The Washington Post has begun offering readers an alternative to a recurring subscription: a 7-day one-off pass that does not automatically renew. The publisher appears to be testing a range of price points for the product from $4 to $10 for a week of access.
The Post's CEO Will Lewis told employees in May that the paper was losing money and that it would explore more “flexible” options designed to make it easier for readers to pay for news. Lewis sent a memo to staff last week describing the offering as “the very first test of its flexible payments product.”
The company has also tested a product it calls “Limited Pass” which offers access to a limited number of articles per month for a small financial commitment. Readers in the U.K. have been offered access to four articles per month for £1 every 4 weeks, for example.