Why You Can Trust CNET Crackdown on Netflix Password Sharing: What It Means for You
It all boils down to choice.
- Though Kourtnee hasn't won any journalism awards yet, she's been a Netflix streaming subscriber since 2012 and knows the magic of its hidden codes.
The password fees have finally arrived.
If you're sharing your Netflix password with friends or family, it's time to make a choice: Do you want to pay extra, or politely boot them from your account?
Netflix has rolled out account-sharing changes to US customers who are sharing passwords with anyone outside their household. Subscribers with either a standard or premium plan can choose to pay an extra $8 per month for each additional member.
However, there are limits to how many extra users are allowed. Premium subscribers ($20 a month) can add two extra people to their account while those on the standard plan ($15.50 a month) are only allowed one extra member. Netflix defines a household as one where everyone lives under the same roof. Members of that household are still able to watch content while traveling, and the extra fee will not apply. At this time, the extra member option is only available for those who are billed directly by Netflix.
How to add or remove extra users
When you open the Netflix app and navigate to your account page, you'll see an Extra Members option. From there, subscribers can purchase a slot for the person outside their household. If they accept the invitation, the extra member will receive their own separate account, profile and password, and the fee is paid for by the main subscribing household.
The rules? Extra member accounts can only stream on one device at a time and are only permitted to have one profile. The extra member must also be located in the same country as the account holder.
A peek at where to find Extra Members on your account page.
Subscribers can also opt to remove users outside of their households from their account, and then urge them to sign up for their own Netflix subscriptions. In this case, anyone who is removed from an account can transfer existing profiles to a new membership they pay for themselves.
Here's a look at the monthly cost for each subscription plan:
Netflix plans
| Basic with ads | Basic no ads | Standard | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $7 | $10 | $15.50 | $20 |
| Number of screens you can watch at the same time | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Number of phones or tablets you can have downloads on | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| HD available | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ultra HD available | No | No | No | Yes |
The streaming service rolled out its new policy in February for Canada, Spain, Portugal and New Zealand. Netflix first announced its intention to crack down on password-sharing last year. In April, Netflix said it would implement a fee for US customers by the end of the second quarter, i.e. the end of June, but the changes took effect in late May.