Indy to launch paywall for non-UK readers
The Independent is set to launch a paywall for non-UK readers, an iPad app and cut more than 70,000 free bulk copies from its circulation in a bid to reinforce its credentials as a premium multimedia title.
The paywall will mainly target online readers from the US and Canada – allowing access to 20 articles for free a month with a charge for unlimited usage. North American readers will be charged $6.99 (£4.50) a month.
About 40% to 50% of the title’s online traffic comes from outside the UK, with monthly unique users now at around 16 million. There are thought to be a couple of hundred thousand readers in North America that view more than 20 articles a month.
The paywall is expected to launch in the next week, according to the Guardian. The publisher is also planning an iPad subscription with single issue, monthly and yearly options. The Independent currently charges £9.99 a month for access to its Kindle edition, which has thousands of active users.
Bulk copies will also be dropped where possible. Currently, the 83,159 bulk copies the Independent distributes to hotels, airlines and stations represent 45% of its circulation of 182,881. Only around 10,000 will be retained at the request of particular companies, including British Airways.
The majority of the existing Independent bulks will be replaced by giveaway copies of the 20p i – boosting its current circulation of 183,677.
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