Newspaper Subscription Terms and Conditions

Print Subscription Terms and Conditions (The Age, The Australian Financial Review, The Sun-Herald, or The Sydney Morning Herald)

Updated: 21 November 2018

A Print Subscription to The Age, The Australian Financial Review, The Sun-Herald, or The Sydney Morning Herald is subject to the following terms and conditions.

Your use of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald websites (theage.com.au and smh.com.au), Today's Paper (formerly the Digital Edition Newspaper Replica), The Australian Financial Review website (afr.com), or tablet apps including The Age / The Sydney Morning Herald for iPad and/or The Age / The Sydney Morning Herald for Android is subject to the Fairfax Media General Conditions of Use.

For more information, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), or to contact Fairfax Subscriber Services:

- visit support.fairfaxmedia.com.au
- call us on 136666
- send an email to fairfaxcustomerqueries@fairfaxmedia.com.au

1. ABOUT PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS

1.1.    Print Subscriptions to The Age, The Australian Financial Review, The Sun-Herald, or The Sydney Morning Herald are valid where a normal home delivery service exists. Print subscriptions to The Age are valid in parts of Victoria; to The Sydney Morning Herald and/or The Sun-Herald are valid in parts of NSW, ACT; to The Australian Financial Review are valid in parts of Australia.
For information on the applicable delivery areas;

- call us on 136666 (for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald); or
- call us on 1800 646 990 (for The Australian Financial Review).

1.2.    Delivery to addresses including (but not limited to) apartments, office buildings, and retirement and aged care facilities, are subject to delivery capability. A Print Subscription may be discontinued and the subscriber notified of the discontinuance where distribution services cease to be available, or the address is deemed to be a difficult delivery. If Fairfax Media discontinues a subscription as a result of delivery capability issues, we will offer a pro-rata refund of unused subscription fees for subscriptions paid a year or more in advance, or a refund of the last subscription fee paid for subscriptions that renew on a monthly or 28-day basis.

1.3.    Some subscribers of The Age, The Australian Financial Review, The Sun-Herald, or The Sydney Morning Herald may not receive various inserts and magazines due to logistical or other limitations, particularly in non-metropolitan areas.

1.4.    From time to time, Fairfax Media may offer promotional items with its newspapers. Fairfax does not guarantee that newspapers delivered to Subscribers will include these items. At Fairfax's sole discretion the items may be available for collection at a newsagency or Fairfax's offices and will communicate with its Subscribers about the availability of such items and the redemption process.

2. PROCESSING AND PAYMENT

2.1.    Fairfax will process your print subscription purchase as promptly as possible. This may take up to 7 days. Your payment details must be verified before your subscription can be activated.

2.2.    If your initial payment authorisation is revoked, your subscription will be terminated. We reserve the right to reject any subscription order at any time.

2.3.    Grace Period Deliveries

- Monthly, 28-day, and Quarterly Subscriptions: If we are unable to debit your account for any reason, we may provide deliveries for up to 14 days to allow you the time to update your payment details and/or pay any outstanding amounts. Your subscription will remain active during this period, but it will be cancelled immediately after 14 days. Fairfax Media may not reinstate your subscription after this cancellation if you do not clear any unpaid subscription fees and reimburse us for any transaction fees that we incur as a result of a failed payment transaction.

- Up-front Subscriptions: We will continue to deliver to you for up to 7 days after your subscription expiry date to allow you time to renew your subscription. Your subscription will remain active during this period, but it will be cancelled immediately after 7 days. Fairfax Media may not reinstate your subscription after this cancellation if you do not clear any unpaid subscription fees and reimburse us for any transaction fees that we incur as a result of a failed payment transaction.

2.4.    For subscribers who pay via BPAY, you must allow 5 working days for the payment to be applied to your subscription. Fairfax Media does not accept any responsibility for disruptions to the home delivery service of any subscription due to payment that is made via BPAY less than 5 days before the expiry date of the subscription.

2.5.   Direct Debit subscriptions renew automatically unless you cancel according to our cancellation policy (see clause 8 below). Payment for direct debit subscriptions will continue to be debited from your nominated financial institution or payment method until cancelled.

2.6.    It is your responsibility to provide valid payment details, and ensure that your payment details are up to date. You can manage these online through:

- www.theage.com.au/myaccount (The Age); or
- www.smh.com.au/myaccount (The Sydney Morning Herald); or
- subscribers.afr.com/support-centre/manage-billing-and-accounts (The Australian Financial Review); or
- call us on 136666 (for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald); or
- call us on 1800 646 990 (for The Australian Financial Review)

2.7.    If your payment method is invalid, or your payment is otherwise rejected, your subscription may automatically be cancelled and unlimited access revoked.

2.8.    Unless specified otherwise in the Cancellation policy (see clause 8 below), all charges are non-refundable.

2.9.    When you notify Fairfax Media of a non-delivery of your newspaper, Fairfax Media will at its discretion credit your subscription for the day or days that your newspaper was not delivered. Depending on the nature of your subscription, this will take the form of an extension to your subscription expiry date by the number of days that your newspaper was not delivered, or a pro-rata discount on your next subscription payment.

2.10.    A 0.9% fee will be added to any subscription payment if you pay by MasterCard, Visa, or American Express card.

3. PRICING

3.1.    When you purchase a subscription, you agree to pay the price stated at the time of your order. You also agree to the billing frequency specified at the time of your order.

3.2.    Any discount eligibility is determined at the time of order. Discounts cannot be applied retrospectively. All prices are in Australian Dollars (AUD) and are GST-inclusive.

3.3.    Fairfax reserves the right to change the prices and fees at any time. We will provide you with 14 days notice if the regular rate of a subscription changes from what was stated at the time of your order.

3.4.    Price changes will take effect from your next billing date after the notice period. If you do not wish to continue your subscription at the revised price, you may cancel your subscription before the end of your current direct debit pay cycle. (See clause 8 for cancellation terms.)

3.5.    For upfront subscriptions, the full, fixed term payment is due upfront and is payable by credit card, cheque, or money order in the first instance. At the end of the subscription terms Fairfax will contact you to provide you with the opportunity to renew your subscription. Renewal payments may be made by BPAY in addition to cheque, money order, or credit card.

3.6.    Fairfax Media reserves the right to change the duration and pricing of Upfront subscriptions. For the avoidance of doubt, the price of your Upfront subscription cannot be changed during its applicable term.

4. PROMOTIONS

4.1.    Fairfax may at times offer special promotions and other offers. The specific terms and conditions of each offer will be stated at the time of the promotion and will apply in addition to these Print Subscription Terms and Conditions. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms and conditions of a special offer and these Digital Subscription Terms and Conditions, these Digital Subscription Terms and Conditions will apply.

4.2.    You may be required to provide your payment details when you sign up for a promotion. If this is a direct debit offer, your subscription will be automatically renewed after your initial payment at the standard subscription rate unless you cancel in accordance with Clause 8.

4.3.    From time to time Fairfax offers promotional items with its digital & bundle subscriptions. From time to time and at its discretion, Fairfax will communicate with its subscribers about the availability of such items and how to redeem them.

4.4.    From time to time Fairfax offers promotional pricing that will apply for the the term agreed when accepting that promotional offer. Pricing will automatically resume at your standard subscription rate unless you cancel.

4.5.    All Fairfax Media digital subscriptions (excluding Gift Subscriptions) renew automatically at the end of their respective billing cycles (see clause 2.5). Any offer or discount provided to Fairfax Media subscribers will revert to the full, auto-renewal price of the subscription, unless the subscription is cancelled prior to the end of the discounted period.

5. MODIFYING YOUR PRINT SUBSCRIPTION & SUSPENSION POLICY

5.1.    Subscribers must notify Fairfax Media directly to make any changes to their subscription, including, but not limited to, suspensions, cancellations, changes of email or delivery address, and any other changes to their subscription. You can suspend or change your details by:

- visiting Fairfax Subscriber Services; or
- contacting Customer Service on 136666 (for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald); or
- contacting 1800 646 990 (for The Australian Financial Review).

5.2.    If at any point you wish to have your subscription redirected to a new address within a deliverable area, you will need to contact Fairfax Subscriber Services directly. If the new delivery address falls within a deliverable area, it can be changed by giving Fairfax Media at least 5 business days' notice.

5.3.    You are permitted to suspend the home delivery of your Print Subscription for a continuous period of up to 180 days. Please allow a minimum of 72 hours for the suspension to be processed. You must suspend your subscription with Fairfax Media directly. 

5.4.    Fairfax Media will not accept any responsibility for any claims, missed deliveries, unwanted deliveries, or unexpected payments that are the result of any request made by the subscriber to any newsagency, contractor, or any other third party.

6. MODIFYING TODAY'S PAPER SUBSCRIPTIONS

6.1.    Today's Paper subscriptions cannot be suspended under any circumstances.

6.2.    Today's Paper subscriptions cannot be redirected to any other user.

6.3.    Today's Paper subscribers must activate the digital access on their subscription and create a Fairfax Digital login to access Today's Paper.

6.4.    Today's Paper can be accessed via The Age for iPad app or The Sydney Morning Herald for iPad app or via the Today's Paper option on www.theage.com.au or www.smh.com.au home page. You will need to be signed in with your Fairfax login.

6.5.    Your username and password cannot be provided to someone else.

6.6.    If you experience technical problems accessing Today's Paper, it is your responsibility to notify Fairfax Subscriber Services to receive assistance. Fairfax reserves to right to refuse credits, extensions, or refunds to users who do not report technical issues accessing Today's Paper directly to us within 48 hours of experiencing the issue.

7. ALL DIGITAL ACCESS

7.1.    Print Subscribers who receive 2 or more days' home delivery are eligible to receive complimentary All Digital Access which will provide unlimited access to our online content via computer, tablet, or smartphone. Single-day subscriptions do not include complimentary digital access.

7.2.    Today's Paper subscribers are eligible for All Digital Access which will provide unlimited access to our online content via computer, tablet, or smartphone.

7.3.    It is the subscriber's responsibility to activate their All Digital Access. Simply visit The Age Activate now or The Sydney Morning Herald Activate now using your email and subscriber number.

7.4.    You will be required to set up a Fairfax Digital Membership account to access your complimentary All Digital Access. Fairfax recommends using the same email address you have nominated for your Print Subscription.

7.5.    The All Digital Access component of your Print Subscription cannot be suspended under any circumstances.

7.6.    By activating your complimentary All Digital Access you will be bound by the full Digital Subscription Terms and Conditions. For full details please visit:

- https://www.smh.com.au/digital-subscription-terms
- https://www.theage.com.au/digital-subscription-terms
- https://www.afr.com/digital-subscription-terms    

7.7.    If you wish to cancel your Print Subscription and retain your complimentary All Digital Access, you will be required to cancel your subscription in full and set up a new, All Digital subscription. Your new subscription will be charged at whatever rate is currently advertised on www.theage.com.au, www.afr.com, or www.smh.com.au, and will be subject to the full Digital Subscription Terms and Conditions.

7.8.    If any or all of your complimentary digital access is unavailable, you will not be entitled to receive any credits, refunds, or extensions.

8. CANCELLATIONS

8.1.    You can cancel your Print Subscription at any time by contacting Fairfax Subscriber Services using either of the following options:

- call us on 136666 (for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald); or
- call us on 1800 646 990 (for The Australian Financial Review); or
- send an email that includes your full name and subscription number to fairfaxcustomerqueries@fairfaxmedia.com.au

8.2.    Subscriptions that are direct debited are non-refundable. You must notify us of cancellation at least 72 hours before your next billing date, otherwise we may not be able to stop your next payment from being deducted.

8.3.    When you cancel a direct debit subscription, you cancel only future charges associated with your subscription. You may notify us of your intent to cancel at any time within your current billing cycle, but the cancellation will become effective at the end of your current billing period. You will continue to have the same access and benefits until the end of your current billing period. Your cancellation request must be made at least 72 hours before your next billing date otherwise we may not be able to stop your next payment being deducted.

8.4.    If you cancel an Upfront Subscription, you may be entitled to a pro rata refund for the unused portion of your subscription, provided the next renewal date is not less than one month after your cancellation request being made.

8.5.    Fairfax reserves the right to suspend or cancel your subscription at any time in its absolute discretion. In the event that Fairfax cancels your subscription, you will receive a pro-rata refund for the balance of the term on your Upfront Subscription, or if you pay by automatic direct debit every 28 days or month, Fairfax will refund your most recent subscription payment.

8.6.    Fairfax Media will not accept any responsibility for any claims, unwanted deliveries, or unexpected payments that are the result of any request made by the subscriber to any newsagency, contractor, or any other third party.

8.7.    If you email a cancellation request to fairfaxcustomerqueries@fairfaxmedia.com.au and we are unable to identify your subscription from the information you have provided, we will respond directly to your email to request further identifying information. In the event this occurs, you must reply to our email otherwise your subscription will not be cancelled.

8.8.    Opting out of receiving newsletters or any other email communication otherwise related to your subscription does not constitute the cancellation of your subscription. If you opt out of receiving any newsletters or other email communications associated with your subscription, Fairfax Media will not refund any subsequent subscription fees charged unless you have also cancelled your subscription in line with Clause 8.1 above.

9. COOLING OFF PERIOD AND TELEMARKETING

9.1.    Print or Digital Subscriptions that are purchased via our Telemarketing Channels can be cancelled for any reason within 10 business days from and including the day after these Terms and Conditions have been sent to the subscriber.

9.2.    Any Cancellation request made during the cooling off period must be made by contacting Fairfax Media in accordance with Clause 8.1 above.

10. YOUR PRIVACY

10.1.    You agree that your name, address, email address, year of birth, postcode, gender and mobile/telephone number will be collected and stored by Fairfax and used for the purpose of managing your subscription, communicating with you about your subscription and to notify you of any associated customer offers or benefits or future subscriptions, unless otherwise notified by you.

10.2.    Information on how we handle your personal information is explained in our Privacy Policy. You can obtain further information on the Fairfax Privacy Policy by visiting https://www.fairfaxmedia.com.au/Company/privacy.

11. SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS

11.1.    As a subscriber, you may be eligible for exclusive subscriber content, experiences, or other benefits.

11.2.    For subscribers of The Age, visit The Age Subscribers.

11.3.    For subscribers of The Sydney Morning Herald, visit SMH Subscribers.

12. DISCLAIMERS

12.1.    You agree that any errors you make in entering your contact information and order details are your responsibility and Fairfax is not liable for any consequences that may arise as a result of such errors or incorrect information, including but not limited to sending the subscription to the address as notified by you.

12.2.    You agree that any errors made in entering your contact information and order details are your responsibility to report to Fairfax within 7 days of becoming aware of the error. Any reimbursement provided to you in relation to any claim you make as a result of such an error will take the form of an extension to your subscription expiry date by the number of days that your newspaper was not delivered, or a pro-rata discount on your next subscription payment, depending on the nature of your subscription.

12.3.    To the extent permitted by law, Fairfax is not liable to you for any loss or damage incurred by you in connection with your subscription, whether direct, consequential, special, indirect or other loss or damage. In any event, Fairfax's maximum liability to you is limited to the value of the subscription fees paid within the previous twelve months.

13. YOUR OBLIGATIONS

13.1.    It is your responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient clear funds available in your account to allow a debit payment to be made in accordance with a direct debit request, and to notify Fairfax and update your payment details accordingly if your details have changed since your last billing date.

13.2.    For those with a home delivery subscription, it is your responsibility to notify Fairfax if your newspaper is not being delivered within 3 days of the missed delivery.

13.3.    It is your responsibility to report to Fairfax if newspaper deliveries continue to be made and/or payments continue to be deducted, if you believe a cancellation should have been processed, within 30 days of the continued delivery or subscription payment being made.

13.4.    It is your responsibility to check your account statements to verify that the amounts debited from your account are correct and notify Fairfax if you believe you are being billed incorrectly.

13.5.    Fairfax will not refund past subscription payments if a subscriber has failed to contact Fairfax directly to cancel their subscription.

13.6.    Fairfax will not refund past subscription payments if a subscriber has failed to contact Fairfax directly to report unexpected payments on their account within one month of those payments being made.

13.7.    Fairfax will not provide any credits or extensions to a subscription if a subscriber has failed to contact Fairfax directly to report non-delivery of their subscription within 3 days of the occurrence of the non-delivery. Any credits or refunds will be made as detailed by clause 18.6.

13.8.    Fairfax may notify you if your payment method appears close to expiry, however Fairfax will not take responsibility if your financial institution continues to allow subscription payments from your payment method after it has expired. If you receive notification from us that your payment method appears close to expiry, you must take action to either update your payment details or cancel your subscription (for cancellations, see Clause 8.1).

14. ADDITIONAL TERMS APPLICABLE TO ASIC SEARCH SERVICE

14.1.    This clauses applies to subscribers of The Australian Financial Review with access to the ASIC Search Service.

14.2.    You agree to us providing your customer details to ASIC as required. ASIC (or its agent) may use your customer information to contact you for the purpose of sending you information that you have requested and for evaluating the ASIC service. Fairfax will not be responsible for the use of your customer information by ASIC.

14.3.    Fairfax will provide support in relation to the service during standard business hours. Users should direct all service enquiries to Fairfax, and not to ASIC.

14.4.    You must ensure that your ASIC Search Service username and password remain secure and confidential. You are entirely responsible for all use, activities and charges associated with or arising from any use of your username and password (regardless of whether you authorised such use), including unauthorised use of your or any other credit card. You must notify Fairfax immediately if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your username and password.

14.5.    You acknowledge and agree the following in relation to the ASIC Search facility available on afr.com:

- The Search Extracts contained in the ASIC System and ASIC Registers are based on information provided to ASIC by third parties;
- ASIC has not verified the accuracy, currency, reliability or completeness of the Search Extracts and makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy, currency or reliability;
- ASIC will have no liability to any persons for any inaccuracy, omission, defect or error in the Test Database, ASIC System or ASIC Registers.

14.6.    Service charges are non-refundable. Fairfax reserves the right to amend the charges for the service, or introduce new charges, from time to time without providing prior notice to you. If you object to any such change, your only remedy is to cease using the service. If you continue to use the service, you will be deemed to have accepted the change.

14.7.    Unless you notify us otherwise, service charges will be billed automatically to the credit card you provide when registering for the service. You must notify us if your billing details change at any time.

14.8.    If your subscription is a corporate or enterprise subscription package, you may acquire ASIC Search Services on account. You agree and acknowledge that such acquisitions are the responsibility of the subscriber, who agrees to pay all ASIC Search Service charges invoiced by Fairfax.

14.9.    Fairfax shall itemise all monthly ASIC Search Service fees incurred by subscribers under corporate or enterprise subscriptions, and shall invoice the subscriber monthly for such fees. Payment terms are as detailed on the invoice.

14.10.    Unless stated otherwise, charges are quoted GST inclusive. Where GST applies, Fairfax will deduct the GST it incurs from each payment and issue you with a tax invoice.

14.11.    You may cancel your registration to the ASIC Search Service at any time by calling customer service on 1800 646 990.

14.12.    Fairfax may immediately cancel your service, without notice or liability (including for any refund or credit to you), if we determine, acting reasonably, that: (i) you have breached any portion of the above terms and conditions or (ii) your use of or access to the service otherwise violates any applicable law or regulation.

15. GENERAL

15.1.    You agree that all subscriptions provided, benefits accepted or offers made by Fairfax shall be deemed to be provided in Australia, notwithstanding your location, and the terms of such subscriptions, benefits and offers shall be governed exclusively by New South Wales law, and the Courts of New South Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine any such matters that may arise involving or alleged to involve Fairfax.

15.2.    To the extent applicable, the Fairfax General Conditions of Use also apply to use of the Fairfax Network by subscribers. Please visit https://www.fairfaxmedia.com.au/company/conditions-of-use/conditions-of-use.

15.3.    You acknowledge that these Print Subscription Terms and Conditions may be modified by Fairfax from time to time, including but not limited to terms relating to fees and charges, cancellation and modifying your subscription.

15.4.    You will be notified of any changes to these Print Subscription Terms and Conditions by Fairfax in Fairfax's Subscriber Services Support webpage. Please visit Support.

15.5.    You can also find these Terms and Conditions on our websites:

- https://www.smh.com.au/home-delivery-terms
- https://www.theage.com.au/home-delivery-terms
- https://www.afr.com/newspaper-subscription-terms

15.6.    You acknowledge and agree that you are entitled to purchase a subscription from Fairfax for personal use only. You agree and acknowledge that subscriptions cannot be exploited for any commercial purpose, including on-selling your subscription to any third party. Despite this, Fairfax may, at its sole discretion, offer multiple copy subscriptions to certain organisations. Such corporate subscriptions can be arranged by visiting the Corporate Subscriptions site.

16. DEFINITIONS

In these terms and conditions:

16.1.    "Fairfax Media", "Fairfax", "we" or "us" means Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited, publisher of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun-Herald and The Australian Financial Review and The Age Company Pty Limited, the publisher of The Age

16.2.    Subscriber, "Customer" or "You" means a person who is a subscriber to The Age, The Australian Financial Review, The Sun-Herald, or The Sydney Morning Herald.

16.3.    A "Print Subscription" or "Home Delivery Subscription" or "Digital Subscription" means a standard fully paid subscription to The Age, The Australian Financial Review, The Sun-Herald, or The Sydney Morning Herald taken up directly with Fairfax, and for which these terms and conditions apply. A Print/Home Delivery Subscription includes all parts and sections of the publication deemed part of the publication for home delivery in your area; this may change from time to time in accordance with Fairfax's reasonable logistics and operational requirements.

16.4.    A "Today's Paper Subscription" means a paid subscription to The Age, The Sun-Herald, The Sydney Morning Herald or The Australian Financial Review - formerly the Digital Edition Newspaper Replica.

16.5.    All Digital Access refers to unlimited access to the website, mobile edition, and tablet edition of the particular publication you have subscribed to.

16.6.    Gift Subscription refers to fixed subscription packages to The Age/The Sydney Morning Herald website, mobile and/or tablet editions with a term of three, six or twelve months commencing on the date of redemption by the gift recipient, and are restricted to the subscription package type chosen by the person who purchases the gift subscription.