The Third Rail of Online Revenue: Supertab’s Bid to Monetise the Middle
Subscriptions are plateauing. Google’s new Offerwall—powered by Supertab—thinks It has the fix.
As audience behaviour shifts and monetisation pressures mount, most publishers still rely on two familiar pillars: advertising and subscriptions. But Cosmin Ene, Founder and CEO of Supertab, believes it’s time to build a third—one that puts users first while unlocking new revenue for publishers, content providers, and AI platforms.
After years of development, Supertab is now being deployed more broadly via self-service tools and across Google’s ecosystem—including integration with Google Ad Manager and alignment with the open-source A2A protocol.
That broader rollout now has a name: Google’s ‘Offerwall’—a suite of monetisation tools within Ad Manager that includes Supertab’s pay-as-you-go access model. Offerwall gives publishers more ways to monetise non-subscribers—through ads, surveys, or micro-payments—while offering users more control over how they access content.
At its core, Supertab lets readers unlock individual articles, tools, or services without committing to a subscription. It opens a ‘tab’—a running tally of small charges that only triggers payment once a set threshold is reached.
For publishers, it fills a critical gap: how to monetise the 98% of users who never subscribe.
Built Around Reader Behaviour
Supertab’s model is designed to match how people behave online: curious, non-committal, and reluctant to subscribe upfront. Rather than demand immediate commitment, it lets value accrue before requesting payment.
"Whether it’s a consumer reading an article, asking a chatbot a question or an AI agent querying another, Supertab powers the tab—aggregating tiny charges until value is proven and payment makes sense," says Ene. "You pay once you’ve already seen the benefit."
Earlier micropayment systems faltered due to user friction: preloading wallets, confirming every transaction, navigating opaque pricing. Supertab reverses this—content is unlocked first; payment comes later.
It’s why Ene is careful not to describe Supertab as a ‘micropayment’ solution—a term that publishers are already familiar with. Instead, he describes it as ‘next-gen user-centric monetisation’, focused on user choice and designed to avoid the operational inefficiencies and poor user experience that plagued previous attempts.
That said, it’s not been without its challenges. Building a platform that supports payments from 1¢ to $100, across websites, currencies and markets, while maintaining compliance and ease of use has been a complex, multi-year task.
From One-Off Purchases to Subscriptions—By Design
There were also commercial concerns to overcome with media partners, especially around fears that it might cannibalise existing subscriptions.
“We have had to prove that Supertab doesn’t undermine other models—it complements them,” Ene explains. “And in most cases, it actually helps convert casual users into paying subscribers.”
Indeed, Supertab’s early data shows that small payments often lead to subscriptions. More than 10% of users who begin with pay-as-you-go access subscribe within four to six months.
"It is not just a revenue tool—it’s a conversion funnel. We’re creating confident subscribers who choose to convert."
At DeepakChopra.ai, the model appears to work. In addition to those who went straight to purchasing subscriptions, nearly 20% of users who began with time-limited access eventually signed up for a subscription as well, a figure far above industry norms.
This progression is deliberate. Supertab provides a bridge between anonymous browsing and committed subscription, turning casual interaction into loyal engagement. It's an approach that acknowledges the value of time, trust, and proven utility before asking for financial commitment.
Google Trials Prove Successful
According to Google, publishers trialling the Offerwall have seen revenue increases of 5% to 15%, with India’s Sakal Media Group reporting a 20% boost and 2 million additional impressions within just three months.
Supertab enhances the Offerwall by giving users multiple ways to access content—whether by watching an ad, completing a quick survey, or paying a small fee.
“A lot of users are perfectly willing to pay 5–20 cents for an article rather than watch an ad, and many are happy to watch a quick ad,” Ene says. “So by adding Supertab, publishers often see their rewarded ad revenue rise, because more people engage with the ad option to get immediate access.”
This hybrid model does more than just increase ad engagement—it also nurtures future subscribers. Over time, Supertab converts 10–20% of casual, pay-as-you-go readers into full subscribers, helping publishers turn fleeting attention into lasting loyalty.
“It has the potential to become a flywheel,” Ene adds. “You make more money from ads, drive engagement, earn transactional revenue, and steadily grow subscriptions—all by giving users choice.”
Monetising the Machine: Preparing for the AI-First Web
As GenAI reshapes content discovery and consumption, Supertab is having to remain agile.
It is alpha testing Supertab Connect, a payment layer for bots and agents. This enables publishers to monetise AI-driven traffic—from summarisation tools to search agents—just like human visits. Supertab is also leveraging the Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol, with support from Google, Microsoft and Salesforce, and is an official launch partner.
"We’re building for where behaviour is heading," says Ene.
The vision is to build monetisation into the core of AI interactions, allowing publishers to capture revenue even when content is accessed indirectly or through emerging tools. As bots become the new browsers, Supertab ensures publishers are not left behind.
Supertab integrates seamlessly for publishers already using Google Ad Manager. No new code or CMS changes are required. Set-up is quick, and reporting flows into existing dashboards.
It’s showing particular promise in sectors like finance, education, wellbeing and law—areas where content is high-value but not always suited to a full subscription. Niche and regional publishers, in particular, may benefit from a flexible access model.
"If you’re producing trusted content but not capturing its full value, Supertab offers another route," Ene says.
Beyond the Binary
For years, monetisation has been binary: ads or subscriptions. Supertab introduces a third option—targeting the in-between. Casual readers. Occasional visitors. People willing to pay, just not upfront.
"It’s not about replacing what works," Ene concludes. "It’s about capturing value from the audience you’re missing. It’s about user choice."
In an industry defined by narrow margins and limited user patience, Supertab’s proposition is refreshingly straightforward: let the user decide—and monetise that choice.
With Google integrating Supertab into Ad Manager and supporting the Agent-to-Agent protocol, Ene’s model now has the infrastructure—and validation—to scale.
With ads faltering and subscriptions plateauing, it’s a timely evolution for publishers. For those facing an uncertain future, Supertab doesn’t just plug a gap—it opens a door.