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Individual Subscription FAQ

Individual Subscription FAQ

Owned by Tanya Berardini
Last updated: Mar 04, 2025
3 min read

Does TAIR provide any complimentary access to the site without a charge? If yes, how does this work?

  • We provide 50 complimentary Usage Units per individual user account per year.

Why did the individual subscriptions change from unlimited annual or monthly usage to set Unit Usage?

  • This change ensures that TAIR users in both the individual and institutional models support it in proportion to their usage.

Why do I have to login and link my TAIR account to my ORCID ID to gain access to TAIR?

  • ORCID authentication provides a standard identity verification system used by the scientific community that is not tied to a particular email address or a sometimes common name combination. In the past, many users have had duplicate (or 10+) accounts using either multiple email addresses or multiple usernames with the same email address.

  • By using ORCID, we can be sure all of your usage accumulates on a single account and that subscriptions can be correctly credited to just one account.

What is the cheapest subscription and how much does that cover?

  • The smallest bundle includes 300 usage units for $500. However, for your first purchase within a 12-month period, this bundle is available at a 60% discount, reducing the price to $200.

What is a Usage Unit?

  • Usage Units are metrics used to track user activity on the website. Users consume Usage Units as they navigate different pages and interact with various tools.

How do you calculate Usage Unit consumption/use?

  • Not all pages on TAIR consume usage units. For example, access to the Home page, Jobs page, Events page, Person and Organization pages, the Public_Data_Releases, and all the user documentation pages are complimentary.

  • One unit is charged for each Premium data detail page that is accessed within a 24 hr period.

    • Example: One locus page accessed multiple times in the same 24 hr period will consume one unit. The same locus page accessed a week later will be charged another unit.

What are the Usage Unit values of the pages, files, and tools?

  • Premium Detail Pages (e.g. Locus, Gene,  Germplasm, Polymorphism, and Publication pages.) = 1 unit (per 24 hr time period)

  • Tools = 1 unit (per 24 hr time period)

  • Subscriber_Data_Release data files = 25 units at time of download (per 24 hr time period)

How do I tell if a page consumes units?

  • You can tell if a page consumes units by the presence of a Diamond icon and the words Premium Page beside the name of the detail page.

Why did I run into a pop-up notification that restricted my access to TAIR?

  • A user will see a pop-up notification if they lack enough units to download a file, are running low on usage units, or have completely exhausted their units.

Will TAIR still be providing complimentary teaching access?

  • Yes! For more details and to request access, see this form.

Is there an expiration date on the activation codes?

  • Yes! Activation codes MUST be applied to a TAIR account within 90 days of purchase or they will be invalidated. If this happens, your payment will be refunded to the card that made the original purchase.

How long are the usage units valid after I purchase them?

  • Units are valid for one year from the date of purchase. If you buy additional units before the current period ends, any unused units will roll over and remain valid for one year from the date of your latest purchase.

How do I choose which bundle to buy?

  • Our analysis of usage over the past three years indicates that approximately 60% of individual users consume no more than 350 usage units within a 12-month period (300 standard usage units plus 50 complimentary units).

  • The table below provides an idea of what combination of actions matches your use pattern most closely.

    • New to TAIR? You may want to start with the Complimentary units and purchase the 300 unit bundle at the 50% discount when you run out.

    • Do you use TAIR everyday, multiple times a day and download lots of files? We recommend buying the 900 unit bundle after you’ve used up all the Complimentary units to save $75 over buying in 300 unit increments.

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I have more questions. Whom do I contact?