Thousands of people across the UK will get emails today that will see viewers lose access to Netflix. The ban on password sharing for UK customers on Netflix is being communicated to account holders from today.
Emails will be sent to anyone who is sharing an account with someone who doesn't live in the same household. People who are not the main account holders and who do not live in the same home will lose access.
Following the earlier implementation in Canada and Spain, UK customers who share passwords will receive an email today clarifying that an account is intended for a single household.
However, customers can add an individual from outside their household for an additional £4.99 per month.
Netflix has confirmed that customers will not be automatically charged the £4.99 fee if they have a member outside their household. Instead, customers will need to opt-in for this option.
Household members can still access Netflix from anywhere, including while on holiday or on the go.
In the past, Netflix subscribers were informed that sharing passwords with individuals outside their households was not permitted.
Nevertheless, many users disregarded this guideline and shared their account details with friends and family to save money.
Netflix released a statement stating: "Starting today, we will be sending this email to members who are sharing Netflix outside their household in the United Kingdom. A Netflix account is for use by one household. Everyone living in that household can use Netflix wherever they are – at home, on the go, on holiday – and take advantage of new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices."
Netflix first announced its plans to monetize paid account sharing worldwide in a letter to shareholders in October 2022. The subscription service introduced fees for password sharing in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain in March.
Canadian subscribers can add an extra member as a "sub-account" for CAD$7.99 (£4.78), while in New Zealand, the charge is NZ$7.99 (£3.97).
Portuguese subscribers can add a "sub-account" for €3.99 (£3.51), and in Spain, customers must spend €5.99 (£5.27).
In April, the company reported an additional 1.75 million subscribers signing up during the first quarter of 2023, bringing the total number of subscribers to 232.5 million, a 4.9% increase from the final three months of 2022.
Netflix announced in April that it will be discontinuing its DVD-by-mail business after 25 years, with the final discs being posted out on September 29.
