Netflix has decided to discontinue its practice of allowing subscribers to pay their monthly fees through the Apple App Store’s in-app purchase system.
This move affects those customers who had been using this payment method since before the point during 2018 when Netflix stopped accepting new subscribers through iOS devices. The change is prompted by Netflix’s desire to avoid continuing to pay a 15 percent commission on subscription fees to Apple.
The official Netflix support page in the U.S. now advises customers in certain unspecified countries that they will need to introduce a new payment method to keep their subscriptions active.
Although the announcement lacks specific details regarding the affected countries, the inclusion of this information on the U.S. site suggests that American customers are likely among those impacted.
This update marks a significant shift from Netflix’s previous policy, which allowed existing subscribers who had signed up via the App Store to continue their payments through the in-app purchase system. This arrangement has been in place since Netflix ceased offering the option to subscribe through iOS devices nearly six years ago.
Since then, new or returning Netflix subscribers with Apple devices have been directed to sign up through the Netflix website, as the Netflix app on iPhone and iPad exclusively provides a sign-in interface without an option for in-app subscription.
The exact number of subscribers still utilizing the in-app purchase method for their Netflix subscription remains undisclosed. Netflix’s decision to finally end this payment option underscores the company’s reluctance to share a portion of its subscription revenue with Apple, despite having allowed the practice to continue for subscribers who were grandfathered in under the old system until now.
