Netflix is finally gearing up to do something about unauthorized account sharing. After testing a notification last year that pushed people to stop mooching and get their own Netflix accounts, the company has announced another test in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru that will let subscribers pay extra to share their account with people outside of their home. According to Variety, subscribers will be able to add up to two "sub-members" for $2.99 each in Costa Rica. Those users will get their own Netflix logins, recommendations and profile.
Additionally, Netflix will also let subscribers in those countries transfer individual profiles to completely separate accounts. That'll make it easy for moochers to keep their queue and recommendations intact. The company isn't committing to these features globally yet, but if it works out in those countries, don't be surprised if it starts nagging your parents to pay extra for your account.
"We’ve always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account, with features like separate profiles and multiple streams in our Standard and Premium plans," Chengyi Long, director of Netflix Product Innovation, said 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."
If anything, it's surprising it's taken Netflix this long to do something about account sharing. The practice is explicitly forbidden in the company's Terms of Service, but it's something many people do anyway. (And really, grandma doesn't need her own account just to watch her stories.) After raising its prices in North America earlier this year, it wouldn't be too shocking to see the company push for additional fees.