The .org TLD billing and collection system will maintain the registrar's
account data, from which invoices, audit tracking and financial reports
are created.
After UIA receives an official notification from ICANN stating that the
registrar has been issued .org accreditation, UIA will begin the ramp up
process for the registrar, including setting up the registrar's financial
account within the SRS.
The registrar will be able to view its account balance through the Web-based
Registrar Tool. Only staff members authorized by the finance group will be
given password-protected access to the CSR Tool to increase or
decrease a registrar's account balance.
Registrar financial account balance data will be included in the SRS
database. As a result, this account data is maintained through the same
back-up and escrow procedures defined in Section C17.7 and the high system
security standards described in Section C17.9.
The Registry Operator's billing and collections handles the following billing and
collections functions:
- Debiting and crediting registrars' accounts
- Initiating low-balance notifications
- Enabling customers to view their accounts
- Tracking and reporting historical information
The Registry Operator's TLD Payment Model will include the following features:
- Utilization of a secure payment model. The system implemented by the
UIA Team will debit a registrar's available credit balance by the wholesale
fee. The system will debit the account in near-real-time batch updates.
- Monthly invoices. UIA will have the registrars invoiced on a monthly
basis for the wholesale fee due for each billable transaction
conducted during that calendar month net grace period transactions.
The system will automatically calculate the monthly charges for each
registrar based on system-generated billing reports.
- Fees will be debited from the account for each registrar as
transactions are conducted. Payments received will replenish a
registrar's available account balance.
- Financial requirements. The following documents comprise a
registrar's financial obligations to UIA:
- Registrar credit application. The application will be used to
establish a registrar account with the registry.
- Payment security. The payment security will be used to secure all
billable transactions that a registrar performs each month. It
will be held without action, unless the registrar's invoice is not paid in
accordance with the terms of the Registry Registrar Agreement. The
minimum payment security must be equal to at least the number of
anticipated monthly registrations x number of years (minimum of
one year and maximum of ten years) x $6 USD registration fee. The
amount of the payment security will depend upon the registrar's
business plan. Registrars will be required to increase their payment
security at any time that their registration levels increase
consistently beyond your then current payment security.
- Acceptable vehicles to satisfy the payment security are:
Cash deposit
Irrevocable stand-by letter of credit from a bank
Payment security bond from an approved surety or bank
- Distribution. Registrar's transaction reports will be accessible through
the Registrar Tool and will be posted to a report server for download
as a flat file. Daily reports will be posted the following day and
will remain on the site for 30 days. Monthly reports will be posted on
the first day of the following month and will remain on the site for
90 days.
- Grace periods. Credits will be applied to registrar accounts for grace
periods, pending periods and rules for overlapping grace periods,
based on system settings.