Once upon a time, Apple users could pay for their Netflix subscriptions through their iTunes accounts.
However, this is no longer possible as Netflix has made changes to its subscriptions yet again. The streaming giant will soon ask its members to pay their subscription fee directly using a credit or debit card.
According to Netflix spokesperson Momo Zhao, Basic Plan members who were originally paying with their iTunes account will now need to sign up directly to avoid losing their account.
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One unfortunate Netflix user, meganNwalsh, shared her mishap on X, posting: '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!'
The move is Netflix’s effort to eliminate its £6.99 ad-free Basic plan, an option that was scrapped in 2023 for new and returning subscribers.
Customers now have the option of its £4.99 a month Standard with Ads plan or pay a total of £10.99 a month to watch movies and TV shows ad-free.
Reportedly, the decision also comes from a long and tense relationship between Netflix and Apple. Netflix accepted subscription payments via Apple's payment system to which the tech giant charged a 30% commission.
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In 2018, Netflix no longer wanted to pay the Apple tax for third-party payments, and so removed the option. However, customers have still been able to pay with Apple payments for six years until now.
Before Netflix cut Apple out of the loop, Apple allegedly earned between $300,000 and $700,00 from the streaming firm daily.
Last year, the streaming platform also restricted the convenience of password sharing among friends and family.
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This move resulted in an extra 13.1 million subscribers by the end of 2023, which brought the total number of subscribers up to 260 million.
Netflix introduced its tier system in 2022, meaning subscribers now have to pay a premium price to enjoy ad-free viewing. Disney+ followed suit in mid-2023 and Amazon Prime Video jumped on the tier bandwagon at the start of this year.
If it's been a while since you created an account with Netflix, you can go to your account on the company’s website and see how your bill is being paid.