What You Get With a Wall Street Journal Subscription
A Wall Street Journal subscription gives you access to the publication's news site, mobile apps, and email newsletters. The Journal offers different subscription tiers — some readers pay for digital access only, while others bundle digital with the print edition delivered to their home. The cost and what you can read depends on which plan you choose.
The Journal's digital content includes breaking business news, markets coverage, opinion columns, and investigative reporting. You can read articles on your phone, tablet, or computer. Print subscribers receive the newspaper at their address on weekdays and weekends, depending on the plan.
If you already subscribe through another service — your employer, a bundled package like Apple News+, or a previous subscription — you may already have access without paying separately. The Journal's website will tell you whether you're logged in and what content you can view.
Key Takeaways
- The Wall Street Journal offers digital-only subscriptions and plans that bundle digital access with print delivery to your home.
- You can start a subscription directly through the Journal's website or through third-party services like Apple News+ and some employer benefits programs.
- The Journal's website shows you what content is available to you once you log in, and you can pause or cancel your subscription anytime.
- Print delivery timing and pricing vary by region, so the cost you see depends on your location and which days you want the paper.
How to Start a Subscription on the Journal's Website
Go to wsj.com and look for the "Subscribe" button, usually in the top right corner of the page. Click it and you'll see the available plans with their current prices. The Journal frequently runs promotional rates for new subscribers, so the price you see may be lower than the standard rate.
Select the plan you want — digital only, or digital plus print. If you choose print, you'll enter your delivery address so the Journal can confirm service is available in your area. Then enter your email address and create a password for your account.
You'll be asked for a payment method: a credit card, debit card, or bank account. The Journal will charge you on a recurring schedule — usually weekly or monthly, depending on the plan. You can manage your subscription, change your payment method, or pause your account anytime by logging into your account settings on wsj.com.
Subscribing Through Your Employer or Other Services
Some employers offer Wall Street Journal subscriptions as part of their benefits package. Check with your human resources or benefits department to see whether the Journal is included. If it is, you'll receive instructions on how to set up your account using your work email address.
Apple News+ includes Wall Street Journal content as part of its bundle. If you subscribe to Apple News+, you can read Journal articles through the Apple News app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Amazon Prime members in certain regions can add a Journal subscription at a discounted rate through their Prime account.
Some financial advisory platforms and investment apps also bundle Journal access. If you use one of these services, log into your account and look for a "subscriptions" or "benefits" section to see whether the Journal is included or available at a reduced price.
What Happens After You Subscribe
Once your subscription is active, you can log into wsj.com with your email and password. You'll see which articles and sections are available to you. If you subscribed to print, your first delivery may take a few days to arrive, depending on your location and the day you started.
You can customize your account to receive email newsletters on topics that interest you — markets, technology, politics, or other sections. These newsletters are sent to the email address you used when you signed up. You can turn newsletters on or off anytime in your account settings.
If you have trouble logging in or accessing content, the Journal's customer service team can help. You can reach them through the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the wsj.com homepage, or through your account settings page.
Pausing or Canceling Your Subscription
You can pause your subscription for up to three months without canceling it entirely. This is useful if you're traveling or temporarily don't want to be charged. Log into your account, go to "Manage Subscription," and select "Pause Subscription." After the pause period ends, your subscription will resume automatically.
To cancel, go to "Manage Subscription" and select "Cancel Subscription." The Journal will ask you why you're leaving and may offer you a discounted rate to stay. If you cancel, you'll lose access to the site when ready, though you'll still receive any print editions that are already in the mail.
If you subscribed through Apple News+, Amazon Prime, or your employer, you'll need to cancel through that service, not through wsj.com directly. Log into the service where you subscribed and remove the Journal from your account there.
Understanding Your Bill and Payment Options
The Journal charges on a recurring schedule — the exact day depends on when you started and which plan you chose. You'll receive a receipt by email each time you're charged. Your credit card or bank statement will show the charge as coming from Dow Jones, which is the company that owns the Wall Street Journal.
If you see a charge you don't recognize or believe you were charged in error, contact the Journal's customer service team. They can review your account history and issue a refund if something went wrong. Keep your receipts in case you need to dispute a charge with your bank or credit card company.
If your payment method expires or fails, the Journal will send you an email asking you to update it. Your subscription will be paused until you provide a valid payment method. You can update your payment information anytime in your account settings.
Accessing the Journal on Multiple Devices
Your Wall Street Journal subscription works on any device where you log in with your email and password. You can read on your computer, phone, tablet, or through the Journal's mobile apps for iPhone and Android. Your reading history and saved articles sync across devices, so you can start reading on one device and continue on another.
The Journal's mobile apps let you read articles to read offline, which is useful if you're traveling or don't have internet access. You can also adjust the text size and font in the apps to make reading easier. The apps are free to read; you just need an active subscription to use them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I read the Wall Street Journal for free?
The Journal limits how many free articles you can read per month without a subscription. Once you hit that limit, you'll need to subscribe to read more. Some articles are always free, including breaking news and certain opinion pieces, but most reporting requires a subscription.
What's the difference between the digital and print plans?
Digital-only gives you access to wsj.com and the mobile apps. The print plan includes all of that plus the newspaper delivered to your home. Print plans cost more and are only available in areas where the Journal delivers. You can choose to receive the paper on weekdays only, weekends only, or every day.
Can I share my subscription with family members?
The Journal's terms of service are for individual use only. Sharing your login with others violates the subscription agreement. However, some family plans may be available in certain regions — contact the Journal's customer service to ask whether a multi-user plan is offered in your area.
How do I know if my employer already gives me access?
Ask your human resources or benefits department whether the Wall Street Journal is included in your benefits. If it is, they'll provide you with instructions or a link to set up your account. You can also try logging into wsj.com with your work email to see if access is already set up.
What if I want to cancel but keep reading some articles?
After you cancel, you'll still be able to read a limited number of free articles per month. If you want to read more without paying for a full subscription, you can pause your subscription instead of canceling it, then resume it later when you're ready.