Check your author team
Publishers and journals using this scheme
| Publisher or journal | What it gives | Whose affiliation counts | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDPI | No country waiver scheme; discounts and waivers are discretionary or through institutional membership | Case by case | mdpi.com ↗ |
| Frontiers | No country list; fee support is granted case by case on demonstrated need | Case by case | frontiersin.org ↗ |
| PLOS | Free publication for Research4Life Group A authors without external funding, reduced fees for Group B, and need-based fee assistance | Corresponding author only | plos.org ↗ |
| Inderscience | No country waiver; reduced standard APC and institutional payment models | Case by case | inderscience.com ↗ |
| ASME | No country waiver; APC waived or discounted only through institutional agreements | Case by case | asme.org ↗ |
| ACM | 100% waiver for authors in EIFL and Research4Life countries, plus hardship waivers and ACM Open institutional coverage | Corresponding author only | acm.org ↗ |
| American Mathematical Society | No country waiver; only a member discount | Case by case | ams.org ↗ |
| The Electrochemical Society | No country waiver; member discounts and institutional credits | Case by case | electrochem.org ↗ |
| The Company of Biologists | Free open access publishing for corresponding authors in EIFL agreement countries | Corresponding author only | biologists.com ↗ |
| Portland Press | Full waiver for Research4Life (HINARI) Group A and a discount for Group B | Corresponding author only | portlandpress.com ↗ |
| Science Publishing Group | No country waiver; membership-based support only | Case by case | sciencepublishinggroup.com ↗ |
Other schemes: Research4Life, EIFL agreements, World Bank income groups, Publisher country lists, Country-tiered APC pricing, National agreements (ONOS India), No APC (diamond and Subscribe to Open), Discretionary hardship waivers. APC waiver checker →
Frequently asked questions
What is Institutional and read & publish deals?
Your university or library may already pay the APC through a read and publish (transformative) agreement or a membership.
Which publishers use Institutional and read & publish deals for APC waivers?
Among the publishers we checked: MDPI, Frontiers, PLOS, Inderscience, ASME, ACM, American Mathematical Society, The Electrochemical Society, The Company of Biologists, Portland Press, Science Publishing Group. Each one decides its own percentages and co-author rule.
Does being on the list guarantee a waiver?
No. The list decides which countries can qualify; each publisher then applies its own rule on whose affiliation counts, on funding and on journal type. Check the publisher page and confirm with the journal before submitting.
