An Advance Local Media charge on your bank or credit card statement is a recurring digital subscription fee, typically $10 per month, for one of the regional news websites operated by Advance Local. The descriptor uses the parent company’s name rather than the individual newspaper, which is why the charge often looks unfamiliar. It renews automatically every month until you cancel.
Which Site the Charge Belongs To
Advance Local runs more than 20 regional news sites, each tied to a legacy newspaper. Any of them can bill under the same “Advance Local” descriptor. The properties most likely to be the source include:
- NJ.com (The Star-Ledger, The Times of Trenton, South Jersey Times)
- Cleveland.com (The Plain Dealer)
- AL.com (The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, Mobile Press-Register)
- OregonLive.com (The Oregonian)
- MLive.com (Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Flint, Kalamazoo, and other Michigan cities)
- PennLive.com (The Patriot-News)
- Syracuse.com (The Post-Standard)
- MassLive.com (The Republican)
The standard rate has been $10 per month across properties since Advance Local launched the digital subscription program on April 6, 2020, and that price held as of mid-2026.1Advance Local. Advance Local Launches New Subscription Program2Cleveland.com. Subscribe to Cleveland.com If nothing on the statement points to a specific paper, search your email for a welcome message or receipt from any of the sites above. That will identify which customer service team to contact.
How To Cancel
Each property handles its own cancellations. For NJ.com and Star-Ledger accounts, you can cancel online at myaccount.nj.com, email custserv@starledger.com, or call 888-782-7533.3NJ.com. Star-Ledger Subscription FAQ Digital-only NJ.com issues go to digitalservice@NJ.com.4NJ.com. Contact Us Information and User Services For OregonLive and The Oregonian, cancel at oregonlive.com/account or call 503-221-8240.5OregonLive. Digital Subscription FAQ Other sites follow the same pattern: look for the “Manage Account” or “Subscriber Center” link on the newspaper’s website, or use the customer service number in its footer.
Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle. You keep access through the period you already paid for, and no further charges post after that.5OregonLive. Digital Subscription FAQ Save proof of your cancellation request, whether a confirmation email, a screenshot of the account page, or the date and time of a phone call.
Refunds and Billing Disputes
Advance Local’s user agreement states that subscription fees are non-refundable.6Advance Local. User Agreement The company’s position is that once a charge posts, the subscriber has access for that period and the payment stands, even if the cancellation is same-day.
The agreement also requires that any billing problem or discrepancy be reported within 30 days of first appearing on a statement. After that, the agreement says the subscriber waives the right to challenge it.6Advance Local. User Agreement That contractual deadline does not override federal credit card dispute rights, but Advance Local may cite it if you contact them later.
If the company will not refund a charge you consider unauthorized, or one that continued after you canceled, the next step is a chargeback through your card issuer. The Federal Trade Commission recommends starting the dispute in the issuer’s online portal or by calling the number on the back of the card, then confirming it in writing to the bank’s billing-error address.7Federal Trade Commission. How To Stop Subscriptions You Never Ordered Records of your cancellation attempts strengthen the dispute.
Why the Charge May Look New
Two situations account for most surprise charges. The first is a free trial or promotional rate that converted to a paid subscription. If you did not cancel before the trial ended, the paid subscription started automatically at the standard monthly rate, and the user agreement treats that conversion as authorized by the original sign-up.6Advance Local. User Agreement Some properties limit introductory offers to people who have not held a subscription in the prior 30 days.5OregonLive. Digital Subscription FAQ
The second is the print-to-digital shift. In late 2024, Advance Local announced the end of print editions for several papers, including The Star-Ledger, The Times of Trenton, and the South Jersey Times, with the Star-Ledger’s final print edition on February 2, 2025.8NJ.com. Star-Ledger Ending Print Edition and Closing Production Facility Former print subscribers may have been moved to a digital subscription or offered one, which can show up as a new charge under the Advance Local descriptor. If you did not want the digital product, contact the paper’s customer service to confirm the account status and cancel.