Why don't publishers create a system where I can "load" my account with 20 articles for $10?
I strongly dislike subscribing to things I don't feel like I can commit to. Especially, with the way companies make it a hassle to cancel.
A pay-as-you-go system would give the consumer the confidence they need to pay something (which isn't recurring) but saves the overhead of micropayments.
They could even have it where if you start paying more than the annual subscription, the rest of the year is on the house.
There was an aggregator of sorts that did this in the Netherlands [1]. But it seems they never were able to make it profitable, I assume if the publishers themselves did it the case would be a lot different.
I strongly dislike subscribing to things I don't feel like I can commit to. Especially, with the way companies make it a hassle to cancel.
A pay-as-you-go system would give the consumer the confidence they need to pay something (which isn't recurring) but saves the overhead of micropayments.
They could even have it where if you start paying more than the annual subscription, the rest of the year is on the house.