Consumer Magazines

Personal Identifier Questions

Personal Identifier Questions (PIQs) are set by ABC and are used as a means of audit verification. View more information.

Latest Changes

March 2012

Social Media: You can now report a basic measure of social media audience(s) on a product’s ABC Multi-Platform Certificate. Examples of what could be reported are Facebook ‘Likes’ or Twitter ‘Followers’. This can be reported from January 2012.

Previous Changes

December 2011

Digital editions - editorial content. From periods beginning January 2012 a digital edition will be able to include up to about 25% more editorial content than carried in its print parent edition (previously 5%)
Digital editions - information captured. From reporting periods beginning January 2012 the threshold above which publishers do not need to obtain the digital edition purchasers’ details is changed from 50% to 20% of Basic Cover Price/Basic Annual Subscription Rate. Note: copies above this price point still need to be proven to payment.
Digital editions - From reporting periods ending December 2011 digital edition copies will be reported in one place on the certificate alongside print copies (but not combined).
Digital Editions – free requested copies. The current requirements for telephone, internet and email requests are based on the completion of a form and the capturing of the individual’s answer to the ABC Personal Identifier Question. For requests made from January 2012 publishers may, with the prior approval of ABC, be able to take advantage of alternative solutions for capturing and proving that an individual has requested a digital edition copy of the publication.

Digital Editions: From audit periods ending December 2011 paid digital edition copies will be analysed by comparing the price paid with the UK print copy Basic Cover Price (single copy sales) and UK print copy Basic Annual Rate (subscriptions).
Issues to be reported: A flowchart has been added to the rules which should be used to determine whether issues should be reported or not. Click on the above link to view the flowchart.

Monitored Free Distribution: From audit periods ending January 2012 the breakout of distribution points will include two new categories – Food and drink outlets, and Other travel points. The category for trains will be removed.
Monitored Free Distribution: With effect from September 2011 changes have been made to clarify the information and requirements that are expected for Monitored Free Distribution. These include the right for ABC to visit or call distribution points to verify the distribution process, changes to the information on the Master Distribution list of distribution points and the assessment of management controls covering the distribution process as part of the audit. ABC will agree and work with publishers to ensure these are achieved.

Newstrade multipacks: For issues distributed on or after 1st July 2011 the rules relating to multipacks have been amended where only one publication in the pack is included in an ABC claim.

Digital editions: From January 2011 there are changes to the definitions and requirements in relation to the reporting of digital editions of a print publication. Please refer to the letter on the link above for more details.
Bulk sales: From reporting periods ending January 2011 onwards the claim for any bulk sales where the copies are distributed via the newstrade as part of a multipack with another publication must be restricted to the net sales of the multipack.

Appeal procedure: Where a member appeals against a decision in relation to an ABC audit or inspection, the timescale within which the Director of Audit will investigate and provide a decision has been amended from 5 working days to 10 working days.

Optional reporting periods: The optional reporting periods available for titles newly registered with ABC have been simplified.

Free Digital Edition copies: It is clarified that all hard bounce backs should be excluded from free digital edition copy claims, not just SMTP 550 errors.
Documentation required for ABC purposes: To improve the clarity of the documentation which you must make available for ABC audit, sections 5.13 to 5.13.3 of the Reporting Standards have been rewritten. The evidence required in support of copies sold at exhibitions or events has been added to.

Dates of distribution: The ABC definition of distribution date for newstrade copies has been amended to the on-sale date (rather than the date they were delivered to the distributor). As the distribution date determines the reporting period in which an issue is claimed, this bring this into line with the way issues are reported under the optional monthly circulation/issue analysis.
Monitored free distribution: For reporting periods starting from July 2010 onwards monitored free distribution copies will be analysed by distribution point type. A pre-defined list of types is detailed in the Reporting Standards.

Newstrade and single copy sales/paid subscriptions: Clarification that subscriptions taken out for a period less than the minimum required for inclusion in the single copy subscriptions category can be reported in the newstrade and single copy sales category.

Non-controlled free circulation: With effect from July to December 2009 periods the requirements to provide third party source documentation and prove a likely interest in the field for copies in this category have been removed.
ABC inspections: With effect from July to December 2009 periods the inspection frequency for publications not audited by ABC staff auditors has been standardised at a minimum of at least once every two years for all publications

Regular bulk sales: allowing application for an increase in permitted level of copies for a planned double issue
Single copy subscriptions: clarification to assist in identification of Basic Annual Rate

Multipacked magazines (newstrade and single copy sales): clarification that cover price within this rule relates to Basic Cover Price

Multipacked magazines (newstrade and single copy sales): to clarify treatment including ensuring copies are considered actively purchased and reported on certificate

Retail subscriptions: clarification of treatment
Monitored Free Distribution: signed receipt for a package whose contents can be traced to a clear 3rd party audit trail