In a blog post, Netflix announced that from Wednesday, it will offer paid password sharing to subscribers in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain. In a few Latin American nations, the company had already begun testing the change in various forms. Netflix is currently intensifying its efforts in preparation for a broader launch in “the coming months.”
After notes about when and how it might block devices used outside of your household appeared last week on Netflix’s support pages for the United States and other countries where the new “paid sharing” setup has not yet been implemented, Netflix received criticism.
Netflix claimed that was accidental, and as of right now, there are no restrictions on streaming to devices that aren’t on your home network listed on any of the support pages. It only says, “A Netflix account is meant to be shared in one household (people who live in the same location as the account owner),” regardless of the country you select. To watch Netflix, people who are not in your household will need to sign up for their own account.
According to the company, users in the newly added nations will be able to add access for individuals with whom they do not live for an additional fee. The fee is approximately $5.50 USD in the United States, €3.99 in Portugal, or €5.99 in Spain, or approximately $4.28 USD and $6.43 USD, respectively. Your plan and where you live will determine how many people you can include. The standard plan allows you to add one outside user, while the premium plan allows you to add two. The basic and basic with ads tiers do not offer this option. You are able to transfer your Netflix profile from a friend’s account to your own account.
Image: Netflix
The new sharing system at Netflix is based on the idea that the account holder will set a “primary location” and that only residents of that location can use the account. However, if the plan allows it, those who do not will either need to create their own accounts or be added as additional users. Although the company makes the statement that “Members can still easily watch Netflix on their personal devices or log into a new TV, like at a hotel or holiday rental,” the announcement that was made on Wednesday did not provide much additional information regarding how that will operate.
Netflix has been looking for new ways to increase its subscriber numbers through various tests, and over the course of the past few months, it has been gradually moving toward a broader rollout of its password-sharing crackdown. In one test, people were able to pay for sub-accounts, while in another, they were able to pay more for different accounts’ homes.
