Single Copy Subscription Sales - Consumer Magazines

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Single Copy Subscription Sales [Print/Digital]

A single copy sold and distributed to an individual or organisation for a contracted period.

Principles

1. There must be a contractual arrangement between the subscriber and the publisher (or their agent)

2. Single copy per issue, distributed to a known addressee

3. Single copy knowingly paid for by the subscriber

4. For a contracted period and for a minimum number of issues (at least two)

5. It must be clear that the price paid by the consumer includes the publication

Requirements 

1. There must be a contractual arrangement between the subscriber and the publisher (or their agent)

1. You must be able to provide evidence of the contractual arrangements between the subscriber and the publisher (or their agent) including the issues/period and the price.

2. If you merge publications or purchase a subscription list from a ceased publication it must be clear that subscribers have made a choice to receive the publication claimed.

3. Retail subscriptions (where the purchaser buys a subscription at a retail outlet and is given a unique code that enables a subscription to be activated) can be claimed as long as:

   1. They are sold through a third party retailer.

   2. Each retail subscription has a unique activation code.

   3. The retailer supplies reports identifying how many retail subscriptions have been sold and the price.

   4. You can demonstrate the number and prices of retail subscriptions both purchased and activated to support the claim.

   5. They have been activated and distributed.

We will consider auditable alternative retail subscription schemes but you will need our approval in advance. 

Guidance Available

2. Single copy per issue, distributed to a known addressee 

1. You must be able to demonstrate the copy is distributed to the addressee.

2. You must retain a list of individual recipients for one designated issue each reporting period (the Audit Issue - see General Principles and Record Keeping section). In addition you must be able to recreate a list for any issue in the reporting period on request. Note:

   1. The list is to include details of the recipients of individually distributed print and digital copies across all circulation types, excluding those that are not available due to the nature of a third-party supplier relationship or represent a duplicate print copy or a duplicate digital copy to the same individual (which are ineligible for claiming). 
      
      
   2. You must be able to identify the circulation category/type each copy is claimed in, and which copies, if any, represent
      a print and digital copy for an issue that are circulated to the same individual. 

Guidance Available

3. Single copy knowingly paid for by the subscriber 

1. The subscriber must be the addressee except:

   1. Where the addressee is an employee whose employer is the subscriber.

   2. Where the addressee is the recipient of a gift subscription from the subscriber (maximum 12 subscriptions per subscriber). The recipient’s geographical location for reporting purposes may be treated as being the same as that of the purchaser making the gift.    

2. The purchase by the subscriber may be in cash or by other means agreed by ABC in writing.

3. You can claim copies where payment is outstanding as long as there are reasonable grounds to consider them to be live, good and collectable.

Guidance Available

4. For a contracted period and for a minimum number of issues (at least two)

1. You can claim back issues:

   1. Where a subscriber has specifically requested back issues as part of their subscription term:

      • For up to 3 months preceding the issue current when the subscriber is first added to the mailing list for UK and Republic of Ireland addressees.

      • For up to 6 months preceding the issue current when the subscriber is first added to the mailing list for addressees in other countries. 

   2. Where a subscriber has not been specifically notified via the subscription offer that back issues will be part of their subscription term:

      • For weekly publications: For up to 2 issues immediately preceding the issue current when the subscriber is first added to the mailing list.

      • For non-weekly publications: only 1 issue immediately preceding the issue current when the subscriber is first added to the mailing list.

Guidance Available

5.  It must be clear that the price paid by the consumer includes the publication

1. You can ignore the value (or perceived value) of any gifts, or other incentives. However:
   
   
   1. Cash reimbursements to the consumer must be taken into account.
      
      
   2. If the publication is promoted to the consumer as free, then it cannot be claimed as a paid sale.
      
      
2. You must retain details of promotional or special offers during the reporting period.   

Reporting

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

1. By print and digital copies, by total average single copy subscription sales over the period, by geographical type:

1. United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland

2. Other Countries

Guidance

G1. There must be a contractual arrangement between the subscriber and the publisher (or their agent).

1. If you merge publications or purchase a subscription list from a ceased publication it must be clear that subscribers have made a choice to receive the claimed publication. Examples of how this may be achieved are shown below.

   1. Merger. If you merge publications where there are live subscriptions:

      • Subscribers to one publication only

        • You may continue to fulfil the contractual requirement of the subscription by mailing copies of the ‘new’ publication until the expiry of the subscription period.

      • Subscribers to both publications
        • You may refund the unexpired portion of one subscription and continue mailing copies until the remaining subscription expires; OR

        • You may net the value of the unfulfilled subscriptions and allocate copies on an issue by issue basis until the value has been subsumed.

   2. Purchase or transfer of subscription lists from a ceased publication

      • If you purchase or transfer a list of subscribers from a ceased publication, you could claim these as subscriptions if you could demonstrate:
        • The amount each subscriber is 'in credit' in terms of the payments for their subscription to the ceased publication.
        • How the credit is applied to the subscription to the claimed publication.
        • The subscriber has either:
          1. Elected to continue his subscription to the claimed publication; or

          2. Has been given the option to discontinue his subscription to the ceased publication and obtain a refund.

2. As records for two or three year subscriptions may need to be provided for audit you must ensure these are still available. You may wish to ask us to seal the galley (mailing list) at audit where this might prove difficult going forward.

G2. Single copy per issue, distributed to a known addressee

1. Distribution evidence: For a print copy this will usually be from a third party company whose normal business is single copy distribution (such as Royal Mail). Typically the evidence will include testing the payment of invoices and related advice notes sufficient to identify the publication, issue, quantities and date distributed.  For a digital copy, 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. If distribution/notification is by email, you must exclude Hard Bounces (non-delivery notices typically measured up to 24 hours after being sent).

G3. Single copy knowingly paid for by the subscriber

1. Cash means legal tender notes and coins, cheque, credit/debit card, wireless payment systems.

2. Where payment is outstanding you may take into account the following in considering whether there are reasonable grounds to consider the debt to be live, good and collectable:

   1. Publisher's normal credit terms

   2. Payment history

   3. Credit control efforts
      

G4. For a contracted period and for a minimum number of issues (at least two)

1. The contracted period may be a rolling issue by issue (or open ended) arrangement providing the contractual arrangements clearly intend there to be an on-going payment mandate and the sale is not promoted as a single copy purchase.
2.