Paper ad revenues are based on paid sales. When USA Today turned the newspaper business plan on its head with free distribution by hotels, based on a steep discount, the other papers cried foul. So, USA worked out a deal with the hotels, pretend to give the papers away, but give people the money back if they asked for it. USA would furnish papers at a 25 cent discount, a big deal when the cover price was 50 cents. This allows them to claim that the paper really was paid as the customer did not ask for their money back. There are some hotels that have a line on the sign in form that says this. If I am not mistaken, the hotel only pays for papers picked up and used, not those left over.