Netflix’s dreaded password-sharing crackdown has finally gone live, meaning your best friends will have to get their own accounts, unless you pay to keep them around.
On Tuesday, Netflix disclosed the specifics of this crackdown and how it will impact viewers in the United States, including the associated costs of retaining additional users on your account.
Extra Costs
For subscribers with the Netflix Standard plan, priced at $15.49 per month, an option is available to add one extra member who can utilize the service outside of your household for an additional $7.99 per month. Meanwhile, those who subscribe to the Netflix Premium package, which offers 4K streaming, can add up to two extra members, but each addition will incur an extra charge of $7.99.
These new rules are not exclusive to the US, as Netflix in the UK will also implement a monthly charge of £4.99 for additional member slots.
Netflix subscribers who are on the Basic or Standard with ads plans, priced at $9.99 and $6.99 per month respectively, will not have the opportunity to add additional members to their accounts.
Starting on Tuesday, Netflix users in the United States who share the service with individuals “outside their household” can expect to receive an email regarding the company’s password-sharing policies, as stated in the blog post.
Limitations
According to a support page outlining the new system, an “extra member” refers to an individual who will have their own password and profile, with the subscription cost covered by the person who extends the invitation. Extra member accounts come with specific limitations: they must be activated in the same country, they can only stream or download content on a single device at a time, and they are unable to create additional profiles or log in using a Kids profile.
Netflix determines your household based on where you access Netflix on television and the associated IP address of that device. To modify this location, users can utilize the Netflix app on a TV or a device connected to a TV. By selecting the option to confirm or update their household, users will receive a verification link via the email address or phone number listed on their account, allowing them to reset their location accordingly.
