RSPO Trade Fee Changes – Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (FAQs)

This FAQ is issued in conjunction with the announcement of the RSPO Trade Fee Changes.

1. Why is RSPO reviewing its Trade Fees?

RSPO’s responsibilities, activities and operating requirements have grown significantly since it was established. The Trade Fee, in particular, has not changed since certified volume trading began in 2008.

In real terms, the original US$1.00 Trade Fee is now worth significantly less than when it was introduced eighteen years ago.

The review is intended to establish a more sustainable and balanced funding model that allows RSPO to keep delivering its strategy and supporting members and stakeholders.

2. Who approved the Trade Fee revision? 

The overall funding model, including the Trade Fee review, was overseen by the Board of Governors. 

3. Is this a one-off change, or should members expect further increases?

RSPO Trade Fees will be reviewed periodically by the Board of Governors. Any future adjustments will be considered through the relevant governance process and communicated to members in advance.

4. What is changing in the Trade Fee structure?

The revised Trade Fee structure introduces two tiers (Tier 1 and Tier 2) and standardises the administrative component into a flat US$0.30 per metric tonne or credit on top of a variable Contribution Rate.

The two-tier approach lets RSPO maintain a stronger contribution from established, higher-volume categories while reducing the cost of selected credit transactions to encourage market development and participation — balancing financial sustainability against market growth in a single structure.

5. Which products and credits are in Tier 1?

The Tier 1 fee of US$1.95/MT or credit applies to these established products:

• CSPO Physical
• CSPO Credits
• CSPK Physical

Higher Trade Fees will apply to established products. This adjustment will strengthen the financial sustainability of the RSPO system and support the continued delivery and development of the standards, systems and services that underpin the RSPO supply chain and marketplace.

6. Which products and credits are in Tier 2?

The Tier 2 fee of US$0.60 per credit applies to these emerging products:

• IS-CSPO Credits
• IS-CSPKO Credits
• IS-CSPKE Credits
• CSPKO Credits
• CSPKE Credits

Lower Trade Fees will apply to selected emerging products and credits. This will reduce barriers to participation, address existing market imbalances and support further market development.

The revised fees will also provide a more direct incentive for buyers to support Independent Smallholder Groups through Independent Smallholder (IS) Credits by reducing fee-related barriers to entry.

For CSPKO Credits, a Trade Fee will be reinstated at a reduced level while establishing a more consistent fee structure across the relevant credit categories.

7. What is the revised Two-Tier Trade Fee Structure

Trade Fees are stated in US$ per metric tonne or credit, as applicable.

The revised Trade Fee structure comprises two components: the RSPO Contribution Rate and a standardised Administrative Fee of US$0.30 per metric tonne or credit. The Trade Fee applies to Shipping Announcements and credits purchases only.

8. What will the revised Trade Fees support? 

Trade Fee revenue will support the continued development and delivery of RSPO Standards, systems and services, including:

• Traceability and technology, supporting the integrity and efficiency of the RSPO supply chain.
• Standards development and assurance, including the continued maintenance and implementation of RSPO requirements.
• Regulatory response capacity, including support for Members navigating evolving due-diligence and sustainability regulations.
• Regional support, including member services provided through RSPO’s regional offices.
• Market development, expanding RSPO’s membership into new geographies and maintaining its relevance in the global sustainable palm oil market.

Subject to approval of the proposed Membership Fee by the RSPO General Assembly on 4 November 2026, and as part of the broader funding package, RSPO will commit at least 10% of annual Trade Fee revenue to Stakeholder Inclusion and Impact Activities. This will include supporting smallholders, NGOs and other stakeholders who are essential to RSPO’s multistakeholder model.

The full details of the proposed Membership Fee changes resolution will be set out in the GA Notice, which will be published on 7 October 2026. RSPO will update Members on the outcome following the GA. 

9. Who actually pays the Trade Fee — buyer or seller?

For physical shipments (CSPO Physical, CSPK Physical), the fee is invoiced once in the supply chain, from the mill to the first buyer. For RSPO Credits, the fee is paid by the buyer of the credits. In both cases, it is the buying party at that point in the chain who bears the fee, not the seller.

10. Is the fee applied automatically, or do I need to do anything?

The Trade Fee is calculated and applied automatically by prisma at the point of confirmation, using the rate in effect on that date. You do not need to change any settings or take any action for the revised fee to apply — see Question 7 for exactly how the system determines which rate applies to a given transaction.

11. When will the changes take effect?

The Trade Fee adjustment will take effect on 1 October 2026 00:00 UTC.

12. Will there be any interruption to trading around the effective date?

Yes. A short Trade Fee Transition Window will apply immediately before the revised Trade Fees take effect, so that the revised Trade Fee is applied cleanly from the effective date and the September billing period closes without overlap.

Trade Fee Transition Window: 

Wednesday, 30 September 2026, 16:00 UTC to Thursday, 1 October 2026, 00:00 UTC 

During this 8-hour window, the following will be temporarily unavailable in prisma:

• Confirming announcements – FFB Announcement, Shipping Announcement and Announcement; and
• Credits trading – placing buy or sell orders, creating off-platform trades, and confirming off-platform trades .

The Trade Fee applies to Shipping Announcements and credits purchases only. FFB Announcements and Announcements are not subject to a Trade Fee and are not affected by the fee change; confirmation of these is paused during the window as part of the platform cut-over. 

Announcements can still be created and submitted during the window. Confirmation will be available again after the Transition Window closes.

Confirmation of announcements is performed by the buying counterparty, typically a refinery, trader or kernel crushing plant. For credit trading, both buyers and sellers are affected: no new buy or sell orders can be placed during the window. Existing orders remain in place and are unaffected; they can be matched again once the window closes. 

All other prisma functions remain available as normal, including login and user administration, viewing stock balances and transaction history, audit processes and licence information, claims and reporting, invoices and payment records, and downloads.

Normal trading resumes automatically at 00:00 UTC on 1 October 2026. No action is required from Members, and no data or draft transaction will be lost. 

13. My business operates in a different time zone. Which Trade Fee will apply to my transaction? 

The Trade Fee applied is determined by the prisma system timestamp of the transaction, not by your local time zone. The effective date and the Transition Window are set in UTC, which does not observe daylight saving, so they will not shift.

For physical certified volumes, the Trade Fee applies to Shipping Announcements and is determined at the point of confirmation by the buying counterparty, not at the point the announcement is created or submitted.

• Transactions confirmed before 30 September 2026, 16:00 UTC → current Trade Fee.
• Transactions confirmed from 1 October 2026, 00:00 UTC → revised Trade Fee.
• No fee-bearing transaction can be confirmed between those two points, as this is the Transition Window.

Local times for the Transition Window 

14. How does the Trade Fee change benefit the wider RSPO system?

The revised Trade Fee structure is intended to achieve two objectives at the same time:

First, it provides a stronger and more sustainable contribution from established trade activity.

Second, the lower Tier 2 fee can encourage greater credit market participation, including purchases that can support smallholders.

15. What is the impact of the Trade Fee changes?

The impact will vary depending on the type of certified trade transaction.

Tier 1 transactions will have a higher Trade Fee, reflecting stronger market demand and the established nature of these products and credits. The higher fee will apply to relevant certified trade transactions, including those involving growers and Palm Oil Processors and/or Traders group members as first buyers.

Tier 2 transactions will benefit from a lower Trade Fee, reducing the cost of selected credit transactions and encouraging greater market participation. This includes purchases that can support independent smallholder groups.

Overall, the revised structure is intended to distribute contributions from certified trade more broadly while supporting market development and stakeholder inclusion.