Transparency in Marketing Incentives for Accredited CE

Joint Accreditation is aware that a small number of accredited providers may offer incentives to learners as part of the purchase of, or registration fee for, their CE activities. These incentives may include a gift card or an item with tangible monetary value, such as a computer tablet. To maintain confidence in the integrity of the accredited CE system, Joint Accreditation recommends that accredited providers that offer incentives with the purchase of their CE activities implement the following actions:

• Ensure the purchase or registration receipt separates and discloses the nature and value of the incentives of tangible monetary value (such as a gift card or computer device) from the cost of the learning activity itself.
  • Example: A jointly accredited provider offers a series of accredited CE activities for $2200. Learners who purchase this series receive a gift card for $500 as part of their purchase. The receipt for this purchase should include line items as follows:
    • CE Activity Series: $1700
    • Gift Card: $500
    • Total: $2200
  • This will help ensure that the amount to be reimbursed to the learner, if they are using allocated CE funds, is clearly delineated.
• Ensure that purchasers are aware of potential implications of the incentives on their tax reporting obligations. This includes:
  • Informing learners prior to their purchase that the receipt for an incentive-associated purchase will designate the value of the gift card or item separately from the cost of the learning activity. This messaging should appear in the main body of the text about the activity and should not be relegated to fine print, terms & conditions, etc.
  • Informing learners prior to their purchase of the potential implications of their purchase on their tax reporting obligations (e.g., that any reimbursed amount must be declared as personal income for tax purposes). This messaging should appear in the main body of the text about the activity and should not be relegated to fine print, terms & conditions, etc.
  • Including a statement on receipts for incentive-associated purchases that any reimbursed amount must be declared as personal income for tax purposes.