Complimentary subscriptions to your paid newsletter

Grant free access to your paid newsletter by comping subscribers. Comped subscribers receive all your paid content without being charged—useful for family, friends, collaborators, or VIPs.

To comp a subscriber from your Subscribers page:

1. From your site’s dashboard, navigate to Jetpack → Subscribers.
2. Find the subscriber you want to provide a complimentary subscription to. They can be an existing free subscriber or an email-only subscriber.
3. Click the three dots (⋮) next to their name and select “Comp a subscription” from the drop-down menu.

4. On the “Complimentary subscription” screen, select the newsletter plan you want to give them access to from the drop-down menu.
5. Check the “Doesn’t expire” box to comp a subscription that never expires. Leave it unchecked to allow the subscription to expire normally.
6. Click the Confirm button.

The subscriber receives an email confirming they now have access to your paid content. Their subscription type changes to Comp on your Subscribers page.

You can also comp from the subscriber detail view: click on a subscriber’s name to open their profile, then click the “Comp a subscription” button.

You can comp the following:

• Free subscribers, including email-only subscribers without a WordPress.com account
• People who aren’t currently subscribed—they’re added as a subscriber automatically

You cannot comp someone who already has an active paid subscription to the same plan.

To remove a complimentary plan and revoke access to paid content:

1. From your site’s dashboard, navigate to Jetpack → Subscribers.
2. Click on the subscriber’s name to open their profile.
3. Under Newsletter subscription details → Plan, click the trash can icon.
4. Click the Remove button to confirm the removal of the subscription.

The subscriber loses access to paid content immediately and stays on your list as a free subscriber.

Comped subscribers appear in the following places:

• On your Subscribers page, comped subscribers show Comp as their subscription type.
• Comped subscribers receive all paid newsletter posts, just like paying subscribers.
• The paid subscriber count in the publishing sidebar includes comped subscribers.

Can I comp multiple subscribers at once?

Comps are added one at a time. If you need to comp many subscribers, contact support for assistance.

Can I set a comp to expire after a certain period?

You cannot set a specific expiration date for a comp. A comped plan expires at the end of its subscription term—for example, a monthly comp expires after one month, and an annual comp expires after one year. To prevent expiration, select the “Doesn’t expire” option when creating the comp.

I migrated from Substack. Can I re-comp subscribers who were comped there?

Comped status from Substack does not transfer during import. You need to re-comp those subscribers individually after migration.

Does comping cost me anything?

No. Comps do not involve Stripe or any payment processing. The subscriber gets free access, and you are not charged.