For training providers
Single course or annual membership: which CPD accreditation costs less?
Published 27 October 2026 · 8 min read
Short answer: on AssuredCPD’s published prices, accrediting one or two courses costs less as single courses (£350 each in year one). From three courses, annual membership is cheaper — Member-5 costs £975 in year one against £1,050 for three single courses — and the gap widens quickly with every course you add. Membership also renews cheaper from three courses, and neither option carries per-certificate fees.
Providers weighing up CPD accreditation usually ask the same practical question: do we accredit our courses one by one, or take a membership that covers a batch? The honest answer is arithmetic, and because every AssuredCPD price is published, you can do it yourself in a couple of minutes. This guide sets out the numbers, what each option does and doesn’t include, and the situations where the cheaper-looking route isn’t the right one.
The two options
Single-course accreditation is £350 for the first year. That covers a full assessment against the six-domain Standards Framework, the accreditation itself and use of the AssuredCPD mark. It then renews at £245 a year to keep the course accredited and verifiable. The pricing page notes this option is for providers without a membership.
Annual membership is one all-inclusive fee for up to a set number of accredited courses. Every course within your tier is assessed and accredited at no extra cost, with no application fee and no per-certificate fees on top. The membership details on the pricing page also list the AssuredCPD mark licence, a public directory listing, certificate verification and free re-issues. Four tiers exist: Member-5, Member-10, Member-20 and Member-50.
In both cases, accreditation runs for 12 months and every package renews at 30% below its first-year price, so you pay the full figure only once.
Where the break-even sits
Because single courses are priced per course and membership per tier, the answer depends entirely on how many courses you want accredited. Here is the comparison using the published figures, with the cheaper option in bold. Each membership figure uses the smallest tier that covers that number of courses.
| Courses | Single courses, year one | Membership, year one | Single courses, renewal | Membership, renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £350 | £975 (Member-5) | £245 | £685 |
| 2 | £700 | £975 (Member-5) | £490 | £685 |
| 3 | £1,050 | £975 (Member-5) | £735 | £685 |
| 4 | £1,400 | £975 (Member-5) | £980 | £685 |
| 5 | £1,750 | £975 (Member-5) | £1,225 | £685 |
| 6 | £2,100 | £1,380 (Member-10) | £1,470 | £965 |
| 8 | £2,800 | £1,380 (Member-10) | £1,960 | £965 |
| 10 | £3,500 | £1,380 (Member-10) | £2,450 | £965 |
| 15 | £5,250 | £1,930 (Member-20) | £3,675 | £1,350 |
| 20 | £7,000 | £1,930 (Member-20) | £4,900 | £1,350 |
| 30 | £10,500 | £3,330 (Member-50) | £7,350 | £2,330 |
| 50 | £17,500 | £3,330 (Member-50) | £12,250 | £2,330 |
Three things stand out. First, the break-even is three courses: at three, single courses cost £1,050 in year one against £975 for Member-5, a saving of £75. At two courses, singles are cheaper by £275. Second, renewals tip at the same point: three single courses renew at £735 against £685 for Member-5. Third, the saving grows fast — at five courses membership saves £775 in year one, and at ten courses it saves £2,120.
What membership costs per course
Another way to see it is the effective price of each accredited course when a tier is full:
| Tier | Courses covered | Year one | Per course, year one | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single course | 1 | £350 | £350 | £245 |
| Member-5 | Up to 5 | £975 | about £195 | £685 |
| Member-10 | Up to 10 | £1,380 | about £138 | £965 |
| Member-20 | Up to 20 | £1,930 | about £97 | £1,350 |
| Member-50 | Up to 50 | £3,330 | about £67 | £2,330 |
The per-course price falls as the tier grows, but those figures only apply when a tier is full. Member-5 works out at about £195 a course with five courses, yet £325 a course with three — barely below the £350 single-course price. Likewise Member-10 is about £138 a course with ten courses but £230 with six. Membership still beats single courses at every count from three upward, but the value is greatest at the top of each tier, so it is worth knowing how many courses you will realistically put forward before choosing.
The three-year view
Because accreditation renews annually, it is worth looking beyond year one. Over three years, with the first-year fee followed by two renewals:
| Courses | Single courses, 3 years | Membership, 3 years | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | £2,520 | £2,345 (Member-5) | £175 less with membership |
| 5 | £4,200 | £2,345 (Member-5) | £1,855 less with membership |
| 10 | £8,400 | £3,310 (Member-10) | £5,090 less with membership |
These totals assume your course list stays the same and the published prices do not change; treat them as a planning guide rather than a quotation.
What the higher tiers add
Beyond capacity, the tiers stack up extra support. Member-5 includes the mark licence, public directory listing, unlimited learners and certificates, and the five-day assessment. Each tier above then adds to the one below:
| Tier | Adds to the tier below |
|---|---|
| Member-10 | Priority assessment queue, co-branded certificate templates, an annual check-in. |
| Member-20 | A dedicated assessor contact and quarterly check-ins. |
| Member-50 | An annual quality audit and co-branded marketing materials. |
If co-branded certificate templates matter to you, that points to Member-10 or above, regardless of the headline arithmetic.
When a single course is the right choice
- You have one or two courses to accredit. This is the clear case: the arithmetic favours singles up to two courses.
- You want to test the process first. Accrediting your best course on its own shows you how assessment, certificates and verification feel in practice before you commit to a bigger tier.
- You have one flagship programme. If everything you sell is variations on a single course, one accreditation may be all you need.
The single-course description on the pricing page covers the assessment, the accreditation and use of the mark, and keeping the course verifiable on renewal. Membership is the option whose description explicitly lists the public directory listing and free certificate re-issues, so if either matters to you, check with us before choosing singles.
What doesn’t change between the two
Choosing membership does not make assessment easier, and choosing a single course does not make it stricter. Every course, whichever way it is bought, is assessed against the same standard; all six domains must be Met; and every decision is issued in writing with reasons. Neither route has per-certificate fees, so issue as many certificates to learners as you need. And in both cases the headline test is the same one we describe in why courses fail accreditation: clear outcomes, a justified CPD-hour figure, and a genuine check of learning.
Before you decide: a quick checklist
- Count the courses you will genuinely put forward this year — not every course you have ever run.
- Check renewal as well as year one. The renewal figure is what you pay every year after the first; our guide to how accreditation renewal works explains the cycle.
- Look for fees that do not appear on the headline price — per-certificate charges, minimum terms and separate application fees. Our guide to choosing an accreditation body and the full breakdown in how much CPD accreditation costs in the UK cover what to ask any accreditor.
- If you expect to grow past a tier, ask us first. This page cannot promise how a move between tiers is priced, so confirm before committing. For more than 50 courses, or a multi-year arrangement, the pricing page invites you to talk to us.
Common questions
When does annual membership become cheaper than accrediting courses individually?
From three courses. On the published prices, three single courses cost £1,050 in year one against £975 for Member-5 (up to five courses), and they renew at £735 against £685. With one or two courses, single-course accreditation is cheaper.
How much does single-course accreditation cost?
£350 for the first year, covering a full assessment against the six-domain Standards Framework, the accreditation and use of the AssuredCPD mark. It then renews at £245 a year to keep the course accredited and verifiable.
Are there any per-certificate or per-learner fees?
No. Neither single-course accreditation nor membership carries per-certificate fees, so once a course is accredited you can issue as many certificates to learners as you like, on any platform.
What does it cost to renew?
Every package renews at 30% below its first-year price. A single course renews at £245 a year; Member-5 renews at £685, Member-10 at £965, Member-20 at £1,350 and Member-50 at £2,330.
Which tier do I need for six courses?
Member-10, which covers up to ten accredited courses and costs £1,380 in the first year, about £138 per course if you use all ten places. Member-5 covers up to five courses.
Can I cancel my membership?
The pricing page states that you can cancel any time. Accreditation itself runs for 12 months and renews annually.
What if I need more than 50 courses accredited?
The pricing page invites providers with more than 50 courses, or who want a multi-year arrangement, to talk to AssuredCPD directly.