Open CPD does not charge a flat annual fee regardless of how much you issue. It charges for what you actually do — and offers plans that fit the range of ways training businesses actually work. Here is how to work out which option is right for you.
Start with Pay-As-You-Go
For most independent training providers, Pay-As-You-Go is the natural starting point. £50 for 25 credits. One credit, one certificate. Buy when you have training to certify; your credits are valid for 12 months from your last purchase.
This is the right option if your training is episodic — one event, one cohort, a course that runs a few times a year — or if you want to get properly set up before committing to a monthly subscription. You can do everything on Pay-As-You-Go: build your provider profile, set up courses, issue certificates and badges, and give your learners their achievement pages. When your volume grows to the point where a subscription is better value, you switch.
Keeping your membership active
Your Certificate of CPD Membership is a live document — it reflects your current standing as an Open CPD provider. To keep it active, you need live credits in the system. This applies on Pay-As-You-Go as well as subscriptions: if your credits expire, your active membership status lapses. It is a light prompt to renew when the time comes, and it is what makes Open CPD membership meaningful — an active member is one who is actively issuing credentials, not one who joined and went quiet.
Business: £45 per month, 30 certificates
For providers issuing consistently enough that a subscription is better value than Pay-As-You-Go. Thirty certificates per month, one-to-one support included throughout the year, onboarding support when you join. Custom certificate and badge design is available on the Business plan for a small fee.
Professional: £90 per month, 120 certificates
For higher-volume providers: training companies, academies, conference organisers certifying large cohorts. One hundred and twenty certificates per month, with bulk CSV upload for issuing to full cohorts at once. Custom-branded certificate and badge design is included free on the Professional plan.
What every plan includes
Beyond the certificates, every Open CPD membership includes things that change the value of joining considerably.
One-to-one support at any point during the year — a person, not a help article, when you need guidance on your account, your courses, your CPD Genie results, or anything else related to your membership.
A free PR and communications guide — practical guidance on how to talk about your Open CPD membership publicly, how to use it in your marketing, and how to make the most of it with existing and prospective clients. For a training provider without a marketing team, this is a resource you would otherwise have to put together yourself.
Social media promotion — Open CPD features its providers on its own channels. Being promoted to an audience you did not have to build is a genuine benefit for a small training business.
Certificate design and branding
Whatever plan you are on, your certificates are professionally designed — chosen from a library of templates, each carrying your name, your logo, and a link to your provider profile. If you want something designed to your exact specification, custom-branded certificates and badges are available on all plans: free on Professional, available for a small fee on Business.
The honest comparison
Private CPD accreditation bodies — CPDUK, the CPD Standards Office — charge between £200 and £1,500 a year for a logo, a directory listing, and a certificate of accreditation. None of that is regulated or statutory. The logo signals something to people who do not know it has no official backing.
Open CPD starts at £50. What you get in return is actual credential infrastructure: certificates with verification links, digital badges, learner achievement pages, a public provider profile, a signed membership record. Your learners can share what they achieved. Employers can check it. The evidence travels with the credential wherever it goes.
FAQ
Do unused credits expire?
Credits are valid for 12 months from your last purchase. Buy a batch and you have 12 months to use them. If you top up before they expire, the clock resets from your new purchase date.
Can I switch between plans?
Yes. If your training volume changes — you take on more clients, or you go through a quieter period — you can move between Pay-As-You-Go and a subscription, or between Business and Professional. The plans are designed to work alongside each other across different stages of your business.
What does the one-to-one support cover?
Anything you need: getting your profile set up, building courses, understanding how CPD hours work, making the most of CPD Genie, or questions about your membership and what it includes. It is available at any point during the year, not just during onboarding.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — a 7-day free trial with 5 credits is available. Most providers find that starting with Pay-As-You-Go makes more sense: 25 credits gives you enough to get properly set up, issue real certificates, and build your membership record from day one. But if you want to explore the platform before committing anything, the trial is there.
