Accounts and access
Understand membership access
Learn how free, metered, and premium reading access works.
Summary
Membership unlocks premium essays, audio editions, saved readings, and subscriber conversations while free articles remain open to all readers.
Step-by-step guide
Follow these actions in order. Use the links when the next step lives elsewhere in the product.
Check the article label
Article pages show whether a reading is free, metered, or premium.
Confirm account state
Your account page shows the current tier, status, renewal timing, and available member actions.
Open related page
Related FAQs
Common questions connected to this guide.
Why can I read some articles but not premium articles?
Free articles are open, metered articles use available reader allowance, and premium articles require active paid membership.