Netflix is testing password sharing in several countries, which would require users to “buy”additional houses for $3 per month per house.
Netflix has a password sharing solution
Netflix is currently testing the password sharing protection feature in Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and the Dominican Republic, Bloomberg reports. The company has been testing the feature in several other markets since May.
The idea is to charge you a little more to allow others to use Netflix outside of your main household. Netflix generally does not support multi-household sharing. So far, the company has refused to share passwords, but that will change soon. Netflix is losing subscribers for the first time in a decade, and password sharing has become a practice that is now frowned upon. Read: How to Manually Remove Movies and TV Shows from Continue Watching on Netflix
In the aforementioned countries where Netflix is doing its test, people are being asked to “buy”additional houses in order to share their Netflix password with people living in that location. The Netflix Home is the physical location where you use your Netflix on any of your supported devices. The purchase of additional houses is also required to use Netflix on the TV or a device connected to the TV. The Netflix password sharing privilege will cost you three dollars a month per house.
How Netflix Password Sharing Works
The feature is still under testing. It is not known when it may become available to everyone. Here’s what you need to know based on information from the Netflix support document.
- Main home and travel. You can have one main house and up to three additional ones. You can use Netflix on any device in your main home. You are allowed to use Netflix on your mobile devices in other locations for two weeks without restriction, “provided that your account has not previously been used in that location.”Netflix says it’s allowed once a year for each location.
- Additional houses. People can purchase additional virtual homes to use the service in other locations for an additional fee of $2.99 per home per month.
- Internet connection: Your Netflix device must be connected to the same Internet connection as other devices in your home. Netflix notes that your device must not be using any unblocking services or be connected to a VPN or proxy.
- Change of main household. When using Netflix for more than two weeks outside of your primary home, you can change your primary household to continue using Netflix elsewhere at no additional charge. After you change location, you will no longer be able to use Netflix in your previous main home.
- Netflix plans and houses. The basic Netflix plan ($10/month) supports one additional home. The Standard plan ($15/month) gets you two extra homes, while the most expensive Premium plan ($20/month) lets you add three.
Pay or say goodbye to password
In countries where Netflix conducts this test, people are given two options: either pay an additional fee to use the service elsewhere (i.e. share their password) or switch to a new paid account. The service uses information such as IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity to locate homes.
Netflix writes:
If you only use this TV for a limited time, you can watch Netflix for up to 2 weeks at no extra charge if your account has not been previously used at this location. After this time, the TV will be locked unless you add an additional home.
When using Netflix from a location that isn’t one of your registered households for more than two weeks (which can easily happen if you share your password with someone), you’ll see a notification asking you to purchase an additional home to continue using the service. at this location or the switching location. In addition to sharing passwords, Netflix is also developing a promotional offer for the first time in its history that will be more affordable than its standard plans.