Advertiser and Express subscriptions: Frequently asked questions

How have subscriptions changed?

The Advertiser and Express have partnered with a company called Admiral to provide subscription services to our websites.

Admiral is a leading provider which will allow us to offer more choices, special offers and extra benefits for readers who subscribe.

As well as being granted unlimited access to our news sites, users who sign up can also view digital editions of our weekly newspaper and access our fascinating archives.

You’ll also have more choice over the type of subscription you take out. You can sign up on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis – with discounts available when you take out a longer subscription.

What do I get when I subscribe?

Our new subscription service offers a host of benefits which will give readers a complete experience of our news coverage.

By signing up, you’ll be able to read unlimited articles on our three sister websites – maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk, sloughexpress.co.uk and windsorexpress.co.uk

In a new addition to our subscription offer, subscribers will also get access to digital editions of our weekly newspapers – allowing you to catch up with a weekly digest of the week’s news, sport, and entertainment.

What’s more, you’ll be able to browse thousands of previous editions in our fascinating archives – dating back more than 200 years. You can find out what was making headlines when you were born, research your family history and see how your community has changed over the years.

How much does it cost?

All of this will be available for a monthly subscription cost of £4.99 – less than the cost of buying print editions of our newspapers for a month.

You’ll save money if you sign up on a quarterly basis (£12.99 every three months) or for an entire year (£49.99 – less than £1 a week).

We want to give everyone a chance to see what our subscription package has to offer so new users can sign up and get their first month completely free – you pay nothing for a month of unlimited browsing, and you can cancel your subscription at any time.

Existing Axate account holders will get additional benefits. As a thank you for your support for trusted journalism, paying wallet holders can get their first two months for free and current subscribers can enjoy three months of free access.

Why am I being asked to subscribe?

Simply put, trusted local journalism costs money to produce – and traditional methods of funding it are no longer sustainable.

It is no secret that the journalism industry has faced significant challenges in recent years, including falling print circulations as reader habits change and a difficult economic climate.

News organisations are now reaching larger audiences than ever before through our websites and social media, and the internet has allowed us to find new and innovative ways to tell stories.

But it has come at a cost. The digital advertising market is dominated by tech giants and the income it generates does not come close to the money print advertising once made.

As an industry, we are increasingly looking to subscriptions as the path towards a sustainable future for vital local journalism.

Collectively, our hard-working reporters put hundreds of hours of work into producing dozens of news, sport and entertainment articles each week.

We believe that work is hugely valuable to the community – but we can no longer continue to give it away for free.

But the news is in the public interest. Shouldn’t it be free?

No one recognises the importance of quality local journalism more than us.

Local newspapers play a crucial role in holding power to account and keeping residents informed about the decisions which directly affect their lives.

Local newspapers uphold the principle of open justice, tell inspiring stories, campaign on residents’ behalf, and raise awareness of the many challenges we face in our society.

The loss of trusted local news is bad for democracy, isolates communities and allows misinformation and unsubstantiated rumours to thrive.

However, news organisations need to operate as a business and sadly dozens of titles across the country have closed in recent years.

Journalists need to be paid and websites cost money to maintain – and this needs to be sustainably funded.

Asking readers to pay for journalism is nothing new. Print editions have a cover price when you pick them up in your local shop and many news sites have established subscription services.

Even when you access news for ‘free’, such as on social media sites, you are being asked to give something up in exchange – your personal data.

News is not, and has never been, free to produce. So, it can’t be given away without readers giving something back in exchange.

Should you be charging during a cost-of-living crisis?

We recognise that times are tough and not everyone is in a position to pay for news content.

That's part of the reason why we have moved from a 'premium article' to a metered paywall model – you can access any article for free if you are still within your usage limits, rather than access being restricted straight away.

However, pressures such as high inflation and the cost-of-living crisis also hit independent businesses hard.

Our operating costs have increased significantly since the pandemic, with the price of everything from power to the cost of newsprint increasing.

The economic climate has also affected our customers – many are independent businesses like ourselves – meaning budgets for advertising and marketing are smaller.

What happens with the money you make?

We are one of the last remaining truly independent local news organisations in the country, so you can be safe in the knowledge that the money we make won’t be going into the pockets of shareholders.

As a not-for-profit organisation, any profit the news titles make will go back into the company, helping to protect the future of our journalism and independence, and helping to ensure we can continue to serve our community for many years to come.

This is not about greed. This is about protecting the future of local journalism in your community.

When will I be asked to subscribe?

Under our previous subscription provider, access was restricted on individual articles on our websites – only users who took out a subscription or a day pass could read the article in full.

Our new subscription service instead uses a metered paywall system.

This means every visitor gets limited access which allows them to read any article on our websites until they reach their usage limit.

Once they hit the limit, readers will be asked to subscribe to keep on reading articles or they can wait until their free usage allowance resets.

We believe this is a fairer system as content is restricted based on a reader’s usage, rather than the type of content they are trying to access.

You can try before you buy, and the readers who benefit most from using our sites will benefit most from taking out a subscription.

Can I still take out a day pass?

We are unable to continue offering day passes for our site.

Non-subscribers can access a limited number of free articles on our sites or sign up to try a subscription for free for a month.

What will happen to my Axate account?

After a short transition period, you will no longer be able to use your Axate account to access articles on our websites.

You’ll need to take action and register with Admiral to continue reading unlimited articles on our websites.

Existing Axate subscriptions will end automatically, but Axate wallet holders can continue to use their account to access other websites on the Axate network.

How do I sign up to Admiral?

Registering for an Admiral subscription is fast, secure, and simple.

If you’re an existing Axate customer, you should receive an email giving you instructions on how to register and take advantage of your extended free access.

New users can sign up using the prompts which appear on our websites or the widget above.

When you register, you’ll be asked to create an account with an email address and password and enter payment details to begin your subscription.

You can also use your Facebook or Gmail account to register.

What will be restricted once I hit my usage limit?

If you hit your usage limit you will not be able to read most of the articles on our sites unless you take out a subscription or wait for your limit to reset.

However, you will still be able to browse our home, news, entertainment, and sport index pages.

A small number of articles will remain free to read regardless of whether you have hit your usage limit. These include missing persons and witness appeals by police, traffic alerts, and public notices.

How do I access the digital edition and archive once I've subscribed?

We've compiled a helpful guide to accessing digital editions.

Click here to find out more, or click the 'digital editions and archive' button on the homepage.

Will you still be producing print editions?

We remain fully committed to producing our print titles, and you can pick them up in supermarkets and newsagents in your community.

Are you planning any new benefits or offers?

We'll be keeping our subscription packages under constant review to make sure the right offers reach the right people – look out for some special offers in the coming months.

We're also developing new additions to our subscription packages and would appreciate reader feedback on what they would like included. Email customerservices@baylismedia.co.uk with suggestions. 

Who I speak to if I have issues with my subscription?

If you have any questions or issues with your subscription, a member of the Admiral team will be happy to assist you.

You can get in touch by clicking ‘contact support’ on the subscription page, or by clicking here.