Netflix is testing a new way to tackle password sharing in Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and the Dominican Republic (as previously reported bloomberg) A support page for Netflix in Honduras explicitly states that the trial will prompt users to pay an additional fee if they spend more than two weeks on a TV or TV-connected device outside of their primary home. make use of. Each additional home will cost an additional 219 pesos per month, per household ($1.17 US) in Argentina and $2.99 elsewhere.
According to Netflix, in test areas, subscriber accounts have a primary “home” where they can access Netflix on any device in the home, as well as travel and access Netflix on laptops and mobile devices without the extra step. can do. The trial will allow users to purchase additional “homes” that they choose to add or drop in order to use the service on the TV screen.
The support page explains the process:
add an extra house
Starting August 22, 2022, when you sign into Netflix on a TV outside your home, you’ll see the option to add additional homes for an additional fee per month.
If you’re only using this TV for a limited time, you can watch Netflix for 2 weeks at no extra charge, as long as your account hasn’t been used in that location before. After that time, the TV will be blocked until you add additional homes.
The support page goes into more detail about how Netflix defines “home,” which is defined as “the physical location — such as your home — where you can access your Netflix on any of your devices.” has gone.
Down the page, it explains what Netflix does to detect usage in a different “home”.
how netflix detects homes
We use information such as IP address, device ID and account activity.
If you’re using a device within your included household and still see a message that says too many households are using your account, you can:
Make sure the device is connected to the same internet connection as the other devices in the house.
Make sure the device is not connected to a VPN, proxy or any unblocker service.
Netflix states that Netflix use on a TV outside your home is eligible without additional charge for two weeks while “travelling,” unless your account has previously been used in that location. One per location per year times it is allowed.”
In these countries, Netflix is also working on a feature that will let you track where your account is being used and restrict access. If you’re on the Basic plan, you can add an additional house, if you’re on the Standard plan, you can add up to two, and on the Premium, you can add up to three.
“It’s great that our members love Netflix movies and TV shows so much that they want to share them more widely,” Changi Long, Netflix’s director of product innovation, said in a statement. “But widespread account sharing among today’s families undermines our long-term ability to invest in and improve our service.”
It expands on Netflix’s current trial that prompts customers in Costa Rica, Peru and Colombia to pay extra for users who live outside their homes. Netflix is currently charging users an additional 2,380 CLP ($2.52 USD) in Chile, $2.99 USD in Costa Rica and 7.9 PEN ($2.02 USD) in Peru to add two additional “sub-accounts” to an existing account . The company also began experimenting with a profile transfer tool that would make it easier for anyone to transfer their recommendations, viewing history, and My Lists. It’s a way for the platform to passively nudge password-sharers to open a new account or get a sub-account.
In May, a report from rest of the world Confusion was detected among customers who were part of the trial in Peru. Some customers were reportedly unsure of Netflix’s definition of “domestic,” while others were able to get a prompt asking account owners to validate.
Netflix first announced it would test ways to charge for password sharing in March, just weeks after announcing a price hike for US customers. Netflix is also working on an ad-supported subscription option and just last week said it would partner with Microsoft to run its ads. The company has clear reasons to look for new ways to generate revenue; In April, after a customer boom earlier in the pandemic, it announced in April that it had lost customers for the first time in more than a decade. The company’s next quarterly earnings report will be released on Tuesday afternoon.
Update July 18th, 7:30PM ET: Added additional information from Netflix’s support pages about how the option works, whether it’s visible to users signed in on a TV or TV-connected device, how Netflix defines “Home” and Netflix It tracks what information to find out where and how customers are using it. service.
Disclosure: ledge Recently produced a series with Netflix.