The Price of Sharing Netflix

Get ready to face the consequences of sharing your Netflix account because the crackdown is finally here. Your best friend might be in for a rude awakening unless you’re willing to foot the bill for their streaming pleasures. On Tuesday, Netflix unveiled its plan to tackle password sharing and revealed how it will impact viewers in the US, along with the cost of maintaining extra users on your account.

If you’re subscribed to the Netflix Standard plan, which sets you back $15.49 per month, you have the option to add one additional member who can access the service outside your household. However, this privilege comes at a price – an extra $7.99 per month, to be exact. Subscribers with the Premium package, which offers 4K streaming, can add up to two extra members, but each one will cost another $7.99. And it’s not just the US that’s subject to these new rules; Netflix UK will charge subscribers £4.99 per month for additional member slots.

Unfortunately, those on Netflix’s two cheapest plans, Basic or Standard with Ads, priced at $9.99 and $6.99 per month respectively, won’t have the option to add extra members at all. Tough luck for those looking to share the joy of streaming on a budget.

According to a recent blog post, Netflix subscribers in the US who share the service “outside their household” will receive an email detailing the company’s new password-sharing policies. It’s worth noting that Netflix has been experimenting with paid password-sharing for some time now. In February, it expanded its tests to include Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain. Originally scheduled for a US launch at the start of the year, the password-sharing crackdown was delayed until April.

A support page outlining the new setup explains that “extra members” will have their own password and profile, with the inviting person footing the bill. However, these additional accounts come with certain restrictions. They must be activated in the same country, can only stream or download content on one device at a time, and are prohibited from creating extra profiles or logging in as a Kids profile.

Netflix defines your household based on where you watch Netflix on a TV and the corresponding IP address. If needed, you can reset your household by confirming or updating it through the app on a TV or a connected device. This process requires responding to a verification link sent to the account’s registered email address or phone number.

It’s worth mentioning that Netflix’s stance on password sharing has evolved over time. In March 2017, the company tweeted, “Love is sharing a password,” which remains on its Twitter page to this day. However, in early 2022, Netflix started testing ways to end the practice and encourage people to pay for their own accounts outside the account owner’s household. The move was prompted by a decline in subscriber numbers for the first time in over a decade. At that time, over 100 million households were accessing Netflix through password sharing.

As Netflix strives to regain its subscriber growth, cracking down on password sharing is just one of the strategies it has employed. The introduction of an ads plan, with nearly 5 million active users worldwide, and heavy investment in gaming are some of the other measures taken to entice and retain subscribers.

So, be prepared to either share the cost or say goodbye to your account-sharing adventures. Netflix is tightening the reins, and the days of free streaming rides may be numbered.