The Economic Times Prime (ET Prime) is a subscription that unlocks The Economic Times' in-depth business journalism, market analysis and research-driven stories. If you want to pay for it with a Coinepay virtual card, this guide walks through what you need, how the sign-up and checkout work, how to manage your subscription afterwards, and what to try when a payment is declined.
What you need before you start
A little preparation makes checkout smoother:
- A verified Coinepay account. You must register and complete identity verification (KYC) before you can use card services. Card issuance and fund services are provided by licensed partner financial institutions.
- An active Coinepay virtual card. Create one in the Coinepay dashboard or mobile app so you have the card number, expiry date and CVV ready.
- Enough balance on the card to cover the plan you choose, plus any currency conversion applied at checkout.
- Your real billing details. Use your genuine name and billing address. ET says the payable price and currency are shown during sign-up, and a third-party payment provider (not ET) processes the financial information you enter.
Coinepay does not disclose whether a given merchant will accept its card. If you want to check compatibility in advance, contact Coinepay support before you buy.
Choose an ET Prime plan
On the ET plans page, The Economic Times lists several ET Prime options:
- Quarterly
- Yearly
- Two-year
- Annual Student Plan, advertised with a 50% discount
- Separate campus and corporate subscriptions
Prices vary by region and change over time, and ET's public plans page does not always expose the current amount in its text. Always confirm the exact figure and currency on the official ET plans page at the moment of purchase rather than relying on older articles or banners. Note that both of ET's current FAQs say no plans have a free trial at this time.
Step-by-step: sign up and pay
- Open the ET plans page on economictimes.indiatimes.com and select the ET Prime plan you want.
- Sign in with an email address or a social account. ET shows the payable price and currency during sign-up.
- Create your Coinepay virtual card (or open an existing one) in the Coinepay app or dashboard. Copy the card number, expiry date and CVV.
- Enter your payment details at checkout. ET's plans-page FAQ lists credit cards, debit cards and UPI, with wallets and net banking available for some plans; to pay with your Coinepay card, choose the card option. ET does not identify which card networks it accepts on its own pages, so if you are unsure, confirm with Coinepay support first.
- Match the billing address to the address on your Coinepay profile so the fields line up.
- Complete any 3-D Secure step. If a verification prompt appears, approve it in the Coinepay app or via the one-time code so the transaction can clear.
- Confirm and submit. Access follows verification of your payment details and email address. Keep the confirmation for your records.
If you are outside India, ET's FAQ says people abroad can subscribe by emailing [email protected]. Country-by-country checkout, card and currency availability is not something ET spells out publicly, so follow that route if the standard checkout does not offer your region.
Manage your subscription and renewals
After you sign in, go to My Account → ET Prime → My Subscriptions to manage your plan or stop the next auto-renewal. ET's plans-page FAQ says purchases made with credit cards, debit cards and supported UPI handles auto-renew, with notice three days beforehand; its older terms describe an annual-renewal reminder at least 15 days in advance.
To keep renewals working, make sure your Coinepay card stays active and funded ahead of each billing date. ET's terms state that missing or withdrawn payment authorisation can lead to suspended or terminated access.
Need an invoice? Request one at [email protected].
If your card is declined
ET's checkout displays a generic "Something went wrong" message in some situations, and specific card-decline reasons are not published, so work through the common causes below. You can review your Coinepay transactions in the app to see whether a charge was attempted.
Insufficient balance
Confirm your Coinepay card holds enough to cover the full plan price plus any currency conversion. Top up in the app and retry.
Billing address mismatch
Make sure the billing address and name at ET's checkout match the details on your Coinepay account exactly. A mismatch is a frequent reason a card fails verification.
3-D Secure not completed
If the authentication prompt times out or is dismissed, the payment will not go through. Keep the Coinepay app open to approve the request, then try again.
Merchant region or network checks
ET processes card data through a third-party provider and does not list the card networks it accepts. If payments keep failing, the issue may be a region or network check at checkout rather than your balance. Contact Coinepay support to confirm your card meets the requirement, and email [email protected] if you are subscribing from outside India.
"Something went wrong" with an existing account
ET's checkout flags an email address that is already registered and shows an error for an account that already holds an active subscription. If you see this, check whether you are already subscribed under that email before trying another payment.
Recurring-payment rules (India)
For India-issued cards, RBI e-mandate rules require initial authentication and a pre-debit notification for ordinary recurring debits. This is regulatory context, not a confirmed cause of any ET Prime decline, but it is worth knowing if a renewal behaves differently from the first payment.
Cancellations and refunds
ET states that purchases are non-refundable. You can stop the next auto-renewal from My Subscriptions, and ET's terms say cancellation takes effect at the end of the paid period, asking for at least five business days' notice by emailing [email protected]. The terms note limited exceptions, such as a pricing error or ET ceasing the service. Because there is no refund for the current period, cancel before the next renewal date if you do not intend to continue.
Get help
For plan, billing or access questions, contact The Economic Times at [email protected]. For anything about your Coinepay virtual card — balance, verification, 3-D Secure or confirming card compatibility — reach Coinepay support or our Telegram channel. You can manage your cards anytime from the dashboard or the Coinepay app on iOS and Google Play.
Get your Coinepay virtual card: Sign up · App Store · Google Play · Customer support
FAQ
Can I pay for ET Prime with a Coinepay virtual card?
ET's checkout accepts credit and debit cards (and, for some plans, UPI, wallets and net banking), and you can enter a Coinepay virtual card's number, expiry and CVV at the card option. ET does not publish which card networks it accepts, so if you are unsure, contact Coinepay support to confirm your card meets the requirement before buying.
How much does ET Prime cost?
ET lists Quarterly, Yearly, Two-year, an Annual Student Plan at a stated 50% discount, plus campus and corporate options. Prices vary by region and are not always shown in the plans-page text, so check the official ET plans page for the current amount and currency at checkout.
Where do I manage or cancel my ET Prime subscription?
Sign in and go to My Account → ET Prime → My Subscriptions to manage your plan or stop the next auto-renewal. ET says cancellation takes effect at the end of the paid period, requests at least five business days' notice via [email protected], and that purchases are non-refundable.
Why was my card declined at ET Prime checkout?
Common causes are insufficient balance, a billing address that does not match your Coinepay profile, an incomplete 3-D Secure step, or region/network checks at checkout. ET may show a generic 'Something went wrong' message. Top up and verify details, then contact Coinepay support if it keeps failing.
Can I subscribe to ET Prime from outside India?
ET's FAQ says people outside India can subscribe by emailing [email protected]. Country-by-country checkout, card and currency availability is not published, so use that email route if the standard checkout does not offer your region.
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