# News-style paywall vs classic paywall: +190% direct conversion

- Outcome: Won
- Page type: Paywall (App)
- Elements: Paywall design
- Test run by: [TipStop](https://liftarchive.com/practitioners/tipstop/)
- Commentary by: LiftArchive (our analysis, not theirs)
- Original source: https://www.purchasely.com/blog/paywall-a/b-testing-all-you-need-to-know-in-50-seconds
- Page: https://liftarchive.com/test/tipstop-nyt-style-paywall/

TipStop saw a 190% jump in direct conversion when it tested an "NYT"-style paywall against its "Classic" one. TipStop, a sports betting tips app, ran the test with Purchasely's A/B testing tool, and the result was published on the Purchasely blog. The post does not describe either design.

## Result

**+190% direct conversion**

- Direct conversion: +190% for the NYT-style paywall over the classic one.
- Sample size, duration and confidence were not shared.
- Revenue, trial-to-paid and retention were not reported.

## Control

TipStop's "Classic" paywall. Its layout was not described.

## Variant

A paywall in the style of the New York Times. The post does not say what that meant in practice.

## Why it likely won (our reading)

- We can't say why it won, since neither design is described. A news-style paywall often shows some content first and then asks to subscribe, but that is a guess here.
- A very large lift like this can also come from a small sample or a weak baseline, so treat it as a lead, not a benchmark.

## Caveats

Retold in a short vendor post by Purchasely, which sells the testing tool used, so it may lean positive. No designs, sample size or duration were shared.

## How to run this test

- Hypothesis: If we switch from a classic plan-list paywall to a news-style paywall, then direct conversion will rise, because the layout fits how users of a content app expect to subscribe.
- Primary metric: Direct conversion (paywall view to purchase)
- Guardrail: Refund rate
- Guardrail: Renewal rate
- Guardrail: Revenue per user
- Who should test it: Content and tips apps where users come back daily for fresh material. Utility apps with no ongoing content may not benefit from a news-style approach.

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Credit: TipStop ran this test and owns the result. Summary and commentary by LiftArchive (https://liftarchive.com/test/tipstop-nyt-style-paywall/).
Usage: Free to use, quote and build on, with credit and a link: name the practitioner or organization that ran the test and link to its LiftArchive page. The results belong to the practitioners who ran and shared them; the summaries and commentary are LiftArchive's.