Certification Terms

Certification terms and conditions
  
Updated 25th April, 2026

Certification terms

World Trust Index is operated by World Ethics Organisation Pty Ltd
ACN 682 580 785 · ABN 92 682 580 785
Suite 302, 13/15 Wentworth Ave, Sydney NSW 2000 
 

1. About these Terms

(a) These WTX Certification Terms (Terms) govern your WTX Certification with World Ethics Organisation Pty Ltd (WTX, we, us, our).

(b) These Terms come into effect when you submit your application for WTX Certification and pay the Subscription Fee. Together with the Privacy Policy and Website Terms of Use, they form the complete agreement between you and WTX.

(c) Where there is any inconsistency in relation to Certification specifically, these Terms prevail over the Website Terms of Use.

(d) By applying for and paying for WTX Certification, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to these Terms.

2. What WTX Certification is

(a) WTX Certification is a professional credential issued by the World Trust Index to individuals who meet the WTX standard for professional ethics and integrity.

(b) Certification is based on independent, confidential peer assessments completed by Assessors who have worked with the Candidate directly in a professional capacity.

(c) Certification is awarded when a Candidate's World Trust Rating meets or exceeds 70 out of 100. The Rating is calculated as a weighted average of all completed assessments, measured against the WTX Global Code of Ethics and Integrity. 

(d) Certification is valid for 12 months from the date of award and must be renewed annually to remain active.

(e) WTX is not a regulatory body and Certification is not a substitute for any required professional licence or qualification.

3. Eligibility

(a) To apply for WTX Certification, you must:

  1. Be at least 18 years of age
  2. Be working in a professional capacity
  3. Be able to nominate at least 10 Assessors who have worked with you directly in a professional capacity within the past 12 months
  4. Not have been previously disqualified from WTX Certification
  5. Meet any additional criteria that WTX may specify from time to time

(b) WTX reserves the right to accept or decline any application at our discretion.

4. The Certification process

(a) The Certification process has the following stages:

  1. Eligibility assessment — You complete the WTX Eligibility Quiz confirming you meet the criteria.
  2. Application — You submit your application, professional background and profile information.
  3. Approval and payment — If your application is approved, you will receive an invitation to pay the Subscription Fee and secure your place.
  4. Assessments — You receive a unique assessment link to share with your 10 Assessors. Assessments must be completed within 90 days of payment unless WTX grants an extension.
  5. Review — WTX reviews the completed assessments for integrity, validity and quality.
  6. Certification decision — If you meet the WTX standard, Certification is awarded within 7 business days of the final assessment being completed.

(b) WTX may, at our discretion, decline to certify any Candidate whose assessments do not meet the required standard, or where integrity concerns arise during the process.

5. Subscription Fee and payment

(a) The current Subscription Fee is set out on the WTX website at the time of application.

(b) Founding Member pricing. Members certified within the first 100 places receive Founding Member pricing, locked for life, subject to continuous, uninterrupted annual renewal. If a Founding Member lapses, cancels, or has their Certification revoked, and later reapplies, the Founding rate is forfeited and the then-current standard rate applies.

(c) Payment is processed by Stripe. WTX does not receive, store or process your card details directly. Stripe is a PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant payment processor. By making payment, you agree to Stripe's terms of service, available at stripe.com.

(d) WTX stores a Stripe-issued reference token (not your card details) so that recurring payments can be processed at each renewal.

(e) Self-service billing portal. You can update your payment method, view invoices, manage your subscription, and cancel auto-renewal directly through the Stripe billing portal accessible from your account.

(f) Currency. All Subscription Fees are quoted and charged in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise specified.

(g) Taxes. Subscription Fees are inclusive or exclusive of tax as specified at checkout. You are responsible for any local taxes, duties or withholdings that may apply to your payment.

6. Automatic renewal

(a) WTX Certification is a 12-month subscription that automatically renews on the anniversary of your original payment, using the payment method on file with Stripe.

(b) We will notify you by email at least 30 days before your renewal date, including the renewal amount and the date the charge will be processed.

(c) If your payment fails, Stripe will retry the charge in accordance with its standard retry logic. If payment continues to fail, your Certification status may be suspended or lapse.

(d) You may cancel automatic renewal at any time through the Stripe billing portal or by contacting our concierge team.

(e) Renewal requires the completion of three new peer assessments during the renewal period and the maintenance of a World Trust Rating of 70 or above. If renewal assessments are not completed or the standard is not maintained, Certification lapses, the subscription is cancelled, and no further charges will occur. The renewal Subscription Fee covering the assessment process is not refundable. 

7. Refund policy

(a) Cooling-off period. You may request a full refund within 7 days of payment, provided that no assessments have yet been completed by your Assessors. Contact our concierge team at concierge@worldtrustindex.com to request a refund.

(b) After assessments have been completed. Once any of your Assessors has completed and submitted an assessment, no refund is available, because WTX has incurred assessment delivery and review costs.

(c) Renewals. Renewal Subscription Fees are non-refundable once the renewal has been processed.

(d) WTX-initiated refunds. If WTX is unable to provide the Service for reasons within our control, or if WTX cancels your Certification for reasons other than breach of these Terms, you will receive a pro-rata refund of the unused portion of your Subscription Fee.

(e) Consumer law rights. Nothing in this clause limits or excludes any rights you may have under the Australian Consumer Law or any other non-excludable consumer protection law applicable in your country of residence.

 (f) Cancellation if initial certification is not awarded. If a Candidate's World Trust Rating does not meet the WTX standard following their initial assessment review, WTX will cancel the Candidate's subscription. No further charges will occur. The Candidate retains their private World Trust Rating as a personal record but does not receive the WTX Certification, Trustmark, or Verified Profile listing. The initial Subscription Fee is not refundable, as it covers the assessment delivery and review process. 

 (g) Cancellation if renewal certification is not maintained. Each annual renewal requires the completion of three fresh assessments and the maintenance of a World Trust Rating of 70 or above. If a Member's renewal Rating falls below the WTX standard, WTX will cancel the subscription effective at the end of the renewal period. No further charges will occur. The Member retains their private updated Rating as a personal record. The renewal Subscription Fee is not refundable, as it covers the renewal assessment delivery and review process. The Member's profile is removed from the Register of Certified Professionals within 30 days of certification lapsing. 

8. Cancellation

(a) Cancelling your Subscription. You can cancel at any time through the Stripe billing portal or by emailing concierge@worldtrustindex.com. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current 12-month Subscription Period.

(b) Effect of cancellation. On cancellation:

  1. You retain your WTX Certification and Trustmark until the end of the current Subscription Period.
  2. At the end of the Subscription Period, your Certification lapses and you must stop using the Trustmark.
  3. Your profile is removed from the active Register of Certified Professionals within 30 days of Certification lapsing.
  4. No pro-rata refund is provided for cancellation before the end of the current Subscription Period, unless required by applicable law.

(c) Re-certification after lapse. You may reapply for Certification at any time. New applicants (including those previously certified) are subject to the standard pricing and eligibility criteria in force at the time of reapplication. Previous Founding Member pricing is not retained.

9. Your responsibilities as a Member

You agree to:

(a) Provide accurate, complete and current information at all times (b) Promptly notify WTX of any material changes (such as changes to your company, profession or contact details) (c) Comply with the WTX Global Code of Ethics and Integrity throughout the term of your Certification (d) Use the WTX Trustmark only in accordance with the Trustmark Usage Rules in clause 11 and only while your Certification is active (e) Not coerce, incentivise, pressure or otherwise influence the responses of any Assessor (f) Not nominate Assessors who do not meet the Assessor criteria (g) Cooperate with any quality assurance or audit process conducted by WTX (h) Not misrepresent your Certification status or the meaning of WTX Certification

10. Assessments and Assessors

(a) You are responsible for nominating Assessors who meet the WTX Assessor criteria — individuals who have worked with you directly in a professional capacity and are able to speak genuinely about your professional character.

(b) You must not coerce, incentivise or influence an Assessor's responses in any way. Any attempt to do so is a material breach of these Terms.

(c) Assessors complete their assessments confidentially. You will not be shown individual Assessor scores or responses, only an aggregated Integrity Report.

(d) WTX reserves the right to contact Assessors to verify identity and professional relationship, and to audit assessments as part of quality assurance.

(e) If an Assessor is found not to meet the required criteria, WTX may disqualify that assessment and request an alternative Assessor.

11. The WTX Certified Trustmark — usage rules

(a) Licence. Upon Certification, WTX grants you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the WTX Certified Trustmark while your Certification is active.

(b) Permitted uses. The Trustmark may be used:

  • On your website
  • In your email signature
  • On professional proposals, presentations and marketing materials
  • On social media profiles and professional listings
  • In other professional contexts consistent with the WTX brand

(c) Prohibited uses. The Trustmark must not be used:

  • After your Certification has lapsed, been cancelled, or been revoked
  • With modification to its design, proportions, colour, typography, or accompanying text
  • In any way that is misleading, defamatory or damaging to WTX's reputation
  • To imply WTX endorsement of products, services or entities not personally associated with you
  • In contexts that conflict with the spirit of the WTX Global Code of Ethics and Integrity
  • In direct association with content that is unlawful, offensive, or harmful

(d) Year markers. Your Trustmark is updated annually to reflect your current Certification year. You agree to use only the current-year version of the Trustmark.

(e) Removal on request. WTX may request the immediate removal of any Trustmark use that breaches these rules. Failure to comply within a reasonable time is a material breach of these Terms.

(f) Brand assets. All Trustmark files and any related WTX brand assets remain the intellectual property of World Ethics Organisation Pty Ltd. No rights are granted beyond those expressly set out in these Terms.

12. Your profile on the WTX Register

(a) Upon Certification, WTX publishes your profile on the public WTX Register of Certified Professionals. The profile may include your name, title, company, bio, specialisms, headshot, company logo, World Trust Rating, trust dimensions, city and country.

(b) You grant WTX a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish and display your profile content for the duration of your Certification, and for a reasonable period thereafter for archival and integrity purposes.

(c) You may request updates to your profile by contacting our concierge team. WTX reserves the right to decline profile content that does not meet editorial or brand standards.

(d) Your profile is removed from the active Register within 30 days of your Certification lapsing, being cancelled, or being revoked. WTX may retain an internal historical record of past Certifications for integrity and audit purposes.

13. Integrity of the Certification process

(a) WTX reserves the right to:

  1. Verify the identity and professional relationship of any Assessor
  2. Audit any assessment for integrity and authenticity
  3. Disqualify any assessment that does not meet the required standard
  4. Request additional Assessors where necessary
  5. Investigate any concerns raised about the integrity of a Certification

(b) Breach of integrity. If you are found, at WTX's reasonable discretion, to have:

  • Coerced, incentivised or influenced an Assessor
  • Nominated fake, ineligible or compromised Assessors
  • Misrepresented information in your application or profile
  • Otherwise attempted to manipulate the WTX Certification process

then WTX may, at our discretion:

  1. Suspend or terminate your Certification immediately, without refund
  2. Update your status on the Register to "Revoked"
  3. Permanently disqualify you from future Certification
  4. Take any other legal action available to us

(c) You acknowledge that the integrity of WTX Certification depends on these measures, and that their enforcement protects every other Member and the meaning of the credential itself.

14. Confidentiality of Assessor responses

(a) Individual Assessor scores and responses are confidential. You will not see which Assessor gave which score.

(b) You will receive your World Trust Rating, showing your aggregate score and breakdown across the ten principles of the WTX Global Code of Ethics and Integrity. 

(c) You may be notified when each Assessor has submitted their assessment, so you can track progress and follow up where needed.

(d) You agree not to pressure any Assessor to disclose their individual scores or feedback.

15. Fellowship and the World's Most Trusted Professionals list

(a) Members who maintain continuous Certification for three or more consecutive years may be eligible to apply for Fellowship of the World Trust Index, subject to an integrity interview and any additional criteria WTX may specify.

(b) Each year, WTX may recognise the top 10% of Certified Members globally on the World's Most Trusted Professionals list. Selection is based on weighted average score and continuous Certification.

(c) Fellowship and recognition on the World's Most Trusted Professionals list are honorary and do not grant additional legal rights or fee concessions unless otherwise specified.

16. Liability

(a) Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts or modifies any consumer right or guarantee under the Australian Consumer Law or any other applicable non-excludable consumer protection law.

(b) Subject to clause 16(a), and to the maximum extent permitted by law:

  1. WTX is not liable for indirect, consequential, special, punitive or exemplary loss, including loss of profit, loss of opportunity, loss of reputation, or loss of business
  2. WTX's total aggregate liability in connection with your Certification is limited to the Subscription Fees paid by you in the 12 months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim
  3. WTX Certification reflects the outcome of independent peer assessments as at the date of Certification. It is not a guarantee of any Member's future conduct, character or professional performance. WTX is not liable for any loss arising from third-party reliance on a WTX Certification.

(c) You acknowledge that Certification is a professional recognition, not a professional service, and that the responsibility for your own conduct, client relationships and professional performance remains entirely your own.

17. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify WTX, its officers, employees, contractors and agents against any claim, loss, damage or liability (including reasonable legal costs) arising from:

(a) Your breach of these Terms (b) Your violation of any law or third-party right (c) Any content you provide to WTX that is inaccurate, unlawful, or infringes a third-party right (d) Any third-party reliance on your WTX Certification or Trustmark

18. Changes to these Terms

(a) WTX may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified to active Members by email at least 30 days before taking effect.

(b) Continued Certification after the effective date of updated Terms constitutes acceptance. If you do not agree to updated Terms, you may cancel your Certification in accordance with clause 8.

19. Privacy

Your personal information is handled in accordance with the WTX Privacy Policy, available at www.worldtrustindex.com/privacy.

20. Dispute resolution

The dispute resolution process set out in the Website Terms of Use applies to any disputes arising under these Terms.

21. Governing law and jurisdiction

(a) These Terms are governed by the laws of Western Australia, Australia.

(b) The exclusive jurisdiction for any legal proceedings is the courts of Western Australia, Australia, except where non-excludable consumer laws of your country of residence require otherwise.

22. General

(a) Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the Website Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy, form the complete agreement between you and WTX.

(b) Severance. If any provision is found unenforceable, that provision will be severed and the remainder will continue in force.

(c) No waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of that provision.

(d) Assignment. You may not assign your rights under these Terms without our written consent. WTX may assign rights in connection with a sale, merger or restructuring, subject to equivalent Member protections.

(e) Force majeure. WTX is not liable for delays or failures arising from events outside our reasonable control.

(f) Notices. Notices to WTX should be sent to concierge@worldtrustindex.com. Notices from WTX will be sent to the email address associated with your account.

Contact

World Ethics Organisation Pty Ltd ACN 682 580 785 · ABN 92 682 580 785 Suite 302, 13/15 Wentworth Ave, Sydney NSW 2000 concierge@worldtrustindex.com www.worldtrustindex.com