Important players in the purchase process are subscribers, single-copy buyers, and third-party sponsors, often referred to as blue-chip buyers. Eighty percent of USA Today's purchasers are also users and they bear the financial responsibility for the product. These consumers also share their papers with family and friends, which increases readership. Twenty percent of paid copies are purchased by third parties, which distribute complimentary copies to the end user to add value to their own goods or services. For example, hotels, restaurants, banks, and other service organizations
offer customers the opportunity to enjoy a copy of USA Today during breakfast or while waiting in the
lobby. Newspapers purchased at coin-operated vending machines do not always have associated
complementary products.