Netflix is experimenting with a new feature that charges customers to “add a home” to their account, which entails sharing their password.
In a statement released on Monday, Chengyi Long, Director of Growth Product Innovation at Netflix, claimed that “widespread account sharing” would jeopardize the company’s long-term objectives.
“Over the last 15 years, we’ve worked hard to build a streaming service that’s easy to use, including for people who travel or live together,” the statement read. “It’s great that our members love Netflix movies and TV shows so much they want to share them more broadly. But today’s widespread account sharing between households undermines our long term ability to invest in and improve our service.”
The “Add a Home” option will go live in Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic the following month. The streamer claims that users can expect to pay an extra monthly price to purchase password access for “additional homes” there. For instance, this tax would be charged at a rate of $2.99 per month per home in El Salvador.
Customers to the Basic Plan may only add one additional home; however, subscribers to the Standard and Premium plans may add up to two and three additional homes, respectively.