We are in the process of updating our terms and conditions. If you subscribed to subscription card or home delivery subscription services on or after 16 September 2025 then our new terms (available here) apply.
The terms and conditions set out below apply to the voucher, subscription card and home delivery subscription services offered by Guardian News & Media Limited (“we” or “us”) for the Guardian and The Observer newspapers. Please read them carefully as they affect your rights and liabilities under the law and set out the terms under which we make voucher, subscription card and home delivery subscriptions available to you. These terms will be subject to any rights you may have under consumer law to which we are bound and which cannot be waived by contract.
Please note that while voucher, subscription card and home delivery services are provided by us, from 22 April 2025 Tortoise Media Limited will be the owner and publisher of the Observer and have full independent editorial control of the Observer.
We also recommend that you read our Frequently Asked Questions before you take out a subscription with us.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR GUARDIAN AND OBSERVER VOUCHER, SUBSCRIPTION CARD AND HOME DELIVERY SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
1A. VOUCHER SUBSCRIPTION
a) A paper only voucher subscription entitles you to receive vouchers which are redeemable against copies of the Guardian or The Observer (as applicable) in participating shops throughout the UK on the days of the week included in the package you have selected.
(b) A paper + digital voucher subscription entitles you to receive:
(i) vouchers which are redeemable against copies of the Guardian or The Observer (as applicable) in participating shops throughout the UK on the days of the week included in the package you have selected; and
(ii) 7-day access to the Guardian Daily and premium access to The Guardian Live app (you will be required to download these from the Apple and Google app store/s). Access to Ad-free web on theguardian.com
We will send you a new book of vouchers every 13 weeks for the duration of your subscription.
Your subscription is personal to you and non-transferable, except where you place an order for a subscription in someone else’s name as a gift. In these circumstances, you will have to pay the subscription fees in accordance with section 6 below.
Availability
Voucher subscription is available to UK residents aged 18 and over only. However, non-UK residents aged 18 and over can order a subscription for someone else as a gift, provided that the person who the gift is for is a UK resident.
Vouchers
Each voucher we send you will have a different date printed on it and each voucher may only be redeemed against the Guardian or The Observer newspaper (as applicable) that is published on that date. Please note that, once the date on a voucher has passed, the voucher will no longer be valid. Please keep your vouchers in a safe place before redeeming them as we cannot accept liability for lost vouchers.
Vouchers may not be used as currency or redeemed against any other products or services. Vouchers are not for resale.
Delivery of newspapers for voucher subscriptions
If you would like to have your newspapers delivered to you, this is something you must arrange with the newsagent where you redeem your vouchers. The newsagent may charge you for this delivery. We are not responsible for your relationship with the newsagent, nor for any disruption to their delivery service.
Voucher subscription holiday
You may take up to five weeks’ ‘holiday’ per year and obtain a credit on subsequent billing for the value of the vouchers that were redeemable during that holiday period.
Voucher subscribers can book a holiday stop online, by logging manage.theguardian.com and selecting ‘Manage Subscription’, or by phoning Customer Service (see section 11). You need to give at least one day’s working notice, you will then be credited the value of the suspended issues on your next bill date.
Holiday stops may be amended or removed either online or by contacting Customer Service. You will need to give two days’ notice when amending or removing a holiday.
1B. SUBSCRIPTION CARD
A paper only subscription card subscription entitles you to receive a subscription card and home delivery letter which are redeemable against copies of the Guardian or The Observer (as applicable) in participating shops throughout the UK on the days of the week included in the package you have selected.
The subscription card and home delivery letter are valid for the duration of your subscription.
Your subscription is personal to you and non-transferable, except where you place an order for a subscription in someone else’s name as a gift. In these circumstances, you will have to pay the subscription fees in accordance with section 6 below.
Availability
A Subscription card subscription is available to UK residents aged 18 and over only. However, non-UK residents aged 18 and over can order a subscription for someone else as a gift, provided that the person who the gift is for is a UK resident.
Delivery of newspapers for Subscription card subscriptions
If you would like to arrange for your newspapers to be delivered to you, you can speak to your newsagent and give them the home delivery letter you will receive in your subscriber pack. This is something you must arrange with the newsagent where you redeem your newspapers. The newsagent may charge you for this delivery. We are not responsible for your relationship with the newsagent, nor for any disruption to their delivery service.
Subscription card subscription holiday
You may take up to five weeks’ ‘holiday’ per year and obtain a credit on subsequent billing for the value of the newspapers that were redeemable during that holiday period.
Subscription card subscribers can book a holiday stop online, by logging manage.theguardian.com and selecting ‘Manage Subscription’, or by phoning Customer Service (see section 11). You need to give at least one days working notice, you will then be credited the value of the suspended issues on your next bill date.
Holiday stops may be amended or removed either online or by contacting Customer Service. You will need to give two days’ notice when amending or removing a holiday.
1C.HOME DELIVERY
(a) A paper + digital home delivery subscription entitles you to receive:
(i) one copy per subscription of the Guardian and/or The Observer (as applicable) delivered to your chosen address (either a residential address or a work address), on the days of the week that you have selected, for the duration of your subscription; and
(ii) 7-day access to the Guardian & Observer daily edition for tablet (available on iPad, Android tablet and Kindle Fire) and the premium tier of Guardian iOS and Android live news apps (you will be required to download these from the Apple, Google and/or Amazon app store/s).
(b) A paper only home delivery subscription entitles you to receive one copy per subscription of the Guardian and/or The Observer (as applicable) delivered to your chosen address, on the days of the week that you have selected, for the duration of your subscription.
Your subscription is personal to you and non-transferable, except where you place an order for a subscription in someone else’s name as a gift. In these circumstances, you will have to pay the subscription fees in accordance with section 6 below.
Availability
Home delivery subscription is only available if you have a residential and/or work address that is within an area that is served by one of our delivery partners, as identified by our postcode checker and you are aged 18 and over. However, UK and non-UK residents aged 18 and over can order a home delivery subscription for someone else as a gift, provided that the person who the gift is for has a residential and/or work address that is within an area that is served by one of our delivery partners, as identified by our postcode checker.
Delivery
Delivery will take place as early as possible depending on geographic location. Most deliveries will be completed before 9:00am and we will work with our delivery agents to provide earlier deliveries where required. [Please note that if your newspapers are delivered to an internal mailroom within your building, although delivery to the mailroom will take place by 9:00am, the time that you will receive your newspapers from the mailroom is outside our control.]
Where delivery requires access to a property’s letterbox we may be unable to deliver your newspaper.
If you have not received your newspaper by 9:00am, you can contact our customer services team (see details in section 11 below) to claim for an additional day’s credit to be added onto the end of your existing subscription. Please inform us of any claim by 5:00pm on the day that the problem occurred in order to get this credit.
Commencement of Home Delivery Subscription
If we accept your order for a home delivery subscription, and you placed your order before 3:00pm on a business day, your subscription can start as soon as the 5th business day following the day that you place your order. If you placed your order after 3:00pm or on a day which is not a business day, your subscription can start as soon as the 6th business day following the day that you place your order.
However, if you prefer, you can postpone the start of your subscription for up to 8 weeks from the day that you place your order.
Home Delivery Subscription Holiday
You are allowed a holiday allowance of five weeks per subscription year (starting on each anniversary of your subscription joining date). Your holiday allowance is reset at the beginning of each subscription year and you may not carry over any holiday not taken in one subscription year into the next year. We will make an adjustment to the next payment falling due after the holiday has been notified to us.
You can book your subscription holiday online using the ‘manage my account‘ service. If you have a query about obtaining your holiday allowance, please contact our customer services team (see details in section 11 below).
GENERAL SUBSCRIPTION TERMS
3. USE OF THIRD PARTIES, PRIVACY AND USE OF DATA
We use third parties to assist in the provision and fulfilment of any part of the subscription service on our behalf. We share your personal information provided by you to such third parties but only for the purposes of the provision and fulfilment of the subscription service to you.
Your personal information will be dealt with in accordance with our privacy policy. You can read our Privacy Policy for details regarding how we use your personal information.
4. ORDERS FOR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
You may place an order for a subscription online or by telephone. Your order is an offer to buy from us. We reserve the right to refuse to accept any order for any subscription for any reason.
5. SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD
Once you have placed an order for a subscription, the subscription will continue unless and until it is ended by either of us in accordance with the provisions of section 9 below.
Please note that a minimum term may apply to the subscription. This will be specified in the relevant advertisement or promotion for the subscription.
We guarantee not to increase the rate we charge for your subscription within the first 12 months. If after this first 12 months we change the price of your subscription, the provisions of section 8 below will apply.
We reserve the right to withdraw or change any subscription at any time. This will not affect any subscription that you have already paid for, unless for some reason we are withdrawing a subscription due to our inability to fulfil that subscription, in which case the provisions of section 9 below will apply.
6. PAYMENT
You agree to pay the subscription price for the subscription package you have elected to purchase. You can get details of our prices at Frequently Asked Questions or by telephoning our customer services team (details in section 11 below).
You must provide us with complete and accurate payment information.
Payment for your subscription can be made by direct debit, credit or debit card or via PayPal. Payment is on a rolling basis and your subscription will automatically continue unless and until terminated in accordance with section 9 below.
7. AMENDING SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subject to section 9 below, you may change your subscription package by contacting our customer services team (details in section 11 below).
8. RENEWAL OF SUBSCRIPTION
There is no need to renew your subscription as it will automatically continue unless and until your subscription is cancelled in accordance with the provisions of section 9 below. We will continue to take payment by means of your direct debit, credit or debit card, or via PayPal (as applicable) at the agreed frequency. If we change the subscription price we will inform you of this with at least 10 working days’ notice (or such other length of notice as is required by the Direct Debit guarantee from time to time) so that you can choose whether or not to cancel your payment. You will continue to receive newspapers/vouchers or your Subscription card will continue to operate (as applicable) until you cancel your credit/debit card payments or your direct debit (as applicable).
9. REFUNDS AND CANCELLATION
You have the right to cancel your subscription without giving any reason by clearly informing our customer services team using the contact details in section 11 below
Any refunds will be made to the account or debit or credit card from which the subscription fees are taken; in any event you will not incur any fees as a result of the reimbursement.
Your cancellation will be effective from your next billing date.
Other than in the circumstances described above, we are unable to refund payment unless:
(a) we are unable to fulfil your subscription. If this is the case, you may obtain a proportionate refund for the unexpired part of your current subscription;
(b) there are exceptional circumstances, which we will assess on a case by case basis. If we then decide that exceptional circumstances apply we may, at our reasonable discretion, give you a proportionate refund; or
(c) you qualify for a ‘holiday’ refund.
If you have a query about obtaining a refund, please contact our customer services team (details in section 11 below).
If you have a paper + digital subscription and your subscription ends or is cancelled for any reason, you will no longer have access, as part of your subscription, to the Guardian Daily, and premium access to The Guardian Live app or access to Ad-free web on theguardian.com
We may cancel your subscription immediately at our reasonable discretion or if you breach any of your obligations under these terms and conditions, including if we do not receive a payment when due from you, or, in the case of a delivery subscription where you change your address for delivery to an address that our fulfilment partners are unable to deliver to. We will make all reasonable efforts to contact you, before your subscription is cancelled.
For Voucher subscription only
You must not redeem your vouchers in participating shops after your subscription has ended or has been cancelled – if you do this we may charge you for the vouchers you use.
10. OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO YOU
We shall not be responsible for any failure by us to perform our obligations to you in relation to your subscription where this failure is caused by circumstances beyond our control. We are however under a legal duty to supply goods that are in conformity with our contract with you.
We shall not be responsible for any failure to deliver your subscription if you have supplied us with an incorrect address for delivery.
Our liability to you in connection with your subscription will not exceed the total subscription fees charged for your current subscription period (being in all cases a maximum of 12 months). We exclude all other liability to you to the extent permitted by law. Our exclusions of liability shall not apply to any damages arising from death or personal injury caused by our negligence or that of any of our employees or agents.
11. CUSTOMER SERVICES
If you have a query or complaint about your subscription, please contact us using any of the contact details below:
Phone: 0330 333 6767 Monday to Friday 8am-6pm (GMT/BST), weekends 9am-6pm (GMT/BST)
Email: customer.help@theguardian.com
Alternatively, our help centre contains articles for our most common queries along with links to our contact details and live chat function: theguardian.com/help
If you have any comments about editorial matters regarding the Observer please note that as of 22 April 2025 Tortoise Media is the owner and publisher of the Observer, with full independent editorial control. You can get in touch via tortoisemedia.com/observer/complaints.
12. CORPORATE INFORMATION
Our subscription services are provided by Guardian News & Media Limited (company registration number 00908396). Registered office: Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU
13. GENERAL
In the event that your subscription is a paper + digital subscription, these terms and conditions are also subject to the Guardian terms of service (available here) which apply to the use of our digital information network generally as it may be accessed on various internet-connected devices (such as smartphones and tablets).
We intend to rely on the written terms set out in these terms and conditions for the subscription service that we provide to you. We acknowledge that you may receive written and verbal information from our customer services team which shall also be incorporated into these terms and conditions.
We may update these terms and conditions from time to time for legal or regulatory reasons or to allow the proper operation of your subscription service. Any changes will be notified to you so that you can choose whether or not to cancel your subscription. The changes will apply to your subscription from your next payment date after we notify you of such changes. If you do not wish to accept the new terms and conditions you should not continue to subscribe as this will indicate your agreement to be bound by the new terms and conditions.
If any provision or part-provision of these terms and conditions is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal and enforceable. If such modification is not possible, the relevant provision or part-provision shall be deemed deleted. Any such modification or deletion shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the rest of these terms and conditions.
These terms and conditions are governed by English law and the parties agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Details of variations
9 April 2025: amendments to reflect Tortoise Media as the owner and publisher of The Observer from 22 April 2025. Tortoise Media contact details added to clause 11.
