Frequently asked questions
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Editorial enquiries
Questions about this guide or about preparing a manuscript for submission may be directed to the editorial office. Where a query relates to a specific journal in the portfolio, please indicate the journal abbreviation in your message.
Email: editor@ep-journals.org