Paid Multiple Copies - Consumer Magazines

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Paid Multiple Copies [Print/Digital]

Copies purchased by a third party from the publisher, delivered and made available for pick up or receipt by consumers.

Principles

1. There must be a contractual arrangement between the final purchaser (third party) and the publisher or an intermediary

2. Copies are paid for by the final purchaser

3. The publisher must receive a positive financial contribution per copy from the final purchaser

4. Copies distributed and made available for pick up or receipt by consumers

5. Claimed quantity should not exceed potential demand by the intended consumers

Requirements 

1. There must be a contractual arrangement between the final purchaser (third party) and the publisher or an intermediary

1. You must be able to provide evidence of the contractual arrangements between the final purchaser and the publisher and/or the intermediary (if applicable) including the issues, quantities to be supplied and price per copy.

2. You cannot claim sales of back issues (with the exception of repurposed unsold retail copies – see below).
   
   

   Repurposed unsold retail copies
   Repurposed unsold retail copies are print copies supplied to wholesale/retail for retail sale, but which have been returned unsold and are subsequently sold or distributed in accordance with these standards. For the avoidance of doubt, these copies cannot be claimed more than once.

   You may claim back issues of repurposed unsold print retail copies as follows:

   1. Issues up to 12 months old against the issue current at the time of sale/distribution.

   2. The level of repurposed copies included in your claim must be reported – see the Reporting section below for details.

Guidance Available

2. Copies are paid for by the final purchaser  

1. The net price paid must be at least minimum legal tender per copy.

3. The publisher must receive a positive financial contribution per copy from the final purchaser  

1. Either the final purchaser or intermediary (if applicable) must pay the publisher a net amount for the copies: 

1. 1. When calculating what price has been paid you must take into account:

      • Any reciprocal payments made by the publisher

      • Any reciprocal charges for goods or services made by the purchaser (or the intermediary if applicable) as part of the deal (for example: for distribution or marketing).

      • The value of any other goods or services provided free or discounted by the publisher (for example advertising or promotional messages).

   2. In the case of print airline and international rail copies, sold for distribution in secure areas airside and trackside, it is recognised that an authorised distribution company must be used. In this scenario:

      • If that distribution company is used as an intermediary to sell to the final purchaser, the publisher may not receive a net payment for the copies from the distribution company due to the payment of distribution charges. 

      • If a distributor pays a contractual entry fee to the final purchaser which is of a general basis and not specific to any specified group of publications or publishers then this will not be considered a reciprocal payment to be taken into account for ABC purposes. 

4. Copies distributed and made available for pick up or receipt by consumers

1. You must be able to demonstrate that the copies are distributed and made available for pick up or receipt by the intended consumers.

2. For a digital copy:
   
   
   1. You must be able to demonstrate distribution either by the copy being delivered to a consumer or the consumer being notified of the availability of the issue to access.
      
      
   2. If distribution/notification is by email, you must exclude Hard Bounces (non-delivery notices typically measured up to 24 hours after being sent).
      
      
   3. Distribution of the copy to a consumer may be demonstrated via a report of active views, which contains sufficient means of excluding repeated views by the same device/user. If based on active views, you may claim back issues up to 12 months old against the issue current at the time it is viewed.
      
      
   4. There is no requirement to de-duplicate these copies against other circulation categories.

Guidance Available

5. Claimed quantity should not exceed potential demand by the intended consumers

1. The claim for a multiple copy sale where the copies are distributed via the newstrade as part of a multipack with another publication must be restricted to the number actually sold on the newstrade (i.e. the claim will not be not the gross quantity purchased under the bulk sale deal).

2. In other situations you must be able to demonstrate that the claimed quantity would not exceed the potential demand by the intended consumers.

3. Copies purchased by a consumer, wholly or in part by coupon(s) obtained via a promotion controlled by a party independent of the publisher, can be claimed (on a sale or return basis) providing:

   1. The Publisher has no control over the conversion of coupons into cash, (i.e. coupon redemption must be direct between the retailer of the Publication and the independent promoter or their agent)

   2. The final number of copies that may be claimed will be based upon the number of copies that can be proven by the redemption of vouchers and amount paid. Note: As the copies may have been initially supplied via the newstrade, care must be taken not to double count these copies in the circulation claim.

Reporting

You will report paid multiple copy sales as follows, which will be broken out on the ABC certificate:

1. By print and digital copies, by total average multiple copy sales, by geographical type:

1. United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland

2. Other Countries

2. If you have claimed repurposed unsold retail copies, then you must combine the repurposed copies with any other
repurposed copies in other categories and report the total as a percentage of the total average circulation for the reporting
period.

Guidance

G1. There must be a contractual arrangement between the final purchaser (third party) and the publisher or an intermediary

1. In relation to airside and trackside copies:

   1. It is the publisher’s responsibility to ensure their distribution company will:

      • Provide evidence of distribution of the copies airside/trackside as detailed below

      • Understand and keep up to date with the requirements of the ABC Reporting Standards

      • Report the number of sold copies by issue for each ABC reporting period to the publisher

      • Provide access to the publisher’s circulation auditor to any records requested for the purpose of checking the accuracy of any claim or compliance with the Reporting Standards and byelaws

   2. The publisher’s circulation auditor must have access to documentary evidence relevant to the deal between the final purchaser and any intermediary (if applicable). 

G4. Copies distributed and made available for pick up or receipt by consumers

1. Evidence of distribution of the print copies to the distribution company and onward to airside/trackside must be available. This will typically involve the distribution company maintaining a goods inwards and goods outwards recording system, with clearly documented management controls that:

   1. Is updated daily for planned and unplanned changes

   2. Is reconciled on a regular basis to resolve differences between goods in and goods out

   3. Identifies the newspapers and number of copies supplied to every distribution point

   4. Operates appropriate and effective quality assurance processes for ensuring that the newspapers and number of copies supplied to every point is correctly stated.

   5. If weaknesses in management controls are found during the audit work, the publication’s circulation auditor/ABC will inform the distributor and the publisher of defined improvements to be implemented and a timescale to ensure copies are still eligible for ABC purposes.