Membership Terms and Conditions

By purchasing online you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

We may modify these terms and conditions at any time by publishing the revisions on the website.*

RQA Membership

Membership is on an individual basis only. It cannot be transferred to another person and it cannot be refunded. An annual subscription is per calendar year (January to December) and not annually from the date you join. Memberships are due for renewal on 1st January, irrespective of the joining date. If you wish to cancel your membership at any time, please email membership@therqa.com.

Free Membership on Events

If you pay the non-member fee to attend a professional development course (or conference when applicable) you are entitled to apply for free membership until the end of that calendar year. If you apply for free membership following a professional development course (or conference when applicable) that takes place between September and December you will receive free membership for the remainder of that year plus the whole of the following calendar year. You will be provided with a discount code during the event to enter online when you apply for membership. This also applies to in-house course attendees who are non-members.

New Member Welcome Gift

All first time members receive a complimentary copy of one of our purchasable eBooklets as a welcome gift. Details of how to select this will be provided during the membership application process. 

Tax Relief

Income Tax Relief in respect of Annual Membership Subscriptions.

The Research Quality Association is one of the HMRC approved professional bodies under Section 344 of the Income Tax (Earnings & Pensions) Act 2003 and is published by them known as “List 3” therefore, if you are a UK tax payer and pay your own membership fees, you may be entitled to claim tax back on your subscription fee.

Who can claim

If joining the RQA is advantageous to you in carrying out your work or is relevant to your job, members employed in the UK may claim tax relief on their membership subscription fee.

Who cannot claim

Non UK tax payers
Members whose subscription fee is paid by someone else (e.g. employer)

For further information and how to claim, please visit this page.

Payment

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Compliant.

Online bookings have the choice of paying immediately by credit/debit card, nominating somebody else to pay on your behalf or requesting an invoice for all other payment methods.

Invoices must be paid no more than 30 days from the invoice date unless stated otherwise.

Membership renewal fees are due on 1st January each year. If payment is not received by this date, membership will be lapsed and you will be required to rejoin via the membership application process on the Join Now page.

Currency and Exchange Rate

You may book in GBP, USD or Euros and the default currency will be selected by our website according to your location, but can be altered if you choose. RQA exchange rates used are based on those published by The Financial Times and will be updated regularly. 

For further information on RQA membership please email membership@therqa.com.

*Last amended 16th July 2024