This page addresses questions related to the Ars Premier subscriber offering. Please consult the information below before contacting support.
NB: We ask that you read through our User Agreement and Privacy Policy before creating and account or purchasing a subscription.
Why are you selling subscriptions? What is the money used for?
The Ars subscriber program launched in July of 2001. Since then, it has played a critical role in the mission of Ars Technica. In particular, subscriber revenue has been used to support the creation of new content and the operation of community offerings like the Ars OpenForum, sending editors and writers to conferences and product launches, liveblogs of live events, paying freelancers for specialty and technical content, and much more.
We also offer subscriptions because our readers have asked for them. Nearly all of the features provided by Ars Premier were suggested or inspired by readers.
If I buy a Premier Subscription, what do I get?
Our constantly evolving list of subscriber benefits is listed here and on your profile page. All features are provided as-is, without warranty or representation. Features may change or be removed at any time. You are free to cancel at any time.
Note that use of the Ars Technica website is free, and a subscription is not needed to access the site or its public content.
How much does a Premier Subscription cost?
We offer three payment tiers:
- $50 for a one year subscription
- $5 for a month subscription
- $30 for a six month subscription
How will I be billed for my subscriptions?
When you select which subscription interval you'd like, you will be sent to our partner Pin Payments who accepts your payment and transmits this data securely to our payment processor, Authorize.net.
NB: By default, all plans will be re-billed automatically. If you would like to update your payment preferences or cancel the rebilling of your account, you can manage those through your Ars Technica profile. Here's how:
- Visit your profile page
- Click on the "more info" link in the bottom of this section
- You'll be sent to a private page on Pin Payments where you can update your payment source information, cancel re-billing, or extend/change your subscription.
Will Pin Payments retain my credit card information?
Yes, as long as your account is set to re-bill automatically, Pin Payments must keep your credit card information on file to perform the regular re-billing. We have investigated Pin Payment's security mechanisms and have been thoroughly satisfied that they are taking precautions to keep this information safe and secure. Read more about Pin Payment's security.
What if I don't want Spreedly to retain my payment information?
Cancel the auto-rebilling feature and Pin Payments will expunge this information from their systems.
What happens if I stop my account from re-billing after I've paid?
When you stop your subscription from re-billing, all record of your credit card details will be expunged from our partner Pin Payment's systems. Your subscription will continue until the date it would have naturally re-billed. If there is no further intervention on your part, your subscription will simply expire. You can re-subscribe at any point before or after this happens.
How do I manage my subscription, my profile, or access my subscriber features?
Click on the "Premier Subscription" dropdown in the Ars navigation bar. We keep this list up to date with all the new features and options we add. Alternatively, this is all lists on your profile page too.
Can I gift a subscription?
Sure! Just head here.
Where is the PDF Library?
You can find links to our PDF content on the top right of articles, but if you're looking for PDFs of older articles, you can browse the entire PDF Library here.
Where is my Ars profile, and how do I edit it?
You can access your Ars Technica profile by accessing the following URL: https://arstechnica.com/services/profile/. From this page you can edit your profile, change your account's email address or password and find useful links to your subscription benefits, and see the status of your subscription.
How can I tell what kind of subscription I have or when it expires?
Just visit your profile page, everything you need should be found up there.
Where do I find my personalized full text RSS feeds?
You can find them here.
Can I share my full text RSS feeds with my friends?
No, we ask that you do not. We actively monitor the number of subscriptions to each feed, and any hint of abuse will result in your feeds being deactivated and may result in your account being temporarily suspended.
I've purchased a subscription but I'm still seeing banner ads on the front page or articles, what can I do?
If you've successfully paid and you're still seeing ads on the site, try clicking the logout link and then logging back in. If you are still not seeing the ads-free layout, or any of the other subscriber benefits like PDF access, please visit our contact page and select "Technical/Subscription Support" from the drop-down menu and we'll get it straightened out.
I'm having an issue not covered here, what can I do?
Visit our contact page and select "Technical/Subscription Support" from the drop-down menu and we'll help you get it figured out.
I'm have an active, paid subscription but I've been permanently banned from Ars. Can I get my money back?
If you are a yearly subscriber and your last payment was less than 120 days ago, we can issue a prorated refund for the remainder of your subscription time back to your credit card. If it's been more than 120 days since your last charge and you have more than one month remaining in your subscription, please contact us and select "Technical/Subscription Support" from the drop-down menu. We'll send you a form that you'll need to complete in order to receive a prorated refund for your remaining time. If you're a monthly subscriber, we can't issue partial refunds, but we can cancel any recurring billing if you contact us.
reader comments