Defining Subscription Types
Subscription types define the tiers of access your journal offers — for example, a one-year individual subscription or a multi-year institutional subscription. You must create at least one type before you can assign subscriptions to users or institutions.
Navigating to Subscription Types
- Log in as Subscription Manager or Journal Manager
- In the left navigation, click Subscriptions
- Click Subscription Types
You will see a list of all existing subscription types. Initially this list is empty.
Creating a New Subscription Type
- Click Create New Subscription Type
- Fill in the required fields (see table below)
- Click Save
Subscription Type Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A short, descriptive label displayed to subscribers (e.g. Individual – 1 Year) |
| Description | Optional longer explanation shown to prospective subscribers |
| Cost | Numeric subscription price (e.g. 50.00) |
| Currency | Select the billing currency from the dropdown (e.g. USD, EUR, GBP) |
| Duration (months) | Length of the subscription period (e.g. 12 for one year, 24 for two years) |
| Subscriber type | Individual (personal subscriber) or Institutional (library or organisation) |
| Membership | Whether this type is restricted to members of an affiliated organisation |
| Publicly visible | Whether this type appears on the journal's public subscription page |
| Online access | Whether this type grants access to online content |
| Print access | Whether this type covers a print subscription (informational only — OJS does not manage print fulfilment) |
Checking Online access controls whether OJS grants the subscriber access to full-text content. The Print access flag is informational and does not affect OJS access control.
Membership vs Non-Membership Types
| Type | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Non-membership | Standard paid subscription open to any reader |
| Membership | Subscription bundled with membership of a professional society or organisation |
Membership types are typically discounted or included as part of a broader membership fee collected outside OJS. When marked as Membership, the subscription record can be linked to the membership context without requiring a separate online payment.
If your journal is published by a professional society, create two individual types: one for Members (at the member rate) and one for Non-Members (at the standard rate).
Examples of Common Subscription Tiers
The following examples illustrate a typical tier structure. Adjust names, costs, and durations to suit your journal.
| Name | Subscriber Type | Duration | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual – 1 Year | Individual | 12 months | $50 | Standard personal subscription |
| Individual – 2 Years | Individual | 24 months | $90 | Discounted multi-year option |
| Student – 1 Year | Individual | 12 months | $25 | Requires proof of enrolment |
| Member – 1 Year | Individual (Membership) | 12 months | $30 | For society members |
| Institutional – 1 Year | Institutional | 12 months | $400 | Small institution |
| Institutional – 1 Year (Large) | Institutional | 12 months | $800 | Large institution (>10 000 FTE) |
| Complimentary | Individual | 12 months | $0 | For editors, reviewers, or comps |
Editing and Deleting Subscription Types
- To edit a type, click the arrow next to its name and select Edit
- To delete a type, click the arrow and select Delete
If active subscriptions are assigned to a type, deleting the type may cause those subscriptions to lose their type reference. Archive or expire those subscriptions before deleting an obsolete type.
Ordering Subscription Types
OJS displays subscription types in the order they are created. To reorder them for the public-facing subscription page, delete and recreate them in the preferred order, or edit names to include a sort prefix (e.g. 1. Individual – 1 Year).
Further Reading
- Learning OJS – Subscriptions — PKP documentation on subscription types
- PKP Community Forum — Community help for subscription pricing and configuration