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Home-Delivery Promotions Guidebook—U.S. Newspapers (Effective April 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010)

Combination Sales

Combination sales include the sale of two or more different publications as a package to new or renewal subscribers.

A subscription combination sale is defined as the sale of a subscription to two or more different publications as a package during new, renewal or billing efforts, and where each publication in the sale is a priced product. A newspaper subscription may be sold in combination with another newspaper or a periodical.

Please note that a subscription to each publication in a combination package must be generally available for sale in the marketplace independent of each other.

Pricing

A publication may create a solicitation piece for combination sales in two ways:

  • Promoting only the sale of the combination package.
  • Promoting the combination package as well as a subscription to one or both of the publications individually (optional).

If the solicitation material is promoting the sale of only the combination package, then the purchase price offered to the subscriber must be a minimum of one cent per publication, net of considerations.

If the solicitation material is promoting the combination package as well as a subscription to one or both of the publications individually, then the individual purchase prices must be at least one cent less than the combo price.

Promotional Material

All promotional material must:

  • State the publications involved in the combination package.
  • State the term for all publications in the package (and frequency for newspapers involved).
  • State the purchase price for the combination package.
  • State the purchase price for a subscription to one or both publications individually, if offered (optional).
  • Reflect a qualifying price.
  • Exclude any reference to any of the publications as being free, no additional cost, bonus, or other synonymous language.

Examples—Combination Sales

Reporting

Circulation generated from home-delivery combination sales is reflected in Paragraphs 1A and 2 of the ABC Publisher’s Statement.

In Paragraph 1A, the circulation is classified as Home Delivery under Paid for by Individual Recipients.

In Paragraph 2, the circulation is classified as Home Delivery, based on the specific ABC zone where the copies are delivered to the subscriber.

See also Rule C 5.3 Combination Sales


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