BPA Worldwide has launched a certification program for consumer magazine subscription agents, BPA President and CEO Glenn Hansen announced today. 

BPA will conduct annual systems certification audits on consumer magazine subscription agents who opt to participate in the program. The service will provide publishers with enhanced assurance that an agent’s operations and procedures are in accordance both with the Magazine Publishers of America’s “Guidelines on Relations with Subscription Agents” and BPA’s rules and requirements. 

The MPA’s voluntary guidelines help publishers monitor agents’ conduct and the selling plans that they are authorized to use. (The guidelines may be accessed at www.magazine.org/Circulation/educational_guides/1816.cfm.)

 “The MPA guidelines regarding best practices for the publisher/agent business relationship have been in place for seven years now,” noted Hansen. “Many publishers and their fulfillment bureaus strive to ensure compliance with these guidelines. But given the number of agents and sub agents, and the complexity of the relationships involved, this is no easy task. While publishers will continue to be ultimately responsible for the quality of their agent-sold sources—including their legitimacy for reporting as paid subscriptions—publishers have strongly encouraged us to help by adding this additional layer of monitoring by a trusted, third-party auditor. Major agents who make up BPA’s Subscription Agent Task Force are also very supportive of this concept. The publishers, agents and media buyers on our various committees have all reviewed and approved the specifics of our certification process.”

 “BPA is providing a valuable service to publishers interested in actively monitoring agent-sold subscriptions,” commented MPA Executive Vice President, General Manager Michael Pashby.

Hansen stressed that conducting the agent systems certification audit on an annual basis will be critical in ensuring that systems continue to be in compliance with industry subscription documentation requirements and MPA’s guidelines. “Obviously, agent program offerings and systems change over time,” he said. “So, just as systems certifications done within other industries are conducted at regular intervals, we will conduct a thorough, yearly evaluation of an agent’s operations—including methods of sale; safeguards against deceptive sales practices; procedures for transactions; sub-agent coding, vetting and sanctions practices, and consumer complaint resolution systems. This will serve to keep the need for constant vigilance about best practices top-of-mind within agent companies.”

 He also stressed that BPA will in no way require that members use only compliance-audited agents.  “BPA recognizes that, by virtue of their business models, some agents consistently provide adequate records for any magazine circulation audit,” Hansen said.

Nor will BPA’s circulation auditing practices for certified and non-certified agents differ in any way. “The compliance audit, or lack thereof, would not impact the number of records required for a magazine circulation audit,” Hansen confirmed. “A compliance audit does not guarantee passing a circulation audit. The former is simply a statement that the agent has the necessary systems and controls in place in conformance with industry best practices. However, over time, BPA may realize some efficiencies in its circulation auditing through knowledge of an agent's systems as a result of having conducted compliance audits.”

Agents who choose to seek certification will pay an annual fee. “As always, we have kept the fee to a minimum,” Hansen said. “We feel that this service is of vital importance to the industry, and we want to make it as accessible as possible.”

Agency certifications will be posted and updated on BPA’s Web site (bpaww.com).