Netflix cracks down on password sharing with users to pay an extra fee to share their account with people

Netflix is cracking down on password sharing and some users will now be charged an extra fee for anyone else using their sign-in for the streaming service.

The company says that the new fee option will be rolled out over the next few weeks and will target people sharing accounts outside their immediate household.

“Members on our Standard and Premium plans will be able to add sub accounts for up to two people they don’t live with — each with their own profile, personalised recommendations, login and password — at a lower price,” the company said in a statement.

The test will for now be limited to Netflix customers in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru.

Chengyi Long, director of product innovation, addressed the sharing issue in a blog post.

“While these have been hugely popular, they have also created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared. As a result, accounts are being shared between households — impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members.”

During the test, users can add the additional users for 2,380 CLP in Chile ($2.99), 2.99 USD in Costa Rica, and 7.9 PEN ($2.11) in Peru.

It is not the first time that Netflix has tried to close the net on password sharing, and in March 2021 the company forced some users to verify they had ownership of the accounts they were using.

The company’s Terms of Use states that the “Netflix service and any content accessed through our service…may not be shared with individuals beyond your household.”