Buying the Big Issue

Every Big Issue you buy supports someone experiencing extreme poverty to earn an income. Here’s how it works.

Big Issue vendors buy their magazines, sell them and keep the profit. Every year, thousands of people use our model to improve their circumstances – effectively operating as mini-businesses and making their own money.

As the way we shop has changed, so has Big Issue. We’ve supported our vendors to accept card payments so it’s easier for them to do business and easier for customers to buy the magazine.

When you buy a Big Issue, there’s a few things to look out for:

• Big Issue vendors will have a photo ID on display, either sewn into our iconic red tabards or on a lanyard. The ID will be dated in the past six months and include a picture of the vendor.
• A new Big Issue is published every week, so make sure you’re getting the current, up-to-date edition of the magazine by checking the date on the front cover.
• Many vendors are set up to accept contactless payments through a QR code. Scanning the code takes you directly to your own banking app where you can authorise the payment. Your payment goes directly to the vendor, and they receive the income instantly. Some vendors do use other contactless systems, such as card readers.
• Big Issue is proud to offer a hand-up, not a handout – so when you buy a copy, take your magazine and enjoy the read. Our vendors are working, not begging, and this gives them dignity and empowerment. And if you don’t take your magazine, Big Issue is cut out of the transaction, meaning we lose vital income we need to create the magazine and provide vendors with the further support.

Working as a vendor is fully flexible, so vendors can sell on their pitches any time of day, working their own hours, as their own boss to earn as much as they can.  

When signing up, all vendors agree to a code of conduct, designed to ensure that selling the Big Issue is a positive experience for both them and their customers.

Every Big Issue vendor is supported by dedicated outreach teams, who work alongside them as they build their income and move towards their goals.