Glossary
Submission fee
A submission fee is paid up front, at the point of submitting, and is not refunded on rejection. It is distinct from an article processing charge, which normally falls due only after acceptance.
Reviewed 1 August 2026
In practice
Why the distinction matters
With an APC, a rejected paper costs nothing. With a submission fee, every attempt has a price. For an author paying personally and submitting to several journals in sequence, the difference compounds.
How common it is
Submission fees are rare compared with APCs and are concentrated in a few fields, notably parts of economics and finance.
Common misconceptions
Paying a submission fee does not buy faster or more favourable review.