Ancestry subscription rates

[Michael Harris]

Peter has mentioned in several newsletters how subscribing to Ancestry.co.uk is usually much cheaper than subscribing to ancestry.com or ancestry.ca

I have always done it this way, more by blind luck than good planning. My first subscription was to the UK site and despite constant prodding from Ancestry to change to my local site, that's the way I have continued.

This might have ended for a lot of us. I subscribe month-to-month because that's the way I do my research. When I tire of it, or hit another wall, I unsubscribe for a bit.

When I checked the rates today this is what I found for monthly subscriptions:
ancestry.co.uk - £ 18.95
ancestry.com - US$34.95
ancestry.ca - C$29.95

This makes ancestry.ca marginally the least expensive.

ancestry.com.au is still the most expensive at A$49.95

 

[Doreen]

I used Peter's hint to renew my subscription through ancestry.co.uk rather than ancestry.ca and I saved $80 - thanks Peter!

 

[peter]

This makes ancestry.ca marginally the least expensive

You haven't allowed for VAT. The stated price on Ancestry's UK site includes VAT at 15% (15% rather than 20% because Ancestry UK is actually based in Luxembourg).

So the actual price a subscriber outside the European Union would pay is about 13% less. The revised price is displayed just before you enter your credit card details (see my article from last October).

The UK site is till the cheapest for Monthly World subscriptions, and if you look at Annual subscriptions the percentage saving is even greater.

(Someone in the EU who subscribed through the Canadian site would pay more - VAT would be added on. I used to subscribe through Ancestry.com at one time so have personal experience of this!)

Finally, a reminder that you can help support LostCousins by clicking on a relevant link in my newsletter before taking out a new subscription to Ancestry or findmypast.

 

[Siobhan]

Peter, thank you for writing the Ancestry renewal tip in the May newsletter - I have cancelled my subscription due for renewal in early June. When I click on the link in your newsletter (just to check process) it takes me to the Ancestry.au site. I will try again the day after my subscription is due to see if it takes me to the UK site - I did want to follow your link so that Lost Cousins could benefit. I followed your tip last year and saved around $70 and got worldwide membership. Thank you

 

[peter]

Peter, thank you for writing the Ancestry renewal tip in the May newsletter - I have cancelled my subscription due for renewal in early June. When I click on the link in your newsletter (just to check process) it takes me to the Ancestry.au site. I will try again the day after my subscription is due to see if it takes me to the UK site - I did want to follow your link so that Lost Cousins could benefit. I followed your tip last year and saved around $70 and got worldwide membership. Thank you

Siobhan, drop me an email after your existing subscription as expired and I'll explain to you what to do. Ancestry are making it more difficult for members in Australia to use the UK site, but there is a way round it.

 

[Siobhan]

Siobhan, drop me an email after your existing subscription as expired and I'll explain to you what to do. Ancestry are making it more difficult for members in Australia to use the UK site, but there is a way round it.

Many thanks Peter, I do appreciate your help, especially when you are so busy.

 

[Heather]

Peter, I have read through the previous postings and my situation does not seem to be covered, but I could be wrong !! I live in Australia and I subscribed to Ancestry uk last year using your advice and paid 135.13 pounds for a Worldwide subscription, a huge saving, thanks. I have recently received an email from them stating that my subscription is due for renewal and will be 155.40 pounds. Am I correct in assuming that when they take the subscription fee out of my bank account, they will subtract the 13% previously mentioned ? thanks

 

[Siobhan]

Peter, I have read through the previous postings and my situation does not seem to be covered, but I could be wrong !! I live in Australia and I subscribed to Ancestry uk last year using your advice and paid 135.13 pounds for a Worldwide subscription, a huge saving, thanks. I have recently received an email from them stating that my subscription is due for renewal and will be 155.40 pounds. Am I correct in assuming that when they take the subscription fee out of my bank account, they will subtract the 13% previously mentioned ? thanks

Heather, my story is the same as yours, saving heaps last year taking Peter's advice. When I got the renewal email a couple of weeks ago I replied saying that as I lived in Australia I would not need to pay the tax and asking for the renewal price minus UK tax - no reply to date and I have a feeling that I will not get one either I have cancelled my subscription as per Peter's advice and will re-join following advice from Peter after the subscription runs out

 

[Alexander Bisset]

I think Peter's advice has always been cancel the subscription rather than auto renew. Then at renewal time look around for the best deal. This advice holds for pretty much any auto-renewal, most companies make a lot of money from people just auto-renewing as its the easy option. The harder option is finding then taking the time to shop around, however if you have links posted in a newsletter that's done the shopping around for you then it makes it easier!

 

[peter]

I think Peter's advice has always been cancel the subscription rather than auto renew. Then at renewal time look around for the best deal. This advice holds for pretty much any auto-renewal

But not findmypast, since there's a Loyalty Discount of 10% for existing subscribers.

 

[Siobhan]

Peter, thank you for you help with Ancestry Subscription UK worldwide renewal - I finally found a way to renew for 135 pounds rather than the initial offer of 155 pounds - I could not find any way of getting that price using the Lost Cousins newsletter link so am afraid LC does not gain anything!

 

[peter]

Peter, thank you for you help with Ancestry Subscription UK worldwide renewal - I finally found a way to renew for 135 pounds rather than the initial offer of 155 pounds - I could not find any way of getting that price using the Lost Cousins newsletter link so am afraid LC does not gain anything!

Well done, Siobhan!

The price you pay is the same however you get to the Ancestry.co.uk website. However, the lower price for subscribers outside the European Union isn't shown until just before you pay - see this newsletter article for a screenshot of the payment page.

 

[Siobhan]

Peter, I tried the link from the LC newsletter but to no avail I am afraid - I did not get the 135 pounds when I went to pay. I tried many ways to get to the UK site but it kept taking me to my UK home page with my user name and the word subscribe next to it.
Fortunately Ancestry had sent me an email about free UK searching for the Queen's birthday weekend. When I used the link in the email it took me to UK site without my user name on it - from there I could sign in and proceed to pay which brought up the screen shown in the LC newsletter. Thank you again

 

[Alexander Bisset]

Your browser typically remembers that you have logged in. In order to get the tip in the newsletter to work you sometimes have to specifically log out so that when you visit the site you get a link without your username.

To test this

1. open ancestry,
2. click to log out.
3. CLOSE THE BROWSER - this step is very important as the browser (if it is Internet Explorer) will remember you have logged in.
4. Re-open the browser
5. Go to the site for the prices and you will not be logged in.

Note closing the browser means make sure there are NO other browser tabs or browser windows open.

 

[Siobhan]

Your browser typically remembers that you have logged in. In order to get the tip in the newsletter to work you sometimes have to specifically log out so that when you visit the site you get a link without your username. To test this open ancestry, click to log out. CLOSE THE BROWSER - this step is very important as the browser (if it is Internet Explorer) will remember you have logged in. Re-open the browser and goto the site for the prices and you will not be logged in.

Note closing the browser means make sure there are NO other browser tabs or browser windows open.

Thank you Alexander - I used chrome and internet explorer - next year will put in the step you have detailed about logging out and then LC will get the credit - but still - thank you Peter for helping me get such a good deal

 

[Heather]

Peter, I have read through the previous postings and my situation does not seem to be covered, but I could be wrong !! I live in Australia and I subscribed to Ancestry uk last year using your advice and paid 135.13 pounds for a Worldwide subscription, a huge saving, thanks. I have recently received an email from them stating that my subscription is due for renewal and will be 155.40 pounds. Am I correct in assuming that when they take the subscription fee out of my bank account, they will subtract the 13% previously mentioned ? thanks

After reading all the advice given when I first posted the above, I decided to just leave things as they were and see what happened, Ancestry have just taken out 135.13 pounds from my account even though they emailed me and said the subscription would be 155.40 pounds, so thanks to Peter I have saved 20 pounds again this year.

 

[peter]

Well done, Heather! If all Ancestry subscribers in Australia followed your example perhaps they'd be forced to bring the prices down to a sensible level?

Incidentally, for the benefit of any Australian members watching, the actual saving by taking out a World subscription through Ancestry.co.uk is much greater than the £20 Heather mentioned. The current cost of a World subscription at Ancestry.com.au is $299.88 for the first year only, and $449.95 for succeeding years - but at the current exchange rate the same subscription through the UK site costs just $226 (plus about $5 that your bank will add on).

Exchange rates vary - the cost has been as low as $200 in the past 6 months. I use XE.com to calculate the equivalent in other currencies.

 

[RonO]

I wonder if Ancestry.uk has changed their renewal fee, as when I checked last evening, rather than the 135 pounds I paid last March, the yearly fee for a worldwide membership is now 199pounds, less VAT or approx. 173 pounds, an increase of 28%.
Ron

 

[RonO]

I guess the honeymoon is over, as today when I tried to compare Ancestry membership fees, I could only access Ancestry.ca. Even typing in their .uk, and .com addresses, I was sent back to the .ca site, probably as I live in Canada. Moreover, the Lost Cousins Newsletter link which Peter furnished wouldn't work either, as the moment I clicked on membership, I was sent to Ancestry.ca again. Now it looks as if it will cost me $300Cdn vs. $223 Cdn I paid last March.

 

[Doreen]

I guess the honeymoon is over, as today when I tried to compare Ancestry membership fees, I could only access Ancestry.ca. Even typing in their .uk, and .com addresses, I was sent back to the .ca site, probably as I live in Canada. Moreover, the Lost Cousins Newsletter link which Peter furnished wouldn't work either, as the moment I clicked on membership, I was sent to Ancestry.ca again. Now it looks as if it will cost me $300Cdn vs. $223 Cdn I paid last March.

RonO, I'm not sure if this is what is happening with you, but a few weeks ago I noticed my page always going to .ca, no matter what I typed in. Then I found at the right bottom of the page a little box that says "Visit our other sites" -- it was set on Canadian English and I just needed to change it to United States or United Kingdom. I just tried and I was able to get to the subscription page for the UK, although I didn't go any further. Good luck!