Netflix is Cracking Down on Password Sharing, Will Soon Ask Customers to Pay for Users Outside of Household

Iesha March 16, 2022 News, Uncategorized Leave a comment

Netflix is testing the concept of charging additional fees to users outside their households, as part of its ongoing effort to prevent password sharing, Variety reports.

According to the Netflix terms of service, a customer’s account “may not be shared with individuals beyond your household.”

Last year, the company conducted a limited test to encourage freeloaders into paying for their own accounts after it turned a blind eye to password sharing.

According to Chengyi Long, Netflix’s director of product innovation, members who share their accounts with people outside their household will be able to do so “easily and securely, while also paying a bit more” in an upcoming test launching in three countries — Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru.

The additional alternatives will be available in the three countries in the coming weeks and may or may not expand beyond those markets.

“We’ve always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account, with features like separate profiles and multiple streams in our Standard and Premium plans,” Long wrote in a blog post. “While these have been hugely popular, they have also created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared. As a result, accounts are being shared between households — impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members.”

Members on Netflix’s Standard and Premium plans may use the “add an extra member” function to add secondary accounts for up to two people who don’t live with them, each with their own profile, personalized recommendations, login, and password – for less than the cost of a separate Netflix plan.

The cost of adding a sub-member in the test countries is 2380 CLP in Chile, $2.99 USD in Costa Rica, and 7.9 PEN in Peru.

The following is a breakdown of Netflix’s pricing in each country:

Country	Basic	Standard	Premium	Extra Member
Peru	24.9 PEN	34.9 PEN	44.9 PEN	7.9 PEN
Costa Rica	$8.99 USD	$12.99 USD	$15.99 USD	$2.99 USD
Chile	5940 CLP	8320 CLP	10700 CLP	2380 CLP

There’s no guarantee that the option to pay for non-household members will become a permanent part of the service. Long wrote, “We’ll be working to understand the utility of these two features for members in these three countries before making changes anywhere else in the world.”

Additionally, Netflix is experimenting with allowing users to move user profiles to other accounts, making it easier for password thieves to pay for their own plans. Members in the three test countries can allow others to move their profile information to a new account or an Extra Member sub-account.

Netflix will notify customers who share their accounts outside their households about the additional possibilities in the three test areas over the next few weeks.