Rules & Resources
Newspaper Support Center

Intermittent Subscriptions (Bonus Days)

Definition
Delivery
Subscriber Notification
Pricing
Reporting
See also Rule C 2.11 Intermittent Subscriptions

Definition

Intermittent circulation is defined as the occasional delivery of issues (home-delivered) that were not specifically identified as part of a new or renewing contract between the publication and the subscriber. Said another way, it is any issue serviced to a home-delivery subscriber that the order/renewal solicitation presented to the consumer at the point of purchase did not specify as being included with the order.

Provided the qualification requirements are met, the copies delivered as intermittent circulation may be claimed as paid circulation on ABC documents (See Reporting).

Example: Bonus Day
On a direct mail piece, Internet order page, telemarketing call or renewal invoice the consumer is presented with:

“Sign up for one year of Sunday-only delivery* for only $52.00!
* Includes holidays”

If the publication chose to service Memorial Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas to this consumer, then those days would be bonus days—as the consumer is not informed in the solicitation effort of the specific issues to be serviced as part of their frequency in addition to the Sundays.

A reference to “Includes holidays” is not sufficient, as the consumer would have no knowledge of which holidays this may or may not include.

Example: Not a Bonus Day
On the direct mail piece, Internet order page, telemarketing call or renewal invoice the consumer is presented with:

“Sign up for one year of Sunday-only delivery* for only $52.00!
* Service includes the following issues: May 28, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

Since the solicitation piece the consumer will see at the time of order clearly states the specific issues included with the Sunday frequency, then these holidays are not bonus days, rather they are simply part of the normal home-delivery circulation.


Delivery

When a newspaper decides to serve a bonus day, they must determine which frequencies (Sunday only, Sat/Sun, Fri/Sat/Sun, etc.) and which ABC zones (City, RTZ, NDM, etc.) are going to receive the intermittent circulation.

Once the newspaper determines the frequency(s) to receive service and the ABC zone(s) for which these frequency(s) will be served, then ALL (100% of) home-delivery subscribers to that frequency(s) in that ABC zone(s) must receive the intermittent issue.

ABC does not permit the use of electronic editions for the service of intermittent circulation to print subscribers.

Example:
The newspaper decides it would like to serve a bonus day on Thanksgiving (Thursday in U.S. and Monday in Canada).

The newspaper has the following frequencies:

  • 7-day
  • Fri/Sat/Sun
  • Sat/Sun
  • Sun only

All of the above frequencies are available in the newspaper’s three ABC zones

  • City Zone
  • Retail Trading Zone
  • All Other Zone

The newspaper chooses to deliver intermittent circulation to its Sat/Sun and Sun-only frequencies, but only in the City Zone. The intermittent circulation will be serviced to ALL (100%) of the home-delivery subscribers with Sat/Sun and Sun-only frequencies in the City Zone.

The newspaper’s decision is acceptable. They may choose any frequency to receive delivery in any zone, as long as 100% of the subscribers with that frequency(s) in that zone receive service.

Subscriber Notification

ABC rules require the newspaper to notify those individuals who will receive the bonus day service. The notification must meet the following requirements:

  • Communicated 14 days in advance of the delivery date.
  • Indicate the specific date(s) of the intermittent service.
  • Cannot state nor imply the intermittent service is “free,” “no additional cost,” “no extra charge” or other synonymous language. (Should be represented as “included with the cost of your paid subscription.")
  • Executed in written form—the price box of the newspaper, via a letter to the subscribers, a flyer topped on their newspaper by the carrier, etc. If the price box is used for notification, then it must appear on a date when the recipient of the bonus day would normally receive the paper.

Example: Not Acceptable
“All Sunday-only subscribers will also receive every Monday issue in the NFL season at no additional cost.”

This notification is unacceptable for two reasons: 1) the delivery is positioned as no additional cost and 2) stating “NFL season” is not sufficient, rather it would need to say something like “every Monday from September 1 through January 31.”

Example: Acceptable
“All Sunday -only subscribers will receive delivery of the July 4 and Labor Day issues included with the cost of your paid subscription.”

This is acceptable as the specific dates are identified and this additional delivery is not represented as free.

Pricing

All subscribers receiving intermittent service must have paid:

  • In the U.S. - at least 25 percent of the basic price for the term and frequency they are receiving
  • In Canada – at least 50 percent of basic price for the term and frequency they are receiving (for inclusion in 1A) or at least one cent (for inclusion in 1B).

If the service of intermittent circulation (bonus days) results in a subscriber receiving delivery that imitates (emulates) another established frequency, then the subscriber must have paid a qualifying price for the imitated frequency (25 percent of basic in U.S. and one cent in Canada).

Example:
A Sunday-only subscriber will receive bonus days on various Saturdays throughout the year. Therefore, in various weeks throughout the year, the subscriber will actually be receiving Sat/Sun service. The subscriber paid $1.00 per week for the Sunday-only frequency.

The newspaper has a Sat/Sun frequency established. The basic price for Sat/Sun frequency is $1.50 per week.

Since the newspaper has a Sat/Sun frequency established, and the subscriber is actually receiving Sat/Sun service intermittently, then the subscriber’s original payment must equate to at least 25 percent of the Sat/Sun frequency basic prices (for the U.S.).

In this example, the $1.00 per week paid by the subscriber for the Sunday-only subscription is qualified, as this also equates to at least 25 percent of the Sat/Sun basic price.

Reporting

When intermittent service equals seven or fewer days in any Publisher’s Statement period, no specific disclosure of this circulation is required. All intermittent circulation shall be included in “Home Delivery.”

When intermittent service equals or exceeds eight days in any Publisher’s Statement period the intermittent circulation should be disclosed as follows:

  • In the U.S.:
    • Paragraphs 1A, & 2: Separate line item “Intermittent Subscriptions”
    • Paragraph 6B: List of all bonus days (dates) and total number of copies served as intermittent circulation for each date
  • In Canada:
    • Paragraphs 1A/1B & 2: Separate line item “Intermittent Subscriptions”
    • Paragraph 8: List of all bonus days (dates) and total number of copies served as intermittent circulation for each date


Updated 03/14/07