UK's The Times Tests Macro Payments for Standalone Content

The Times of London is preparing to test 'macro payments,' a new model allowing readers to purchase specific high-value content packages, such as annual guides, without a full subscription. Director of subscriptions Abs Ahmed outlined the strategy at a Digiday event, emphasizing that this approach targets occasional readers who are not ready to commit to a subscription. The initiative is expected to launch in the next few months, initially in the UK. The Times has identified a significant audience interested in flexible access, with over three-quarters of occasional readers showing appeal. The publisher also reports success with AI tools, including synthetic audiences for research, AI decisioning for personalized messaging, and Smartly for performance marketing, which cut acquisition costs by over 55%. The move comes as the publisher faces declining social and search referrals and increasing bot traffic.