Image: Venti Views / Unsplash
Netflix users will have to pay a few euros per month from 2023 if they share their subscription with others. This restriction does not apply to mobile devices.
Netflix subscribers in five South American countries were presented with a bill this summer if they had shared their account. That was a first test where users had to pay 3 dollars a month if they wanted to share their account. It appears that the company has benefited from the measure as the system will be rolled out globally in 2023. This means that we will soon also pay a monthly rate in Belgium and the Netherlands if we share our Netflix accounts.
Pay to share Netflix
Account holders will be asked to specify a home location early next year. This address will then be linked to specific IP addresses and ‘serial numbers’ of devices. This allows Netflix to monitor whether a subscription is being used at other (home) locations. According to the streaming service, it will only focus on use on TVs and other fixed devices such as Apple TVs.
Sharing accounts on mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones and tablets remains possible. That is also difficult for Netflix to check, since such devices on other networks are always given different IP addresses. So you can go on holiday to Southern Europe without any worries with your laptop, tablet or telephone, without receiving a bill from Netflix afterwards.
In addition, Netflix has a two-week cooling off period. Within those two weeks, you can also use your Netflix account on fixed devices such as TVs in other locations – such as your holiday home. So if one of your friends wants to binge watch a series and succeeds within two weeks, it is still possible to share your account with others at no cost. Please note that you do not immediately share your account again afterwards; from that moment on, the counter will start running immediately.
Piggyback on friends’ account
Netflix hopes to significantly reduce piggybacking on other people’s accounts by charging money for sharing. Earlier this week it was announced that the platform saw an increase in the number of new subscribers for the first time this year. The idea is that the new sharing price tag should push this up further. The streaming giant introduced a feature to easily transfer a profile between accounts. This means that friends do not lose personal recommendations as soon as they switch to their own account.
Exactly how much Netflix will charge per extra household with which you share your subscription is currently unknown. It will probably be a few euros per month.
