IBSA Businesses FAQs

  • How much does membership cost?

    • Membership is $150 US for the first year and a $100 US to renew your membership in every subsequent year.

  • Does my business have to join the GOLDEN SEAL program in order to be a member of the Internet Business Standards Association?

    • No, your business does not have to participate in the GOLDEN SEAL program in order to become a member of the IBSA.

    The IBSA understands that participation in the GOLDEN SEAL program is not possible for some businesses, usually because of participation in other self-regulating business standards organizations that forbid participation in more than one business standards program at a time.

    However, there are several advantages to IBSA membership besides the chance to participate in the GOLDEN SEAL program.

  • What advantages does IBSA membership offer besides participation in the GOLDEN SEAL program?

    • While it is true that most businesses initially join the IBSA in order to participate in our highly rated GOLDEN SEAL program, there are numerous other advantages to membership. Our informative newsletters, participation in IBSA policy creation, and the opportunity to meet and network with numerous like-minded businesses in your region and around the world, are just a few of the many tangible benefits that membership offers.

  • What kind of power do IBSA member businesses have? How and when is this power exercised?

    • Every year IBSA policies - including the IBSA Code of Conduct(the basis of our GOLDEN SEAL program,) - are subject to review by the IBSA policy committee. Any suggested revisions are then sent to the entire IBSA membership for approval or rejection. Votes are collected by a specific deadline (usually two months after they are sent out) and changes are either accepted or rejected.

    Furthermore, a member business can submit suggestions for modifying IBSA policy to the IBSA policy committee for consideration.

    Through this process, IBSA policies will always reflect the growing wisdom and experience of IBSA members.

  • Where does the IBSA operate?

    • The IBSA operates internationally. In fact, an enormous part of the IBSA philosophy is to be specifically non-national. We believe that in the new Internet-era of commerce, where businesses deal with customers regardless of borders, that the only standards that can work are international in origin.

    The IBSA is structured to integrate online businesses from any country in the world, provided they meet the exacting standards set out in our Code of Conduct.

  • What kind of businesses can become members of the IBSA?

    • Any type of legal business can join the IBSA. The only requirement is that they have an active online business presence of some kind.

    While some of our businesses may be controversial to many consumers (i.e. adult sites, religious literature sites, online weapon sellers, etc.), the IBSA's central concern is about the business standards that all our member businesses maintain irrespective of content.

  • What does the IBSA Complaints Resolution Process require of a GOLDEN SEAL participant business?

    • The GOLDEN SEAL's strength as a standard depends heavily on our ability to enforce it.

    To ensure that appropriate business standards are maintained, in case a complaint against a GOLDEN SEAL participant business is not otherwise resolved, The IBSA Complaints Resolution Process requires that the business submit to a process of third party dispute arbitration if so desired by the complaining party.

    The arbitration is not a formal legal proceeding and does not necessarily involve any court or lawyer. However, GOLDEN SEAL participant businesses are required to consider any third party arbitration during the Complaints Resolution Process as binding.

    A list of possible arbitrators or arbitrating firms will be available to all involved parties before the process is initiated.