Grandfathered subscribers who signed up using Apple’s in-app billing mechanism will need to provide a credit or debit card number to continue their service.
The Streamable reports that grandfathered Netflix subscribers who signed up for the service using Apple’s billing mechanism will soon need to add a credit or debit card to their Netflix profile to continue streaming their favorite shows.
“Some Apple-billed members in select countries may be prompted to add a new payment method to continue their subscription,” reads a newly published message on the Netflix support website in the United States. “Netflix billing through Apple is no longer available for new or rejoining members,” it acknowledges.
Netflix disabling Apple billing for grandfathered subscribers
In 2018, the streamer removed the option to pay subscription using Apple’s In-App Purchase mechanism to avoid Apple’s 30 percent commission. At the time, the company promised longtime subscribers who signed up using Apple’s billing mechanism that they could continue paying that way.
But Netflix representative Momo Zhao is now telling The Verge that all “members on the basic plan who were using an iTunes method of payment” will need to sign up directly. So, if you’re greeted with a message asking for payment information after launching Netflix, go to netflix.com and add a different payment method instead.
I just lost my old $10/month Netflix price
This is no doubt disappointing news for grandfathered subscribers like myself. I’ve kept the discounted $10/month Netflix price for years because I’m among those who originally signed up for the service in-app. And now, you’re telling me I just lost this perk. Joy! So now I’m faced with two equally horrible choices.
Netflix stopped working with Apple Pay and didn’t inform me. Now I’m locked out of my $9.99 a month price I had paid for years and I had to get charged $31 until I get a refund through Apple. 🙃🫠 Love this!
— 𝑀𝑒𝑔𝒶𝓃 (@meganNwalsh) February 25, 2024
First, I can switch to Netflix Standard and begrudgingly accept a nearly $6 price hike. Netflix Standard is $15.49/month for HD streaming, while 4K service cost even more at $23/month! The old $10/month offering was the most affordable ad-free tier until Netflix discontinued it in the United States and the United Kingdom in 2023.
And second, if I don’t like the surcharge, my only option is Netflix Standard with ads, which I absolutely hate. Oh wait, I can also cancel my Netflix service altogether!