Netflix is rolling out a new account management feature that will automatically cancel subscriptions of those who have not used their account for a number of weeks.
According to a report from TNW, the company has started sending emails to people who pay for Netflix and haven’t watched content on the platform for some time.
If they don’t respond to that email for a number of weeks, their subscription will be automatically canceled.
Speaking of the change, Netflix said: “We’re asking everyone who has not watched anything on Netflix for a year since they joined to confirm they want to keep their membership.
And we’ll do the same for anyone who has stopped watching for more than two years.”
The company revealed that very few people will be affected by this change – less than half of 1% of users haven’t watched Netflix content in the past two years, though it’s no doubt a welcome change for consumers who genuinely don’t know they’re subscribed to the service.
Although the company has been praised for introducing this new customer service feature – remember, the subscription service industry is highly competitive and Netflix wants to keep its user count high to appease shareholders – some have criticized the firm for its two-year policy.
Realistically, a 3-6 month window would be more appropriate for the majority of users.
By only canceling subscriptions for those who have been inactive for two years, Netflix will hold onto users who have forgotten about their subscription or don’t have time for Netflix content.
An earlier reminder could also help to increase content consumption and brand recognition on the platform but could have the opposite effect and hurt subscription revenue.
What are your thoughts on this change? Do you think other subscription-based businesses should follow suit and introduce reminders? Let us know over on Twitter and check back soon for more news and rumors on everything Apple and (occasionally!) Netflix, every week.