Per-credential pricing charges you for every badge or certificate you issue, so costs rise each time a learner earns another one. Per-recipient pricing charges once for each recipient, counted by unique email address, with unlimited badges for each one, so costs track the size of your audience rather than your activity. For most universities, associations and employers, per-recipient pricing is cheaper once people earn more than one credential.
What is per-credential pricing?
In this model, the platform charges a fee for every badge or certificate you issue. If you issue 1,000 credentials, you pay for 1,000 units. It is simple in theory but unpredictable in practice.
Pros
- Low initial cost for small or one-off projects
- Pay only for what you use, ideal for pilots
- Straightforward for limited volumes
Cons
- Unpredictable budgeting as volume grows
- Encourages teams to limit issuance to control costs
- Difficult to manage when several departments issue independently
- Scales poorly for large universities or associations
Example
An association that issues 200 badges in its first year and 2,000 the next could see its cost increase tenfold, not because of added value but simply due to growth in engagement.
What is per-recipient pricing?
The alternative is per recipient pricing. You pay for each learner, employee, or member you credential, counted by unique email address, but each recipient can receive unlimited badges under that licence.
Pros
- Predictable annual budgeting
- Encourages more creative and frequent badge issuance
- Simplifies administration across multiple teams
- Costs remain stable as engagement increases
Cons
- Higher upfront commitment
- Less flexible for very small issuers
- Requires managing unique recipient data across systems
Example
A university with 5,000 active students can budget once per year. Whether those students earn one badge or ten, the cost remains the same. The institution can focus on learning quality instead of invoice volume.
Which model costs less as issuing grows?
| Factor | Per Credential | Per Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| Budget predictability | Varies with usage | Fixed annually |
| Scalability | Penalises growth | Rewards growth |
| Ideal for | Small or pilot projects | Universities, associations, corporates |
| Engagement impact | Limits adoption | Encourages multiple achievements |
| Administrative simplicity | Requires tracking individual usage | Easier to manage |
| Long-term ROI | Lower | Higher |
A worked example with Certify's published prices
On Certify's Starter plan, up to 500 recipients costs £70 a month, or £672 a year billed annually (ex VAT). Every plan runs on a 12-month term, and the price stays the same however many badges each recipient earns:
| Badges per recipient | Credentials issued | Billed monthly | Billed annually |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | £70 a month | £672 a year |
| 5 | 2,500 | £70 a month | £672 a year |
| 10 | 5,000 | £70 a month | £672 a year |
You can check Certify's current plans and prices at any time.
How Certify Approaches Pricing
Certify's pricing model is designed to reward engagement, not restrict it.
Institutions and companies pay per recipient, not per badge, allowing unlimited badge issuance under a single licence. This approach encourages creativity, scalability, and consistent measurement of impact.
Certify's analytics show how each credential performs, from page views and LinkedIn shares to total audience reach. These metrics turn digital credentials into measurable communication tools, not just recognition assets.
To see how Certify's pricing model compares with other providers, read our comparison of the best digital badge platforms.
Which model suits my organisation?
| Organisation Type | Recommended Model | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Small training provider or pilot | Per Credential | Low volume, short-term project |
| University or higher education | Per Recipient | Predictable costs across multiple courses |
| Corporate learning and HR | Per Recipient | Encourages continuous learning and recognition |
| Professional association | Per Recipient | Simplifies renewals, memberships, and events |
| Event or conference organiser | Per Credential | Suitable for single-use credentials |
Conclusion
Digital credentials are now a strategic channel connecting education, employment, and reputation. Selecting the right pricing model determines whether your credential programme can grow sustainably or stalls at pilot stage.
The per credential model serves small-scale or experimental initiatives but becomes restrictive as adoption rises. The per recipient model aligns better with scalable, data-driven programmes, where value increases through engagement rather than transaction count.
The UK Digital Badging Commission's report, From skills to growth: A plan for digital badging in the UK (RSA and Ufi VocTech Trust, October 2025), highlights the wider economic importance of scalable credential ecosystems. It finds that "adopting a coherent, interoperable credentialing system could unlock billions in annual savings and productivity gains across key sectors" (page 7), through less duplicated training, faster hiring and better workforce retention.
That research reinforces a key message for issuers everywhere: growth in digital credentials depends on lowering barriers, not adding them. A per recipient pricing model supports this by aligning platform success with issuer success: predictable, measurable, and designed for scale.
