端傳媒 Initium Media

Check the refund policy before paying! Well, actually, they don’t have a refund policy—nor a cooling-off period. On March 19, 2025, I subscribed to the annual membership that includes WSJ access, totaling $128 USD. A regular annual subscription to Initium Media alone costs half that—$64 USD. Then, in early April 2025, the WSJ started a spring promotion—$0.50 per week, just $21 USD for a whole year. I contacted customer service to ask if I could get a partial refund or downgrade my membership. They cited their terms of service and flatly refused everything. (Indeed, Initium does state in its terms that it reserves the right not to issue refunds. Ha—very “rigorous.”) I originally subscribed because I wanted access to one of the few platforms offering independent Chinese-language viewpoints. But once I realized the media outlet had such a harsh payment policy, their commentary and opinions started to feel vague and hypocritical. With all these major events they list, are they truly able to see things from the perspective of ordinary people?

Love the update. Can we have the widget back though?

Customer service is very responsive. I submitted a feedback and they improved the app in a following update with new features. Keep doing the good job guys and I expect more awesome articles and political analysis from you.