Blendle has been selling news by the article for nearly a decade, but “very limited” demand and the rise of digital subscriptions have done the idea in.
Three years in, the Winnipeg Free Press’ attempt to get readers to pay by the article is still producing less than $100,000 a year — but it also produces data that allows for more targeted upsell efforts.
Read now, buy later: “We defer the time when you have to register and pay to a later stage, letting you convince yourself of the content, of the quality of the content, of the benefits that are offered to you.”
Last year, the Canadian daily became the first North American paper to introduce per-article payments. It’s found fewer takers than expected, but they’re buying more on average.
The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time, and more are now publishing on the Netherlands-based micropayment platform. Will a market awash in free content be interested?
Lichterman, Joseph. "Micropayment platform Blendle will launch a U.S. beta in early 2016." Nieman Journalism Lab. Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, 9 Dec. 2015. Web. 20 Sep. 2023.
APA
Lichterman, J. (2015, Dec. 9). Micropayment platform Blendle will launch a U.S. beta in early 2016. Nieman Journalism Lab. Retrieved September 20, 2023, from https://www.niemanlab.org/2015/12/micropayment-platform-blendle-will-launch-a-us-beta-in-early-2016/
Chicago
Lichterman, Joseph. "Micropayment platform Blendle will launch a U.S. beta in early 2016." Nieman Journalism Lab. Last modified December 9, 2015. Accessed September 20, 2023. https://www.niemanlab.org/2015/12/micropayment-platform-blendle-will-launch-a-us-beta-in-early-2016/.
Wikipedia
{{cite web
| url = https://www.niemanlab.org/2015/12/micropayment-platform-blendle-will-launch-a-us-beta-in-early-2016/
| title = Micropayment platform Blendle will launch a U.S. beta in early 2016
| last = Lichterman
| first = Joseph
| work = [[Nieman Journalism Lab]]
| date = 9 December 2015
| accessdate = 20 September 2023
| ref = {{harvid|Lichterman|2015}}
}}
