FAQ
Signing Up
What can I access on the PilotOnline.com website?
On PilotOnline.com, there are three levels of participation:
- Non-Subscriber: You can read a limited number of articles at no charge.
- Standard Digital Access: Readers logged in to a The Virginian-Pilot account that has been linked with a Standard Digital Access subscription have access to everything on PilotOnline.com, the eNewspaper digital edition of The Virginian-Pilot and everything in the The Virginian-Pilot app for Apple or Android mobile devices.
- Premium Digital Access: Everything included for Standard Digital access, plus an ad-free experience on PilotOnline.com and The Virginian-Pilot eNewspaper, plus access to our network of local news sites throughout the country.
Cost of Subscription
What if I don’t want to pay?
You are welcome to read some stories for free. The amount of stories may vary based on the news cycle and time of year. Unlimited access to PilotOnline.com is part of all subscription packages.
What if I’m a print subscriber to The Virginian-Pilot?
All of our print subscriptions include Standard Digital Access in the current subscription cost. All you need to do is connect your print and online accounts here.
Not sure if you have connected your print and online accounts? You can check here.
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
You may cancel at any time by calling Customer Service at 757-446-9000, or if you purchased your subscription online you can cancel online at any time here.
Will I have access to PilotOnline.com across all devices?
Yes, by signing up for Digital Access, you will have full access to PilotOnline.com and The Virginian-Pilot eNewspaper, a digital replica of the printed newspaper, anytime, anywhere, and on any device.
I travel frequently. What happens to my Digital Access subscription then?
There’s no need to place your Digital Access subscription on hold. You will have full access to Pilotonline.com, the News App and the eNewspaper anytime, anywhere, and on any device.
Do you have any group, corporate or educational discounts?
Yes, you can read about group subscriptions and fill out a form to learn more here.
Where can I give you my feedback regarding PilotOnline.com Digital Access subscriptions?
Use our convenient comment form here.
Unlimited Digital Access Subscriptions
What do I get with unlimited Digital Access?
With an unlimited Digital Access subscription you get:
• Unlimited, exclusive journalism from The Virginian-Pilot’s investigative and watchdog reporters and photographers
• Daily delivery of the eNewspaper, a digital version of The Virginian-Pilot’s print edition
• Opinions and reviews from The Virginian-Pilot’s columnists and critics
• Unique features from our reporters and photographers
• Local sports coverage
• Unlimited access to The Virginian-Pilot’s mobile/tablet news apps
We have created an Account Management page so you can get the latest news on your benefits. It’s also where you’ll be able pick newsletters and alerts as well as manage other subscriber activities.
Can I share articles with my friends and family?
Yes, as a subscriber you can share up to 10 stories per month with friends and family that they can read at no cost to them or to you. Simply click the gift link icon on any article on PilotOnline.com and copy the link. Then send the link to friends and family and they can read that story for free for 30 days.
Visitor Benefits
What do I get with Visitor access?
Visitors can enjoy a limited number of free articles, and sign up for breaking news alerts and newsletters, delivered to your inbox. The amount of stories may vary based on the news cycle and time of year.
How do I know when I reach my story limit?
You will be asked to sign up for Digital Access once you have reached your limit. As you read through stories on PilotOnline.com, on-screen notifications will keep you informed of when you have reached your limit.
Do articles that I am rereading count toward my story limit each time?
Visiting a story you’ve already read will only count once towards your story limit.
Do death notices or obituaries count toward the page limit?
No. Death notices and obituaries featured in our Obituaries Channel do not count toward the limit. Obituary articles written by our reporters found in other channels including, local news, national news and sports channels will count toward the limit.
I like the crossword puzzle and games. Do I need to be a registered user or Digital Access subscriber to access them?
Access to crosswords and games is unlimited. You do not need to be a subscriber.
What about my newsletters?
You may continue to register for and receive our email newsletters without signing up for Digital Access. The newsletter itself does not count toward your story limit, but any stories you click on from your email to the site will be counted. Visit the newsletters page to register for additional newsletters.
Managing your online profile
How do I make changes to my account or get additional account assistance?
Once you have activated your subscription, you can manage settings, newsletters, and change your email address and password at our Account Management page. If you haven’t already done so, please visit the site to register your account.
Why do you require cookies for registration?
We require cookies to enable social sign-on (for example using your Facebook or Google account to sign on to our sites), to keep you signed into our sites and to share information among our applications, which provides you with a more personalized experience.
Managing your print or digital subscription online
How can I manage my digital and/or print subscription on The Virginian-Pilot self-service web site?
Click here and you can temporarily suspend your paper while you’re on vacation, report a delivery issue, access the eNewspaper, change your address for delivery and/or billing, enroll in EZ Pay and update your credit card information on your EZ Pay account.
How can I create an account on this self-service web site?
Click here and enter your email address under “First time to this site?” to begin the registration process. If you are already registered on PilotOnline.com you can click the log in button and use the same login method and info on the self-service site.
What time should I expect delivery of my newspaper?
The guaranteed delivery times for most areas are:
Monday through Friday: 6:00 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 7:30 a.m.
How do I report my paper missing or wet?
To report an issue with your newspaper delivery, please click here. To request delivery of your newspaper, you should report the issue between the hours listed below:
Monday through Friday: 6:00 to 10 a.m.
Saturday: 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Sunday: 7:30 to 11 a.m.
How do I stop delivery of my newspaper during my vacation?
To temporarily suspend delivery of your paper while you’re on vacation, click here. You will need to provide a resume delivery date within 30 days of the stop date. If you don’t know when you want delivery to resume or you need to hold delivery longer than 30 days, please call Customer Service at 757-446-9000.
How do I make a payment?
To make a payment, please call us at 757-446-9000 or visit the account management page.
What is EZ Pay?
EZ Pay is our recurring payment program. It’s the safe and convenient way to pay for your subscription to The Virginian-Pilot automatically! Pay with your credit or checking account. Switch to EZ Pay now.
Can I change/update the credit card I use for EZ Pay?
Yes. You can manage the credit card used for your EZ Pay account, just click here. Even if you are updating the expiration date, you’ll need to enter all the credit card information. This is a security precaution.
How do I change my delivery/billing address?
You can change your delivery and/or billing address on the site, just click here. The new delivery address must be within our delivery area.
How do I submit suggestions or comments?
To provide suggestions or general comments, please send your question to us at Feedback or call 757-446-9000.
How do I cancel my subscription?
To cancel your subscription, please call us at 757-446-9000 or if you purchased your subscription online, you can cancel online here.
Who do I contact if my question is not represented here?
If you do not see the answer to your question here, please send your question to us at Feedback or call 757-446-9000.
eNewspaper
What is the eNewspaper?
The eNewspaper is a complete digital replica of the print version of The Virginian-Pilot including: every article, photograph, advertisement, even the daily crossword puzzle! You’ll have the ability to download or email articles, photos, etc. The eNewspaper is offered as part of our Digital subscriptions. Once you sign up for Digital Access, your eNewspaper account will be set up within 48 hours.
How can I access The Virginian-Pilot eNewspaper, the digital replica of the newspaper?
If you have registered to receive the eNewspaper of The Virginian-Pilot, a digital replica of the print newspaper, you will receive a daily email reminder that it is available. However, you don’t have to wait for the email to arrive to access that day’s edition. You can find the eNewspaper of the daily edition after 5:30 a.m. any morning by going to the Account Management page eNewspaper link. To make it even easier to get to the eNewspaper at any time, you can bookmark the Account Management page link or add a shortcut icon to your mobile phone home screen.
How do I access Today’s eNewspaper?
To access today’s eNewspaper, please click here.
How do I change my email address?
You will need to re-register using your new email address. Follow the same procedures as in “Create an Account” above.
I am having trouble opening or downloading the eNewspaper.
If you are having trouble with the daily eNewspaper on your iPhone or iPad, it could be because you need to clear your cache and cookies, and make sure your settings accept cookies from visited sites. In addition, your device may have problems if private browsing is turned on or JavaScript is turned off. To change these settings, go to the setting icon and scroll down to Safari. Turn the private browsing tab to “off” and the JavaScript tab to “on.” Please contact us at Feedback or call 757-446-9000 if you continue to have problems with the eNewspaper.
I commute and want to read the eNewspaper when I am off-line.
You can download the daily eNewspaper on your mobile device before you leave home. Start downloading the latest edition by clicking on the down-facing arrow in the navigation bar at the top of the page. It will take a few minutes to download a full edition. When it is complete, you will see a checkmark over the arrow in the navigation bar.
The eNewspaper will be downloaded and stored in your browser cache, so you will need to keep your browser tab open in order to access it when you’re off-line. If you’ve closed your browser, you can click on the link in your eNewspaper e-mail, but you will need to be connected to the Internet to re-log in. You can only download one edition at a time.
How do I add a home screen icon to my iPhone or iPad.
Before you download the file for the first time, you can add an icon to your home screen on an iPhone or iPad. To get started, click on the icon with the small arrow to the left of the browser URL. Pick “Add to Home Screen.” Once you have added the button, open the icon you created on your home screen and start downloading the latest edition by clicking on the down-facing arrow at the top of the page.
Logging in
How do I log in?
You can log in to your subscription account by clicking “Log In” at the top of PilotOnline.com.
What should I do if I get a message telling me: ‘I am already logged in?’
You can log into up to five devices at a time. If you exceed that limit, you will need to log out of a device before you can add another one.
What should I do if I get a message saying: ‘I am registered using a particular social media provider such as Facebook or Google?’
To sign in, you will need to click on the button for the social media provider you originally used to register with the site.
When I sign in using a social provider such as Facebook or Google, do I have to share additional information?
If you don’t wish to provide access to your information, sign in using an email address that is not associated with your Facebook or Google account.
What can I do if I asked for my password to be emailed to me, but did not receive it?
Please check your deleted items and junk email to make sure the email was not caught in your spam filter.
If I’m visiting PilotOnline.com through the browser on my mobile device, will I have to log in again?
If you are already registered on Pilotonline.com through your desktop, simply log in with your same username and password — or social provider — to continue to browse via your mobile device.
My question is not answered here; how can I get more information?
We’re sorry your question wasn’t answered and look forward to hearing from you. Please send your question to Feedback or call 757-446-9000.
Make a Change to Your Subscription
How do I make a change to my subscription?
If you would like to make a change to your subscription please contact The Virginian-Pilot Customer Service Center at 757-446-9000 or visit the Account Management page. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to noon.