Wesley Hilliard
It was once possible to sign up for Netflix directly in the iPhone app, but anyone still holding on to that plan has lost access and must sign up directly on the Netflix website.
Netflix ended the ability to subscribe from within its iOS app in 2018. The move was made to avoid Apple's in-app subscription commission of 30%, which reduces to 15% after a subscriber pays for a year.
According to a report from The Verge, Netflix has finally ended support for grandfathered accounts that still used the in-app subscription payment option. New users haven't been able to use the method since its removal in 2018, but anyone who didn't change their subscription or end it since was still paying from their Apple payment method.
Subscribers report that they were suddenly unable to access their Netflix account. Netflix would launch and ask for payment information with no explanation.
The company may have alerted affected users via email, which was the case for some users, but such communications often slip by. The only options users who lost the in-app subscription have are to either subscribe via the Netflix website or give up the service altogether.
Those that held onto the old payment method were able to keep paying the old $9.99 price for ad-free viewing. Those users must now pay $6.99 for ad-filled content, $15.49 for HD ad-free content, or $22.99 for the 4K tier.
The change so far has only affected users in some countries like the United States and Canada. Netflix hasn't announced where the update is going live or when it might be global.
Netflix has been aggressive with how it handles its business in recent years. It set rules limiting password sharing, raised prices multiple times, and costs more than services that offer 4K content.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
5 Comments
quote: “Those that held onto the old payment method were able to keep paying the old $9.99 price for ad-free viewing. Those users must now pay $6.99 for ad-filled content, $15.49 for HD ad-free content, or $22.99 for the 4K tier.”
Of course… this change was due to Apple's 15%!
Or just the way to increase the price by… 55% or 130%!
It would be nice to see the evolution of subscribers in the next time they inform revenues.
But they missed the opportunity to tell customers that… they reduce the price… although filling the screen with ads!
Whatever. Still want to know why I have to pay for a four user account for my two person family to get 4K and Atmos. This is free through several other services.
Netflix sucks and we are not even tempted to return.
Ah well, it was very good to manage my subscriptions all in the one place (eg suspending for a period), but I can understand why Netflix want to avoid paying Apple 15% just to maintain the subscription payments, when it can just do it itself.
The sucky thing is I lose the grandfathered price. And anither thing to have to remember when changing credit card.
Still working with my UK account.
I actually tried to sign up with Netflix for the first time ever, a few days ago. For some reason I didn't complete the sign-up, and this has definitely changed my mind. No sign up for me now.