If you are thinking of getting Netflix and don’t want ads, you may need to hurry to get the Netflix Basic plan. This $9.99 a month plan offers 720p video without ads. Now though, Netflix has announced that it plans to phase out this plan and is already making it hard to find.
Netflix has confirmed to CTV News in Canada that it will be phasing out the basic level plan. This means that customers who want an ad-free Netflix experience will need to pay at least $15.49 in the United States.
If you have the Basic plan, Netflix says you will be grandfathered in to keep your plan. If you switch to a different plan, you won’t be able to go back to the $9.99 a month Basic option.
In the United States, the basic plan is still available for now, but it is hidden. When Netflix brings you to the choose your plan page, it only shows the $6.99 with ads option, the $15.49 standard option, and the $19.99 premium opinion. At the bottom of that chart, you will see an option to See All Plans clicking that for now still shows the Basic option.
Recently Netflix has cracked down on account sharing to drive up subscriptions. According to the Wall Street Journal, signups for Netflix have jumped higher than they were when the pandemic lockdowns started.
Netflix account holders can add “extra members” to their plan for $7.99 per month in select countries. In an e-mail to customers, Netflix states that users outside a household can either create a new membership or transfer their profile to another account, or pay the above mentioned fee to add an extra user on top of the regular monthly membership fees. Monthly prices range from $6.99 to $19.99, depending on the selected plan.
Now it seems that thousands of Netflix customers have decided to signup for new subscriptions every day as they find themselves locked out of their accounts.
According to Netflix, 100 million people around the world access Netflix through a friend or family member’s account.
By hiding or eliminating the Basic cheap ad-free option, Netflix is likely hoping to get more revenue by pushing subscribers to more expensive plans.