Zuora`s online commerce solution for media companies integrates a product catalogue which enables publishers to define new price plans, charge for content and roll out new products; online content mapping tools to establish which premium content to charge for; subscription management, as well as billing and payments capabilities. The latter enable publishers to manage recurring billing and payment processes, such as tracking usage, processing credit cards and managing refunds and failed transactions.
According to a study the American Press Institute 58 percent of newspapers are considering online fees, while a Harris Interactive/paidContent:UK poll indicates that 74 percent of UK readers would abandon news websites and search for a free alternative if online publishers started charging their subscribers for online content. Furthermore, more than half of consumers willing to pay for online content would prefer to purchase a subscription to their favorite news portal, as compared to 26 percent of respondents who would choose a single-day access pass. Only 21 percent of poll respondents have expressed an interest in a micropayment system.
Editors notes: While there is no consensus yet on how newspapers and magazines should charge, it seems that technology companies manage to keep pace with current market demands, by offering online media publishers both subscription-based and micropayment systems to help them generate revenues and stay in business.
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