Signing Up for CAFE Insider

To sign up for a CAFE Insider membership, you can select a plan here. If you previously created an account with CAFE, please log in with your email address and password.

We also offer gift memberships, student memberships, and corporate memberships. Send any questions, including inquiries about corporate and family memberships, to insider@cafe.com.

When you sign up, your payment method (PayPal for example) will be verified by our secure payment platform, Braintree. 

What is included with a CAFE Insider subscription?

CAFE and CAFE Insider help you to make sense of the world through the lens of the law. As an Insider member, you have access to exclusive content including:

• A weekly, ad-free podcast with former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance breaking down the latest headlines.
• Entirely new bonus segments from Stay Tuned, Doing Justice, and Up Against the Mob and Now & Then Backstage
• Notes from contributors including Melissa Murray, Joyce Vance, Barb McQuade, and Asha Rangappa. 
• A weekly newsletter featuring a note from Preet.
• Access to the CAFE Insider’s entire content archive, including the first seasons of Cyber Space with John Carlin and United Security with Lisa Monaco and Ken Wainstein
• Early access to virtual and live events.

How is CAFE Insider different from CAFE?

CAFE offers free content on cafe.com. This includes the Stay Tuned With Preet, Now & Then, Doing Justice, Up Against the Mob podcasts and the CAFE Brief email.

CAFE Insider helps members to make sense of news and issues at the intersection of law, politics, and justice. In addition to the free content on cafe.com, members receive access to exclusive content including podcasts, a newsletter and more.

Accessing Insider Content

Members can listen to their exclusive Insider audio content, including the flagship Insider podcast, bonus content from Stay Tuned with Preet, and  Now & Then Backstage on our website or in a podcast app. Here is how to listen to Insider content in an app. Here is the schedule of programming, which will be updated when we launch new shows.

If you prefer to listen to your podcasts in an app, you will receive a unique podcast feed, allowing you to listen in the Apple Podcasts app and many others. Unfortunately, some third party apps, including Spotify and Stitcher, do not allow feeds to be added manually at this time. We will update members when this changes.

A one-click option to easily add your unique feed to an app (including a video tutorial) can be found here. Please send any questions to insider@cafe.com.

Note that it is a violation of our Terms of Service to share your unique feed with other individuals or submit your feed to be publicly indexed in an app. If you are interested in a family or corporate membership, please email insider@cafe.com.

Managing your Insider Membership

To make changes to your Insider membership, you can do so in the My Account section of the Insider website. From there, many changes can be made, where you can also view your benefits, including the type of membership and when it will renew. On you My Account page you can:

• Update your payment method
• Upgrade from a Monthly membership to an Annual membership 
• Cancel your Insider membership 

If you have other questions about managing your Insider membership, please reach out to insider@cafe.com – we would be happy to help.

Is my payment information secure?

Yes. CAFE Insider uses Braintree for payment processing. Via Braintree, we accept major credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay. CAFE Insider does not hold your credit card information. Your information is encrypted and stored by Braintree. Braintree is a division of the public company, PayPal. Click here to learn more about Braintree.

Will my subscription auto-renew?

To ensure uninterrupted access to CAFE Insider, memberships are set to automatically renew at the end of the selected term. Unless otherwise noted, discounts on annual memberships apply to the first year. To cancel, go to your My Account page. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and tap ‘Cancel Membership’.  Note that you will have access to your Insider benefits through the end of your membership term.

I subscribed to CAFE Insider. What should I do now?

Thank you for joining the Insider community. You can log into your Insider account and see the latest content for members here. And, if you’d like to listen to Insider content in an app, here’s how. Please reach out to insider@cafe.com with any questions about accessing your Insider benefits. 

When is the CAFE Insider Podcast released?

While the news cycle may affect release times, there will generally be a new episode released every Tuesday by 8PM ET. For a full schedule of CAFE’s programming, click here.

Can I listen to CAFE Insider audio content in my favorite podcast app?

Yes. Insiders can add their unique feeds to a podcast app for on-the-go listening. Here are instructions. Unfortunately, some third party apps, including Spotify and Stitcher, do not allow feeds to be added manually at this time. We will update members when this changes.

Full instructions for adding your unique feed to an app (including a video tutorial) can be found here. Please send any questions to insider@cafe.com.

Members can always continue to stream the CAFE Insider Podcast on the site via desktop or mobile.

Note that it is a violation of our Terms of Service to share your unique feed with other individuals or submit your feed to be publicly indexed in an app.

Can I create a shortcut to the Insider Audio Feed on my phone’s home screen?

Yes. If on an iPhone, start by navigating via Safari to the Insider Audio Feed and log in to your Insider account.

Tap the share icon at the bottom of the screen (a box with an arrow pointing up). Scroll through options on the bottom and tap ‘Add to Home Screen.’

Name your shortcut “CAFE Insider”. Tap ‘Add’ and you should now have a shortcut on your phone’s home screen that looks like any other app. Visit regularly to keep up on all that CAFE Insider has to offer.

Note: if Safari requires you to sign in each time you visit, please go to your phone’s Settings, choose Safari and scroll down to ‘Clear History and Website Data.’ The next time you login, make sure to choose ‘Stay Logged In.’ Please be aware that this will clear data related to other sites you visit as well.

How do I get the weekly newsletter which features a note from Preet?

Each week Insiders are notified when the latest Insider Podcast episode is released and also receive the Insider-exclusive newsletter on Thursdays. Emails will be sent to the email address associated with your account. If you have not received a newsletter, please make sure that Insider emails are not being filtered into your junk, promotion, or spam email folders. If you have any questions about our newsletters or would like to make changes to your email preferences, please email insider@cafe.com.

Can I upgrade from a monthly membership to an annual membership?

If you are currently a monthly member, please visit the My Account section. Follow the prompts after tapping the Upgrade button. Your annual membership will begin at the conclusion of your current month. For other membership plan changes, please reach out to insider@cafe.com.

How do I add a new payment method or switch my payment method?

Click here for in-depth instructions with screenshots. For any additional questions, you can always email us at insider@cafe.com.

Please remember that there must always be a payment method associated with an active membership and that you need to make changes through the  My Account page.

How do I cancel my membership to CAFE Insider?

We’re sorry to see you go. Please visit the My Account section of Insider. To cancel, go to your My Account page. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and tap ‘Cancel Membership’.  Note that you will have access to your Insider benefits through the end of your membership term.. If you cancel, you will still have access to Insider for the remainder of your membership period. We do not offer partial refunds. If you have questions or feedback about your Insider membership, please email us at insider@cafe.com.

Can I give a CAFE Insider membership as a gift?

Yes. To help your friends explore how the law intersects with politics, business and beyond, please visit the gift membership page. Please note that you must sign in to your account, or create an account, to give a gift. Annual gift memberships will not auto-renew for a second year.

If your gift recipient has not received a redemption email, please have them check their junk, promotion, or spam folders.

Email us at insider@cafe.com with any questions and please include the email address of the gift giver and recipient with your correspondence.

Can current students get a special Insider membership rate?

Yes – you can sign up here.  Student members have full access to Insider. Please note that these rates are exclusively for current students with a valid .edu email address. If you are a student whose email address does not end in .edu (for students outside the US), please email us at insider@cafe.com.

Can companies or academic institutions sign up for group memberships to Insider?

Yes. Please email insider@cafe.com for information on special rates.

Is there a family membership available?

We will be offering a special rate for families in the future. Please sign up for updates at cafe.com/preet.

I’m having trouble signing up for CAFE Insider.

Please visit cafe.com and tap ‘JOIN INSIDER’ at the top of your screen. If you previously created an account with CAFE, please log in with your email address and password.

If you continue to have problems, email us at insider@cafe.com.

I’m having trouble logging into my CAFE Insider account.

Visit cafe.com and tap ‘Login’ at the top of your screen. 

If you receive an error message that says “There was an error logging you in. Please check your email address and password above to ensure they are correct.” you can click on “Forgot your password?” located below the password input field or click here Note that once you initiate a password reset this has to be completed within an hour or the request will no longer be valid

If you continue to have problems, please email us at insider@cafe.com.

I’m having trouble resetting my password.

First you can navigate to our forgot password page . Once you enter the email address associated with your account, you will receive a password reset link in an email. Please make sure that Insider emails are not being filtered into your junk, promotion, or spam email folders. Note that your forgot password link is only valid for 1 hour after initiating a password reset.

If you are having trouble, please copy the password reset link and paste it into a ‘Private Window’ in Safari or an ‘Incognito Window’ in Chrome.

If you continue to have problems, email us at insider@cafe.com.

I’m having trouble listening to Insider content in a podcast app.

If you are not seeing Insider content in your app, please try adding your unique feed again: delete the podcast from your library, check that you have the latest version of the podcast app, and then re-add it using the instructions here: cafe.com/listen. 

If you’re still having trouble, please reach out to insider@cafe.com. We would be happy to help.

My membership is not renewing as expected.

Please ensure that your payment information is up to date (using the instructions here). If the problem persists, please email insider@cafe.com.

What if I receive an error message or cannot complete my transaction for other reasons?

Please email us at insider@cafe.com, and we will work to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

What if I have any other questions?

Please email us at insider@cafe.com, and we will respond as soon as possible.

If any of the below scenarios apply to your inquiry, include this information in your message:

• If you have an account with CAFE, please send us the email address you use to log in if it’s not the one you are writing from.

• If your question is about a podcast player, please let us know the device and podcast player you are attempting to use, along with a description or screenshot of any error message you see.

I’m already a member. Why is Apple Podcasts asking me to sign up for Insider?

Both Insider members and non-Insider members may see new promotional messages in the Apple Podcasts app, encouraging them to sign up for a CAFE Audio Pass membership.

CAFE Audio Pass is a new offering that allows Apple Podcast users to pay for and access Insider audio content directly within their Apple Podcasts app. The CAFE Audio Pass is similar to the regular Insider membership, except that it doesn’t include the CAFE Insider Newsletter, the weekly Note from Preet, or access to exclusive content on our website.

Unfortunately, the app cannot currently differentiate between Audio Pass members and CAFE Insiders. So even though you’re a member, you may occasionally still see buttons and promotional messages within Apple Podcasts encouraging new people to sign up for CAFE Audio Pass. You may also see some episodes that appear to be “subscriber-only” in your feed. Even though those may appear locked, all of that content is accessible to you through your CAFE Insider Membership feed.

If you have a CAFE Insider membership, you have access to all of the same audio content that CAFE Audio Pass members get, so you do NOT need to sign up for the CAFE Audio Pass. You can access all of the same exclusive audio content in your personal Insider member feed, which you can listen to in Apple Podcasts or various other podcasting apps. For instructions on accessing your Insider feed, visit Cafe.com/listen.

Additionally, as a CAFE Insider member, you receive the weekly Note from Preet, Notes from our Contributors, The CAFE Insider newsletter, full access to our website, and other Insider-only benefits.

Why can’t I access “Subscriber” episodes in Apple Podcasts?

You may see some episodes or podcasts appear as “subscriber-only” in apple. Those appear locked because they are only accessible to people that subscribed to CAFE Audio Pass through Apple. CAFE Audio Pass is a more limited, audio-only version of Insider, exclusive to Apple Podcasts, that allows Apple podcast users to access Insider audio content.

If you signed up for CAFE Insider on CAFE.com, you do not need to sign up again to access that Insider content in Apple. Instead, you can continue to find all your exclusive Insider audio content – including Now & Then Backstage episodes, bonus episodes of Stay Tuned with Preet, Notes from Preet and our Contributors, and our flagship CAFE Insider podcast – in your personal Insider member feed, which you can listen to in Apple Podcasts or various other podcasting apps. To add the Cafe insider content to Apple, you can follow the directions below.

Here’s how to listen to your CAFE Insider membership feed in Apple Podcasts:

1. Open the CAFE website on your mobile device and log into your account.
2. Navigate to cafe.com/listen
3. Tap the Apple Podcasts button, which will take you to your Apple Podcasts App
4. When the dialogue box pops up with your custom podcast link, tap “Follow”
5. You should see a checkmark pop-up confirming that you are “Following”. If you navigate to your podcast library, the CAFE Insider feed should be there.

If you have any questions, you can reach out to insider@cafe.com.

I may have accidentally signed up for CAFE Insider twice. What should I do?

We do not want any users to pay twice for the same content, so if you believe you have two accounts, we will gladly help you cancel one of them (and provide a refund where possible).

If one of your sign-ups occurred directly within the Apple Podcasts app without visiting our website, that means you signed up for the CAFE Audio Pass subscription through Apple, in addition to your CAFE Insider membership. Since your CAFE Insider membership has all the same benefits as CAFE Audio Pass, plus several more, you will likely want to cancel your CAFE Audio Pass membership.

You will need to cancel that CAFE Audio Pass membership and request a refund directly with Apple, since they manage those payments. You can do so by filling out the form at https://reportaproblem.apple.com and then selecting “request a refund” from the dropdown menu. If you have any trouble securing a refund from Apple at the link above, please email us at Insider@cafe.com.

If you did NOT sign up for a membership directly in Apple Podcasts, but you still seem to have two accounts, you may have accidentally signed up twice for CAFE Insider with two different email addresses. If that’s the case, we can cancel one of your accounts and provide a refund for duplicate charges. Please email us at Insider@Cafe.com and provide the following information:

• Your full name
• The email addresses that you used to sign up (usually, there are at least two email addresses associated with a duplicate account)
• The email address you would like to keep on the CAFE Insider account

If you have any issues with either of these solutions, please reach out to our customer support team at insider@cafe.com.

I may have accidentally signed up for CAFE Audio Pass, but I already have a CAFE Insider membership. What should I do?

If you signed up for Audio Pass directly within the Apple Podcasts app and you already have a CAFE Insider membership, you should cancel your Audio Pass subscription since your CAFE Insider membership already provides all of the same content. Cancellations and refund requests need to be processed directly with Apple since they manage those payments. You can request a subscription cancellation and refund by filling out the form at https://reportaproblem.apple.com and then selecting “request a refund” from the dropdown menu. If you have any trouble securing a refund from Apple at the link above, please email us at Insider@cafe.com.

What do I get with the referral program?

Upon referring a new Insider your access will be extended by 3 months. There is no limit to the amount of people you can refer! Our referral program is subject to change. You can subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date!

How do you refer another user?

• On your My Account page towards the bottom there will be a button to copy your referral link (see image below).  

• There are no limits on how many users you can refer so feel free to send this link to whoever you want.

When do I get my referral credit?

Once your friend makes their first payment (this happens at the end of any applicable trial) you will be awarded your referral credit.  We will also send you an email when the referral is applied with the details.

My friend sent me a referral Link. How do I use it?

All you have to do is click on the link provided to you. We will do the rest!

To ensure your link is working you will see a message on the Registration Page that the promo has been applied. Upon successfully registering we will send you an email confirming your account and that your referral has been saved.