Paywall

A paywall restricts access to digital content unless users pay or meet specified access conditions, such as subscribing, registering, or using a limited free allowance.

Subscription: A recurring payment arrangement that provides access to a service or content for a defined period. Many paywalls unlock content while a subscription remains active.
Digital journalism: Journalism produced and distributed through digital technologies and online platforms. News organizations are among the most visible adopters of paywalls.
Advertising: Paid communication intended to promote products, services, or ideas to an audience. Advertising can fund free access instead of charging each user for content.
Digital divide: Unequal access to digital technologies, connectivity, and the skills needed to use them. Payment barriers can deepen existing inequalities in access to online information.
Willingness to pay: The maximum amount a person is prepared to pay for a good or service. It determines whether a content restriction converts interest into sustainable revenue.
Metered paywall: A paywall that allows a limited number of free items or visits before requiring payment. It combines open sampling with a threshold that triggers payment.
The New York Times: An American newspaper founded in 1851 and published in print and digital formats. Its digital subscription model is a prominent example of a metered news paywall.
Open access: Free online availability of scholarly works with few restrictions on reading or reuse. It removes reader-facing payment barriers for scholarly content.
Information inequality: Unequal ability to obtain, use, and benefit from information. Restricting content by ability to pay can widen disparities in knowledge.
Price discrimination: A pricing strategy that charges different customers different prices for the same good or service. Publishers vary subscription prices to balance affordability and revenue.

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