Netflix is testing a new system to stop password sharing on its platform by suggesting users pay to add an “extra home” to their account.
Netflix will now incentivize its users in Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic to pay additional fees if they use an account on a TV or connected device in a location other than their primary household for more than two weeks.
To add an “additional house”, users will have to pay 219 pesos more each month in Argentina, or about 1.67 euros, and 2.99 euros in the other countries mentioned above.
Proceed to checkout to share your Netflix account
Netflix’s growth isn’t as strong as it used to be, and the streaming platform has had account sharing in its sights for some time. In the test areas, subscribers have a “main house” where they can access Netflix from all devices connected to their home, but also smartphones, tablets and laptops. Netflix’s Honduras support page reads:
« Add an additional house
Starting August 22, 2022, when you tune in to Netflix on a TV outside your home, you’ll have the option to add the extra home for an additional fee per month.
If you’re only using this TV for a limited time, you can watch Netflix for up to 2 weeks at no additional cost as long as your account hasn’t been used there before. After this time, the TV will be blocked unless you add the additional house. »
How does Netflix identify a “house”? The brand specifies that it uses the IP address, the identifiers of each device and the activity of the account. Netflix clarifies that if you still see the message offering to add a new home while you are at home, make sure your device is connected to the same network as the other devices in the house and that you are not using no VPN, proxy or any other such service.
In addition, the streaming service specifies that you will not pay additional costs while traveling with your Netflix account, “as long as your account has not been previously used in this location” and for a maximum of two weeks. A rule valid once per location and per year.
Netflix seeks to generate new revenue
To entice people to upgrade, Netflix also limits the number of new homes you can add. Thus, the basic plan is limited to one additional house. To add two, it will be necessary to upgrade to the standard plan and to add three, it will be the premium plan.
Chengyi Long, Director of Product Innovation at Netflix, was crystal clear about account sharing:
“It’s great that our members love Netflix movies and TV shows so much that they want to share them more widely. But the widespread account sharing between households today compromises our long-term ability to invest in and improve our service. »
This is not the first time that the American company has tested this kind of initiative. At the beginning of the years, some Netflix users were encouraged to pay to add people who did not live under the same roof. We also know that advertising is coming to Netflix, thanks in particular to a partnership with Microsoft.
Source :
netflix