How to Order a Magazine

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 19, 2023 References

Before the advent of the Internet and e-readers, you had to order magazines through the mail or by telephone, and they were delivered to your home. Today, subscribing to a magazine is easier than ever before. You have the choice of having it delivered to your device, downloading it, or ordering “the old-fashioned” way and receiving a printed copy.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Ordering Magazines Online

1
Look at websites that offer subscriptions to magazines. Often, you don’t have to order directly from the website to subscribe to a magazine. Some websites offer a wide variety of magazine subscriptions at a discounted price. You can select the magazine you wish to subscribe to, fill out your address and payment information, and then you have subscribed without leaving the magazine.^{[1]
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- A couple of websites that offer magazine subscriptions are magazines.com and Amazon.
2
Go to the magazine’s website. If you know what magazine you want to subscribe to, you can go directly to that magazine’s website. There should be a section of the website dedicated to subscriptions. Sometimes an option to subscribe will be on the magazine’s front page, or an option will appear in the corner of the website as you browse. Click the subscribe button. It should take you to a page where you provide your information.^{[2]
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3
Enter your information. If you want to have the magazine sent to your house, you will need to provide your address. Typically, you need to fill in your full name, address, zip code, city, state, and country. Fill out your PO box information if you do not have mail sent directly to your home.^{[3]
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- Some magazines allow you to check out with PayPal instead of entering credit card information
4
Select what type of subscription you want. Typically, there will be a couple of options for the subscription. The choices will often be about subscription length. The option for many websites will be either one or two years, though some magazines will allow you to subscribe for a shorter amount of time. Some magazines will give you the option of subscribing only to print, digital, or to both options.^{[4]
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- The price may vary depending on your choice of print, digital, or both options.
- The price will be more expensive if you choose a longer subscription option.
5
Enter your payment information. You will need a debit or credit card to order a subscription from a website. Most websites take the major debit and credit cards, but check to make sure that the magazine takes the type of card you have. Enter your full name, card number, expiration date, and security number into the proper form. If ^{[5]
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- Make sure you are using a safe and secure website when you enter your credit card information.
6
Wait for the magazine or read online. If you choose the digital option, you will usually have immediate access to the current issue and the archives. Sometimes, there may be a short processing time for your digital subscription order. For the print option, it will usually take some time to process the order and then send it to you. It will usually take around six weeks to receive your first copy.^{[6]
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- Call the magazine if you do not receive your first magazine after six weeks.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Purchasing Downloadable Magazines

1
Search for the magazine on your device. You can search for the magazine on your computer, smartphone, e-reader, or tablet. The format will be similar on your smartphone, e-reader, and tablet, but will look different on your computer. This is because you will use apps on those devices to download the magazine, but probably not on your computer.^{[7]
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- If you’re using your computer, you can go to the website to download a copy of the magazine or subscribe. This will only work if the magazine offers a digital version.
2
Get a magazine app. Most major (and many minor) magazines have an application that can be downloaded to your device. Many of them are free to download, but some cost an initial, one-time fee. Once you are on the app, you can usually look at a limited amount of content, but you will need to subscribe to get access to the full magazine. Or, you can purchase on copy to download.^{[8]
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- The app may be free, but it will ask you provide payment information if you decide to purchase a magazine or subscription.
3
Download magazines on your electronic devices. It is also an option to download the magazine without an app. The process is easy and user-friendly. For example, the Kindle Store has more than fifty popular magazine titles available. The periodicals are free for a two-week trial period. You can order periodicals through the Amazon website or directly from your Kindle or other similar device. The process is simple:^{[9]
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- Press “Menu.”
- Select “Shop in Kindle Store.”
- Choose “Magazines.”
- Select the magazine title you want to download. You may have to pay if it isn’t a trial or free download.
4
Search for free downloads. Some magazines allow free downloads in PDF form. You can search for magazines that offer free downloads on your computer or tablet. You will either find a free download, or you can subscribe to a free trial. Keep in mind that you will most likely be charged once the trail period is over if you do not cancel it before the end date.^{[10]
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- You can type “free magazine downloads” into a search engine to find magazines.
5
Check your local library. Many libraries allow you download your favorite magazines free of charge. If you aren’t allowed to download the entire magazine, you will often be allowed to download specific articles from magazines. You will mostly likely have to have a library card before downloading a magazine.^{[11]
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- Many libraries will also allow you to check out print copies of magazines.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Subscribing to Print Magazines Without the Internet

1
Fill out a subscription card. Most magazines have subscription cards inside their pages. You can tear the card out and fill out your ordering information. Then, you can mail it postage-free. You can choose to either be billed for the subscription or enclose a check.
2
Renew your subscription with a subscription card. If your goal is to renew a subscription, filling out a subscription card is an easy way to do it. Some cards will have a box to check for renewing subscriptions, but for others, you will have to fill out the card as if you are subscribing to the magazine for the first time. Make sure to send in the card at least six weeks before your subscriptions ends to ensure that you don’t miss a month of receiving magazines.
3
Call the magazine. If you don’t want to fill out a subscription card, go to the magazine’s website and get their telephone number (usually found under “contact us.”) Call the subscription department. Complete your order with a customer service representative by providing your information over the phone.

Community Q&A

Question

Do you need an email for the subscription cards?

Community Answer

No, you don't need to provide your email address if you're mailing in a subscription card. There will, however, probably be an option to provide your email address.

Warnings

Print subscriptions usually require six weeks processing time before you receive your first issue in the mail.

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Read the fine print when you order a magazine. It’s important that you understand the renewal policy of the publisher. Many times the policy states that your subscription will be automatically renewed for one year unless you take steps to cancel it.

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