Netflix discontinues payments via Apple
Run, don’t walk, to update your Netflix payment method so you don’t lose access to your account. Especially if you have a basic plan.
Billing your streaming subscription through Apple’s iTunes or app store will no longer be an option for customers who have been doing so for years, according to a recent updated on the company’s website.
If a new payment method is not added by the user’s next billing cycle, they will not be able to continue using Netflix, company spokesperson MoMo Zhou told USA TODAY on Feb. 27.
Back in 2018, Netflix no longer accepted Apple payments from new and rejoining customers but existing customers were grandfathered in, and those are the customers who will now have to make the switch, CNN reported.
The United States and Canada will be among the countries impacted by the recent billing change, Zhou said.
It wasn’t immediately clear what or how many other countries would be impacted by the change.
Netflix subscribers using Apple accounts to pay for their subscriptions should update their payment method, adding a credit or debit card by the next monthly renewal date.
Gift cards can’t be used to restart accounts that have lost access to the streaming service for not adding a payment method, according to Netflix.
To check if you are being billed for your Netflix subscription through Apple, visit the membership and billing section of your account page. Additional guidance can be found on Netflix’s Help Center.
Zhou declined to answer USA TODAY’s question about why the company decided to stop subscribers from using their Apple accounts for payments now. But she did emphasize the importance of users to update their payment method to continue to have access to Netflix.
Apple has faced years of pushback for taking a 30% cut of all in-app purchases, impacting companies with apps in the App Store, according to CNN.
Apple previously said that they take a 15% cut depending on the situation.
The company ultimately relaxed restrictions in 2021 for companies like Netflix and Spotify, allowing the apps to link out to external website to manage or set up their accounts outside the App Store, according to CNN.