Rules & ResourcesNewspaper Support Center
Home-Delivery Promotions Guidebook—U.S. Newspapers (Effective April 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010)
Gift Subscriptions
A gift subscription is defined as a subscription purchased by an individual for another individual as a normal expression of friendship. The same individual may purchase gift subscriptions up to a quantity of 50.
Quantities of 50 gift subscriptions or more, purchased by a single individual, shall be considered third-party sales. Subscriptions purchased by a business entity to promote their professional or business interests, at any quantity, shall not be considered gift subscriptions. Rather, these sales would be considered third-party sales. See the guidelines for third-party sales.
Pricing
If a single gift subscription is purchased, then the subscription must be paid for at no less than one cent each, net of all considerations.
When two or more subscriptions are purchased in a single sale, then the promotion must also offer the sale of a single subscription for at least one cent less than the multiple sale price.
Promotional Material
All promotional material must:
- Identify the number of subscriptions in the sale.
- State the term and frequency of each subscription.
- State the purchase price.
- Reflect a qualifying price.
- Exclude any reference to any of the subscriptions as being free, no additional cost, bonus, or other synonymous language.
Reporting
Circulation generated from the sale of gift subscriptions 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 sale to the consumer occurred.
See also multiple subscriptions to the same newspaper.
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