Marketing Terms

As of 2020-5.0, this functionality is no longer supported.

Refer to Accounting | Subscription Rates Menu | Subscription Rates

About Marketing Terms

The Marketing Term and Marketing Length fields within a subscriber rate code allow you to define a promotional rate’s term and length for marketing purposes. The marketing term controls the maximum amount that can be applied to a promotional rate. If a payment buys papers beyond the marketing term, the remainder will be applied to the next higher rate in the rate chain.

For example, assume you have set up a 3-month promotion for 14.00:

• One subscriber sends in a check for 24.00. He will receive the initial 3 months for 14.00, but his remaining 10.00 will apply to the next higher rate.

• A second subscriber sends in only 10.00. The marketing term will allow her to get the promotional rate until she has paid the full 14.00.

• A third subscriber sends in 14.00. After a month, she temporarily stops the subscription and restarts two months later. The marketing term guarantees that her next two months are at the promotional rate.

Only one marketing term can be set up for a single rate code. However, multiple rate terms can be used. For example, you could define a marketing term of one year for a rate code, but have several rate terms (4 weeks, 6 months, etc.) associated with the rate code. The payment term and length must be less than or equal to the marketing term and length defined by the rate code.

If you enter a marketing term of “year” and a marketing length of “1”, your marketing period will be one year. Marketing terms are calendar days; not publishing days.

When adding or copying ‘Market Terms setup’ on Subscriber Rates, a pop-up message that says “Marketing Term setup is no longer supported. Please contact Naviga IT support for assistance.” will be displayed. Only the rate terms that have already been added and have data in marketing fields will be available in read-only mode. The existing data cannot be modified, and the fields will remain disabled in all instances.

MarketTerm Transactions

Transactions that place subscribers on marketing term promotional rates—such as starts, billing changes, and delivery schedule changes—will create MarketTerm transactions during transaction processing. These transactions are associated with rate changes, and each one represents the point at which a marketing term rate becomes effective. They contain information such as the rate code; number of days owed, paid, or remaining; the copy rate by day; and other information.

The transaction security item, “CSSMarketTerm”, determines whether users will be able to view MarketTerm transactions in Customer Service. By default, no users will be able to see them until they are assigned to a security group associated with CSSMarketTerm.

Rate-change transactions such as billing changes and delivery schedule changes will not allow reason codes with Update Expire set to “no” when going to or from a marketing term promotional rate.

Notes on Marketing Terms

Note that marketing terms:

• Allow subscribers to receive the full benefits of a promotion despite making partial payments or temporarily stopping and restarting a subscription.

• Are defined entirely within the Rate Code Setup screen using the Marketing Term and Marketing Length fields described above. These fields are active only for promotional rates. Like other promotional rates, you must also identify a next rate, which can be another marketing term rate or a normal rate.

• Should not be used with existing rates. You should create new promotional rates to use with marketing terms.

• Do not work with free rate periods.

• Cannot be used with auto pay terms.

• Do not work with combos.

• Will “start over” if a billing change with a rate change is entered for a subscriber. For example, if a subscriber has paid through 27 days of a 30 day marketing term and a billing change with a rate change processes, they will start the term of 30 days over at day 1 with the next payment.

Marketing term promotional rate codes:

• Cannot be used as turnover rates.

• Can be chained to other marketing term promotional rate codes or normal rates. The last rate in the chain must be a normal rate, as is the case with other promotional rates.

Marketing term promotional rate terms:

• Can have price changes (i.e., end-dating one rate term and starting another). However, current subscribers on the marketing term will be on the old rate until the end of the term. Subscribers receiving the marketing term after the price change will receive the new price.

• Do not support term discounting. All terms must have the same value per week or day. For example, if a rate had two terms, 4 weeks for $4 and 13 weeks for $13, both terms would have the same per-week value of $1 and so would work with marketing terms. However, a rate with terms of 4 weeks for $2.50 and 13 weeks for $12 would not have the same per-week value; this rate contains term discounting and would not work with marketing terms.