Medium Paywall: Why You Cannot Read a Story
Quick answer
Member-only stories need a paid membership ($5/month or $50/year); non-members get a small monthly allowance and public stories stay free. The allowance figure has changed over time, so check the prompt on the story.
Most likely fix: Confirm you are signed in with your member account
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. Confirm you are signed in with your member account
- Open the story in the browser where you are a member
- Sign in with the email you subscribed with
- Reload the page
Did this fix it?2. Use legitimate free routes
- Ask the author for a friend link (members can share them)
- Check whether your library offers access
- Look for the same story published free elsewhere
Did this fix it?
Symptoms
You see "Read the full story with a membership" or a locked story.
Why it happens
- Story was put behind the paywall by its author
- Free monthly allowance used up
- Logged out or signed in with a different account
This guide also covers
- medium paywall
- medium member only story
- medium free articles per month
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