Today, most newspapers in metro cities like Times of India, DNA, Hindustan Times have schemes whereby a reader can subscribe to a newspaper by paying the annual or six monthly charges in advance. The subscription price is sometimes significantly lower than the newstand price of the newspaper. After making the payment, the subscriber gets monthly coupons which are to be given to the newspaper delivery person. The newspaper benefits as they get paid in advance and there is less wastage due to unsold copies. The disadvantage of this option is that, at times, the delivery person may not deliver the newspaper or deliver a different newspaper.
In smaller cities too, regional / local newspapers have started offering these prepaid subscription schemes. For example in Goa , the newstand price of Herald Newspaper is Rs 3, but with the annual subscription option, where the reader prepays for a year, the charges are Rs 500. However, in Panaji, the delivery charges of Rs 30 have to be paid separately by the subscriber as the newspapers do not pay the delivery person anything extra for delivering the newspaper.
Unfortunately, collecting even this small amount can be a problem for the newspaper delivery person . Today the newspaper delivery person (a migrant from Orissa, holding another full time job) asked me, “there are at least 30 households here who have not paid me the due amount, what do I do? In at least 6-7 houses, they are asking for a discount on the Rs 30 due. We start delivering the newspapers at 4.30 – 5 am, how do you make them pay, the only thing we can do is stop the newspaper delivery.”
For most people, Rs 30 a month is a very small amount, yet why do they find it difficult to give credit and pay where it is due?
