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It may soon cost more to continue sharing your Netflix account.

The streaming giant announced on Mar. 16 that they are testing out an extra charge for members who want to share their account passwords with viewers outside their household.

According to Netflix, while the current sharing options with separate profiles and multiple streams have been "hugely popular", it has also created confusion about "when and how Netflix can be shared".

Its current terms state:

"Only people who live with you may use your account. Watch on 4 different devices at the same time with Premium, 2 with Standard and 1 with Basic."

Additionally, the sharing of accounts between households have reportedly impacted Netflix's ability to invest in new TV and films.

"So for the last year we’ve been working on ways to enable members who share outside their household to do so easily and securely, while also paying a bit more," Netflix adds.

Cost of password sharing

Over the next few weeks, three countries—Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru—will see two new features under the test launch.

The first is "Add an Extra Member" for those on Standard and Premium plans.

This will enable users to add sub accounts for up to two people they don't live with. Each sub account comes with its own profile, login password, and personalised recommendations.

The price for one sub account is:

• 2,380 CLP (S$4.04) in Chile,
• 2.99 USD (S$4.06) in Costa Rica, and
• 7.9 PEN (S$2.88) in Peru.

The second new function is called Transfer Profile to a New Account.

Basic, Standard, and Premium members can enable people who share their account to transfer profile information to either a new account or sub account.

This keeps their viewing history, list, and recommendations.

There is currently no clear timeline as to when the extra charges will hit Singapore, or even Asia.

"We’ll be working to understand the utility of these two features for members in these three countries before making changes anywhere else in the world," Netflix said.

Two price hikes in Singapore

Netflix has already gone through two price hikes in Singapore—once in January 2020, and a second time in October 2021.

Since its entry in January 2016, prices have increased from S$10.98 to S$12.98 per month for its Basic plan, and S$16.98 to S$21.98 for its Premium plan.

Here are the most up-to-date fees:

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