What’s a rate card?

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A rate card is an information document that provides data on advertising rates and placements for a publication. Publications that accept advertisements usually have rate cards available for prospective advertisers to review. It is important to note that these fares are not necessarily firm and it is often possible to get a discount. Rate tables usually reflect the maximum price for various advertising options.

Rate cards are available for magazines, newspapers, websites and many other types of publications. A typical rate card includes the organization’s name and advertising department contact information. It then provides a list of ad sizes and placements with corresponding prices. Ad placement in special supplements and at certain times may be more expensive and this will be listed separately. The listing also includes a note indicating which dates it’s good for, so advertisers don’t try to use an old rate card to get a better price for an ad placement.

Rate cards may also disclose advertising policies, including information about the file format used to submit ads to the publication, whether or not the publication accepts color ads, and so on. This information is used by advertisers to decide whether or not the publication is suitable for a particular advertisement and serves as an opening negotiation in the process of setting up an advertisement. You can purchase a card from an organization that develops rate cards based on industry-standard pricing. This is a popular choice among new publications who aren’t sure how they should structure their advertising pricing.

Discounts are typically offered for volume placements, and an advertiser who wants to set up a recurring ad can receive a bulk discount. Similarly, publications may offer discounts if they have empty slots where they want to get ads before going to print, and sometimes special discounts will be offered for certain editions of a publication. This discount information is usually not disclosed on a rate card but may be available from an advertising representative.

Because rate cards are freely available, many people like to compare rates for different publications before deciding where to place an ad. Ad placement considerations include post size, subscriber count, and demographics. This information is usually available upon request, along with other data that an advertiser may find important in decision making. Making a connection with a specific advertising representative can be a good idea as it will connect advertisers with special opportunities that may not be widely available.

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