Paywall questions that show what would make readers pay
Ask readers what holds them back at the paywall, what price feels fair and why subscribers cancel. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What subscription and paywall survey questions tell you
Subscription and paywall survey questions ask readers why they pay, why they don't and why they leave. Conversion numbers show how many readers subscribed after hitting the paywall. These answers show what held the others back, what price feels fair and what would bring a canceled subscriber back.
Ask readers who don't subscribe at the paywall, and subscribers on the cancellation page or by email. Target the paywall survey to paywalled stories, and from Starter split subscribers from other readers by user traits, so each group gets its own three or four questions.
Each written answer gets a theme and a sentiment, and each response an urgency, so a technical problem from a canceling subscriber stands out from a general wish for lower prices. Give it an owner in the inbox, and pass it to HubSpot, Intercom or Zendesk with a workflow.
- Questions
- 13
- Best asked
- At the paywall, or when a subscriber cancels
- Industry
- Media
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 13 subscriptions and paywall questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Why readers don't subscribe
Ask these at the paywall, where readers who just stopped can tell you what held them back.
- 04Yes / No
Have you hit the paywall this month?
Whether the reader has met the paywall this month. Choose Yes in Results to filter to those readers and see what stops them from subscribing.
- 01Multiple choice
What stops you from subscribing?
Ask readers who reach the paywall what holds them back. Results shows a donut with each share; if The price leads, read the fair price slider next before you test a discount.
- 09Yes / No
Would you pay for a single article?
A yes or no on paying per article. A high share of yes among readers who don't subscribe shows interest in single article sales; ask it at the paywall.
Price and how to pay
Use one price question per survey and the payment choices beside it, before you change plans or prices.
- 02Slider
What monthly price feels fair?
A monthly price from 0 to 50 on a slider. Results shows the median and the middle half, a fairer guide than the average when a few readers pick zero.
- 13Slider
What would you pay each month for a subscription?
A second price question, on a slider from 0 to 30. Pick one of the two price questions per survey, since asking both reads as the same question twice.
- 08This or that
How would you rather pay for a subscription?
Two choices in one question: monthly or yearly, ad free or cheaper with ads. Results shows a split bar per pair, a quick check before you add a plan with ads.
- 11Multiple choice
Which other subscriptions do you pay for?
Readers pick every other subscription they pay for. Results shows a bar per kind; a long list explains a lot about pushback on your own price.
What subscribers get for the money
Ask current subscribers, and read the answers by how long they have subscribed.
- 07Big scale
How much value do you get for what you pay?
Value for money from one to ten, for current subscribers. Results shows the average and a column per step; read it by how long they have subscribed to spot when value starts to fade.
- 03Ranking
Rank what would make a subscription worth it
Readers order what would make paying worth it, from exclusive stories to events. Results shows the average place for each item, which tells you what to lead with on the offer page.
- 12Emoji
How do you feel about your subscription?
How the reader feels about the subscription, on a row of faces. Results shows the share of each face, a quick mood check to repeat every few months.
- 10Dropdown
How long have you been a subscriber?
Tenure in four bands. Choose Under a month in Results to filter the page to new subscribers and see whether their value score differs from long-standing ones.
When subscribers cancel
Two questions for the cancellation page, short enough that they never stand in the way of the cancel.
- 05Multiple choice
Why are you canceling?
Ask it on the cancellation page, before the cancel is confirmed. Results shows the share of each reason; readers taking a Temporary break are worth a pause option or a win-back offer later.
- 06Text
What would bring you back?
An open question for readers who left or are leaving. Each answer gets a theme and a sentiment; send these to the retention team with a workflow.
Tips for asking about subscriptions and paywall
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask at the paywall
Target the survey to paywalled stories, or trigger it with a custom event from your code when the paywall shows (from Starter, or on 1 survey on Free). Readers who just hit it can tell you why they stopped.
- 02
Keep the cancel survey to two questions
The reason and one open question. A longer survey on the cancellation page feels like a barrier.
- 03
Separate subscribers from other readers
From Starter, target by user traits so subscribers get the value questions and other readers get the paywall questions.
- 04
Keep one price question over time
Pick one of the two price sliders and keep it the same, so this year's median compares with last year's.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about subscriptions and paywall
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
At the paywall, in a popup or inside the page targeted to paywalled stories. From Starter, or on 1 survey on Free, you can trigger it with a custom event from your code when the paywall appears.
Yes. Target the survey to your cancellation page, or use the form submit trigger on the cancel form (from Starter, or on 1 survey on Free). Readers who cancel by email can get the link in your confirmation message.
Use one of the price sliders and read the median in Results. Ask readers who don't subscribe and current subscribers in separate surveys, since they answer from different places.
Yes. Usertick sends to a contact list now or scheduled up to 30 days ahead. There is no automatic send when a subscription ends, so send to lapsed subscribers in monthly batches.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
Listen better, act faster, and build what truly matters.
Start free, see what your customers mean, and get each answer to the person who can act on it.
- 150 responses a month on Free
- Every channel and AI analysis
- No card needed