The New York Times introduced a pay component to its website Thursday that will be implemented next week. Beginning March 28, the paper will charge users that click on more than 20 stories a month between $15 and $35.
The fee, payable via PayPal or credit card, varies between web and mobile phone app access ($15), website and iPad app access ($20) and an all-access plan ($35).
Home subscribers to the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune will have free, unlimited access to the website.
Articles accessed via search sites or social networking links will not count towards the 20-story limit, though there is a five story a day limit to them.
New York Times Company chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said in his annual State of the Times remarks Thursday, "This move is an investment in our future,” he said. “It will allow us to develop new sources of revenue to support the continuation of our journalistic mission and digital innovation, while maintaining our large and growing audience to support our robust advertising business."
He added, "The challenge now is to put a price on our work without walling ourselves off from the global network, to make sure we continue to engage with the widest possible audience."
The 20-article limit begins immediately for Canadian users so the paper can work out any kinks in the system.
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