Torstar signs payment deal with Axate
By Rob Bale
Torstar has signed an agreement with online payment company Axate to provide a pay-as-you-go system for consumers who do not subscribe to the Toronto Star newspaper. Users will be able to pay for access to news articles using a digital wallet. A single article will cost 75 cents, while one day of access to the site will cost $1.50. The agreement also includes data collection for content personalization and advertising targeting.
“The Star is a high-quality paper of record, with a strong paying subscriber base,” said Dominic Young, CEO of Axate. “Quite clearly its news is well worth paying for. By introducing a simple casual payment option alongside subscriptions, readers can choose the payment model that suits them while the publisher can open up a new stream of revenue.”