v1.4 — Paywalls, Subscriptions & Publisher Storefronts
Monetize your publications with per-publication paywalls, subscription plans, and one-time purchases. Institutional access via IP range, EZProxy, and token URLs. Each publisher gets a branded storefront and collections page.
v1.4 — Paywalls, Subscriptions & Publisher Storefronts
ZenFlip now lets you charge for your content. This release ships the complete monetization stack: paywalls, subscriptions, one-time purchases, institutional access, and a redesigned storefront for every publisher.
Paywalls & One-Time Purchases
Any publication can be placed behind a paywall. Readers see a preview — configurable from 1 to 10 pages — then are prompted to purchase access before continuing.
Pricing is set per publication in any currency. ZenFlip handles the payment flow, receipt delivery, and lifetime access management. Publishers receive payouts via Stripe Connect; funds settle within 2–5 business days.
Subscription Plans
Publishers can create subscription tiers that grant access to a collection of publications. Readers pay a recurring monthly or annual fee; publishers define what's included at each tier.
Subscriptions support free trials, upgrade/downgrade flows, and cancellation with access until the end of the billing period. Existing one-time purchasers can be migrated to subscription access automatically.
See pricing and monetization documentation for setup instructions.
Institutional Access
Academic publishers, libraries, and enterprise teams can grant access by institution rather than by individual account:
IP range access — any reader connecting from a registered IP range (campus network, office) gets automatic access without signing in
EZProxy integration — university libraries can route access through their existing EZProxy authentication infrastructure
Token URLs — generate time-limited access links for distribution via email, LMS, or intranet without requiring reader accounts
Institutional licensing is available on Business and Enterprise plans. Contact us to set up institutional access for your organisation.
Publisher Storefronts
Every ZenFlip publisher now has a branded storefront at zenflip.io/publisher/[handle]. The storefront displays all public and purchasable publications, the publisher's subscription tiers, and a short bio with social links.
Publishers on Creator plans and above can:
Upload a custom header image and logo
Customise the storefront colour scheme
Feature up to three publications in a hero banner
Add a custom domain (e.g.
publications.yourorganisation.com)
Collections
Group related publications into named collections that appear as a unit on your storefront and in search. A collection can span multiple issues of a magazine, chapters of a course, or volumes of an annual report.
Collections can be sold as a bundle at a single price, or individual publications within a collection can retain their own pricing.
Email Verification Before Purchase
To reduce fraud and chargebacks, ZenFlip now requires email verification before a reader's first purchase. Returning readers with a verified account skip this step. The verification adds one round-trip email but has reduced fraudulent transactions significantly in internal testing.
Monetization features are available on Creator plans and above. Institutional access is available on Business and Enterprise plans. See pricing or contact us for enterprise licensing.