Chemical Reviews APC and Open Access: What ACS Charges for the Top Review Journal in Chemistry

Chemical Reviews is almost entirely invitation-based. The journal publishes long-form, authoritative review articles (often 50-100+ pages) that survey entire subfields of chemistry. Editors identify leading researchers in a topic area and invite them to write.

This changes the APC dynamic in several ways:

1. You usually don't seek out Chemical Reviews. The journal comes to you.
2. The invitation may include APC discussion. Some editors clarify publication costs upfront, especially for invited authors who may not have grant funds designated for APCs.
3. Review articles are long. A 60-page review represents months of work. The APC is a tiny fraction of the total investment.
4. Most Chemical Reviews authors choose subscription. Since the journal has universal library access in chemistry departments, the practical benefit of paying for OA is limited.

The American Chemical Society has aggressively built out its Read & Publish network. ACS agreements are available at:

If your institution has an ACS agreement, Chemical Reviews is covered. ACS doesn't exclude any of its journals from Read & Publish deals (unlike Elsevier, which excludes Cell Press and Lancet). This means the $5,000-$6,000 APC is often fully covered by institutional agreements.

Check ACS's institutional agreements page or ask your chemistry librarian.

ACS membership discount: ACS members receive discounts on APCs across all ACS journals. The discount varies (typically 10-25%) and is applied automatically during the payment process.

Developing country waivers: ACS offers reduced or waived APCs for corresponding authors in lower-income countries, aligned with Research4Life eligibility.

Financial hardship: Case-by-case requests are considered by ACS. The society's stated mission includes supporting chemical research globally, and hardship waivers are part of that commitment.

Invited author arrangements: For Chemical Reviews specifically, editors sometimes arrange waiver or institutional coverage as part of the invitation process. If cost is a concern when you receive an invitation, raise it early.

For most chemistry researchers, the subscription track plus embargo deposit satisfies funder requirements. NIH and NSF both allow 12-month embargoes. European Plan S funders require immediate OA with CC BY, which means paying the APC.

• No page charges for Chemical Reviews specifically. Some other ACS journals charge color figure fees, but Chemical Reviews does not.
• Length isn't penalized financially. Chemical Reviews articles can be extremely long (50-100+ pages) without incurring per-page charges. The APC is a flat fee regardless of article length.
• Supplementary materials are free to host through ACS's system.
• The real hidden cost is time. Writing a Chemical Reviews article typically takes 6-12 months. Factor in the opportunity cost of that effort when evaluating the publication.

For most Chemical Reviews authors, the decision is simple:

1. If invited: Check whether your institution has an ACS Read & Publish agreement. If yes, choose OA at no cost to you. If no, publish via subscription for free.
2. If your funder requires immediate OA: Pay the APC (~$5,000-$6,000) or use the rights retention strategy.
3. If cost matters: Consider Chemical Society Reviews (RSC), which has a lower APC and similar prestige in the chemistry community.

Chemical Reviews is an invitation-based journal where the editorial bar is set before you start writing. But even invited reviews benefit from careful preparation. If you're working on original research for JACS or another ACS journal, run a free readiness scan to check your manuscript before submission.