Frequently Asked Questions About Membership

If your question is not answered below, feel free to contact us at [email protected] for assistance.

All memberships include unlimited access to articles on sfstandard.com, as well as our newsletters. Annual members also receive limited-edition merch, a free first month at FITNESS SF, priority access to Standard events, and MUBI for 40% off (through March 2026). You can learn more about the Standard Membership here.

At this time, you can read 3 articles for free each month, though the number of free articles may change without notice.

Becoming a subscription business ensures our primary goal is to produce great journalism that keeps you informed about what's happening in San Francisco. Membership revenue funds our news operations.

We offer a monthly plan with unlimited access to content for $9/month and an annual plan with additional benefits for $90/year. You can learn more about the Standard Membership here.

No, we don't offer any of these discounts.

Not at this time.

We offer an annual subscription plan that costs $90/year, a savings of $18/year compared to paying monthly.

You can use your account management dashboard to upgrade from a monthly plan to an annual plan. If you want to downgrade from annual to monthly, contact us at [email protected].

You can read a few articles for free each month. To read unlimited articles, you need to be a paying member. We do not offer a trial membership.

We don't offer gift memberships at this time.

We offer group membership for large groups or teams. Group members get unlimited access to content on our site.

You can purchase a group membership online at sfstandard.com/pricing/group — just select the number of seats you need, create or sign into an account for the group account manager, and complete payment using a credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or bank transfer. Once your payment is complete, you can invite users to your group. 

If your group is particularly large (more than 100 people) or you need to pay using a paper check, please email us at [email protected] to discuss your options.

Annual members will receive a limited-edition tote. Merch can only be shipped in the US.

We work with our production and delivery partners to ship tote bags to members roughly once a month. When your tote is mailed to you, you will receive an email from our delivery partner with a tracking number.

First, make sure you have provided your shipping address and made a tote selection. If you didn't do this after purchasing your membership, you can add it later in your account settings.

We work with our production and delivery partners to ship tote bags to members roughly once a month. When your tote is mailed to you, you will receive an email from our delivery partner with a tracking number. Totes can only be shipped to members in the United States.

You can update your shipping address in your account settings.

No, we do not ship merchandise internationally. Members with an international billing or shipping address are not eligible to receive merch.

When your bag is mailed to you, you will receive an email from our delivery partner with a tracking number.

Email us at [email protected] so we can assist you.

Yes. You are not required to provide a shipping address, and you can also explicitly specify you do not want a tote bag while purchasing your membership or anytime by clicking "Select a tote" in account settings.

If your membership is still active when we process a shipment, your tote bag will still be shipped to you. If your membership is no longer active, you may not receive the tote bag.

No, the limited-edition tote bag is only available to members.

Yes, members get unlimited access to all content. 

Yes, some articles or features may be available only to members. This includes some content, events, and other membership benefits. 

You can learn more about the benefits of The Standard Membership here.

After you purchase your annual membership to The Standard, you can show your receipt at FITNESS SF to get the first month of a FITNESS SF membership for free.

If you're already a FITNESS SF member, you may give your free first month to a friend or family member. The discount cannot be applied to an existing FITNESS SF membership.

Yes. You can sign into your account on sfstandard.com on multiple devices to access content and benefits.

To become a member, you can click the "Join now" button on our website. You'll be asked to create an account in the process of signing up. You can learn more about the benefits of The Standard Membership here.

Try to remember which method you used to create your account. It's possible you may have used Sign In with Google or Sign In with Apple, in which case you'll need to use the same option when you sign in.

If you created a password for your account, you can use the "Forgot password?" link on the sign-in screen to reset your password if you've forgotten or lost it. 

If you're still having trouble, contact us at [email protected] for further assistance.

You can use the "Forgot password?" link on the sign-in screen to reset your password if you've forgotten or lost it. If that doesn't work, contact us at [email protected] for further assistance.

If you use Sign In with Google or Sign In with Apple to log into your account, we are unable to change the email address associated with your account. If you no longer have access to your Google or Apple account, contact us at [email protected] for assistance.

If you sign into your account using a password, contact us at [email protected] for assistance changing your email address.

We do not allow pausing subscriptions at this time. You can cancel a subscription in the account management dashboard.

You can update your payment information in the account management dashboard. The new payment method will be applied to future charges on your subscription plan.

We accept all major credit cards. You can also pay using Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Yes. All memberships renew automatically until you cancel.

You can cancel your subscription on the account management dashboard. If you need further assistance, email us at [email protected].

Refunds are not available. The San Francisco Standard complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing refund policies.

You can contact the newsroom at [email protected] or report an error that needs to be corrected at [email protected]. If you're having a problem using the website, email [email protected].

Contact us at [email protected] and we will be happy to assist you.