What the St. Petersburg Times subscription includes
The St. Petersburg Times (now known as the Tampa Bay Times) offers print and digital subscription options that give you access to local news, sports, and opinion coverage for the Tampa Bay area. A print subscription delivers the newspaper to your home on days the paper publishes. A digital subscription gives you online access to articles, archives, and the e-edition — a digital replica of the printed page.
Print and digital subscriptions are separate products with different costs and coverage areas. You can purchase a print subscription alone, a digital subscription alone, or both together. Print delivery is available only in certain zip codes around the Tampa Bay region, while digital access works anywhere you have internet.
Both subscription types include access to the Tampa Bay Times website and mobile apps. Digital subscribers can read an unlimited number of articles each month, access the searchable archive of past stories, and read the e-edition to read offline.
Key Takeaways
- Print subscriptions deliver the newspaper to your home on publication days and are available only in specific zip codes in the Tampa Bay area.
- Digital subscriptions give you unlimited online access to articles, archives, and the e-edition from any device with internet.
- You can buy print only, digital only, or both subscriptions together at different price points.
- Subscription rates vary based on how long you commit to — weekly, monthly, or annual plans typically cost less per week than shorter commitments.
- You manage your subscription online through your account dashboard, where you can pause, resume, or cancel at any time.
Print subscription costs and delivery areas
Print subscription pricing depends on how many days per week you want delivery and how long you commit to the subscription. The Tampa Bay Times publishes seven days a week, so you can choose daily delivery or select specific days. Shorter commitments (such as four weeks) cost more per week than longer ones (such as annual plans).
Print delivery is not available everywhere in Florida. The Tampa Bay Times delivers to most addresses in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Polk counties, plus parts of Hernando and Citrus counties. If you enter your zip code on the subscription page, the system will tell you whether delivery is available at your address and show you the exact price for your area.
Print subscribers also receive digital access to the website and apps at no additional cost, so you can read online on days you do not receive the paper or when you are away from home.
Digital subscription costs and what you get
A digital-only subscription costs less than print and works in all 50 states and internationally. You pay a single monthly or annual rate with no delivery restrictions. Digital subscribers can read unlimited articles on tampabay.com, search the article archive going back several years, and read the e-edition each day it publishes.
The e-edition is a page-by-page replica of the printed newspaper formatted for reading on tablets, phones, or computers. You can read it to read offline, which is useful if you travel or do not have constant internet access. Digital subscribers also receive access to the Tampa Bay Times mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Some articles on tampabay.com are behind a paywall that limits how many you can read per month without a subscription. The exact number of free articles varies, but digital subscribers bypass this limit entirely.
How to start a subscription online
Visit tampabay.com/subscribe to begin. The site will ask you to choose between print, digital, or both. If you select print, enter your zip code so the system can confirm delivery is available and show your local price. If you select digital only, you can proceed directly to payment.
Next, choose your subscription length — most providers offer weekly, monthly, or annual options. Annual plans typically have the lowest cost per week. Enter your payment method (credit card, debit card, or bank account) and billing address. You will receive a confirmation email with your account details and instructions for accessing your subscription.
Your account login works on tampabay.com, the mobile apps, and the e-edition reader. You can log in when ready and start reading. If you chose print delivery, your first copy will arrive within a few days, depending on your address and the publication schedule.
Managing your subscription online
Log into your account at tampabay.com using the email and password you created during signup. Your account dashboard shows your current subscription type, renewal date, and billing information. From there, you can pause your subscription temporarily, resume it, upgrade to add print or digital, or downgrade to a lower tier.
To pause a print subscription, you typically have the option to hold delivery for a set number of weeks — useful if you are traveling or on vacation. To pause a digital subscription, you can suspend access for a period and then reactivate it later. Both actions are done through your account settings without calling customer service.
If you need to cancel, you can do that through your account as well. The Tampa Bay Times does not require you to call or email — the online system processes cancellations when ready. Your access ends on your next renewal date, so you keep your subscription through the end of the billing period you have already paid for.
Updating payment and delivery information
Changes to your payment method, billing address, or delivery address are made in your account settings. For print subscribers, updating your delivery address may change your subscription price if you move to a different zip code or outside the delivery area. The system will show you the new price before you confirm the change.
If you move outside the print delivery area, you can keep your digital subscription without interruption. If you move to a new address within the delivery zone, you can update your address and continue print delivery at the new location.
Payment method changes take effect on your next billing date. If you update your card information mid-subscription, the new card will be charged at your next renewal, not when ready.
Troubleshooting common subscription issues
If you cannot log into your account, use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page to reset it. You will receive an email with instructions to create a new password. If you do not receive the reset email, check your spam folder or try again with the email address you used to create the account.
If your print delivery stops or arrives late, check your account to confirm your subscription is active and your address is correct. Delivery delays sometimes happen due to weather or carrier issues. If the problem continues for more than a few days, contact the Tampa Bay Times customer service through your account dashboard — most issues are resolved within one business day.
If you see a paywall message on tampabay.com even though you have a digital subscription, log out completely and log back in. Sometimes the browser does not refresh your login status. Clear your browser cache if the paywall persists after logging back in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a print subscription if I live outside the delivery area?
No, print delivery is limited to Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, and parts of Hernando and Citrus counties. If you live outside these areas, you can purchase a digital subscription instead, which works anywhere. Enter your zip code on the subscription page to confirm whether print delivery is available at your address.
What happens to my digital access if I cancel my print subscription?
Digital access included with a print subscription ends when the print subscription ends. If you want to keep reading online, you can purchase a digital-only subscription before your print subscription cancels. You can do this through your account dashboard by upgrading or downgrading your plan.
Can I pause my subscription instead of canceling?
Yes. Print subscribers can hold delivery for a set number of weeks through their account. Digital subscribers can suspend access temporarily. Both options let you stop paying without losing your account, and you can reactivate whenever you are ready. Pausing is useful for vacations or temporary situations.
How do I read the e-edition?
Log into your account on tampabay.com or open the Tampa Bay Times mobile app. The e-edition link appears in the main menu. Tap or click it to view today's edition or browse past editions. You can read the PDF to your device to read offline — the read option is usually a button near the top of the e-edition viewer.
Do I have to call to cancel my subscription?
No. You can cancel through your account dashboard online at any time. The cancellation takes effect on your next renewal date, so you keep access through the end of the billing period you have already paid for. No phone call or email is required.