Streaming, video games, software, VPN, press… Many services and products are now offered by subscription. And to reduce the bill, you can share an account with strangers through specialized platforms.
Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Salto, Canal+, Molotiv, Deezer, Spotify, Qbuz, Microsoft 365, Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo Switch Online, PlayStation, Google One, TouTube Premium, NordVPN, CyberGhost, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Ouest France , Liberation… All this content, these tools and these services have one thing in common: their access is subject to a subscription, obviously paying. And, in most cases, it is possible to use it with several people. A laudable intention on the part of the publishers which thus allows several members of the same household to also benefit from the service. Except that this use, normally reserved for a close circle, is very often diverted in order to give access to friends or family members who are not part of strictly speaking fireplace.
Netflix also intends to go to war against this practice synonymous with loss of earnings. The American streaming giant has indeed indicated that it will begin tests in Chile, Peru and Costa Rica of a new, more expensive package but allowing access to the service to be shared with users not residing in the same area. address. If the experiment proves conclusive, Netflix could well impose this principle on the rest of the world. Note that the music streaming service Spotify had previously tried to limit account sharing based on the geolocation of its users. After a public outcry, the Swede had backtracked.
In the meantime, the sharing of subscriptions continues. And if most subscribers practice it free of charge, others see it as a way to reduce their bills by requesting a contribution to the costs from those who wish to take advantage of the service. A kind of “subletting” applied to online subscriptions as is done, discreetly, in real estate. And to organize all this, there are now several subscription sharing platforms like Spliit, Sharit, Sharesub or TogetherPrice for example.
These subscription sharing platforms operate on the principle of supply and demand through a marketplace. The holders of a subscription taken out for example with a VOD service, offer a number of places available to access the service through their account. They indicate the desired price to participate in the costs. In general, the original price is divided by the number of possible users. For example, a Netflix Premium package at 15.99 per month offers the possibility of managing 4 users simultaneously. If you are alone, you can make three user accounts available and divide the bill by four to, in the end, pay your subscription only 3.99 euros (provided you find three co-subscribers). For their part, interested users subscribe directly to the platform without contacting the account owner. Once their subscription has been registered, validated and the requested price paid, they receive the identifiers and password necessary to access the service. Payments are also made from the platform. Note that the subscription holder can withdraw his offer at any time and that the “co-subscriber” can also stop his subscription whenever he wishes.
Is subscription sharing legal?
The existence of these platforms is based on a legal vagueness. Account sharing is a possibility offered by online services. Generally, it is limited to the family circle or to people “from the same household”. However, it is difficult for these services to check who is part of the same household (blended family, roommates, seasonal workers mostly living outside their home, etc.). The concept therefore remains too vague to demonstrate rigor and apply sanctions. Pending clarification of the law or case law, subscription sharing platforms still have a bright future ahead of them.
How much does it cost to share subscriptions online?
Subscription platforms have nothing to do with philanthropy. To connect subscription holders and subscribers, they have a website, secure servers, a banking transaction system, staff… All these elements have a cost and to be remunerated, they apply a commission system. In general, the holders of a subscription who share it on a platform pay nothing. On the other hand, subscribers are charged commission fees mostly between 4.5 and 5% on the price paid. Connection fees (approximately 25%) may also be charged during the first month of subscription. Despite this, the “co-subscription” remains profitable and much cheaper than a standard subscription.
Is online subscription sharing safe?
It’s all about trust. All subscription sharing platforms ensure that they have secure and encrypted servers to store the identifiers and passwords entrusted to them by subscription holders. They also indicate that the modification of the password of an account is generally subject to a secure procedure (double authentication for example) which prevents a subscriber from modifying the password to a service without the knowledge of the owner of the account. It is also strongly recommended to use a password radically different from that used for other accounts (online services, messaging, etc.). Nevertheless, nothing prevents the subscriber from sharing in turn the identifiers necessary to access a service. Finally, note that services like Amazon Prime Video whose identifiers are used to access streaming, but also to the store and online storage, are not offered for sharing.
