Netflix is testing a new way to tackle the problem of password sharing between subscribers, in a move likely to raise subscription prices for additional users.
The test is taking place in Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and the Dominican Republic, according to the tech website The Verge.
The Honduran Netflix support page clearly states that the test will require users to pay an additional fee if they use an account on a TV or TV-connected device in a location outside their primary home for more than two weeks.
Each additional home will cost an additional 219 pesos per month in Argentina ($1.17) and $2.99 elsewhere.
According to Netflix, in the test areas, subscribers' accounts have one primary "home" where they can access the service across any devices in the home, as well as travel and use the platform on their laptops and mobile devices elsewhere without taking an extra step.
The test will allow users to purchase additional "homes", which they choose to add or skip to use the service on TV screens.
Add an extra home
Starting August 22, 2022, when you sign into Netflix on a TV outside your home, you'll see the option to add the extra home for an additional monthly fee.
If you are only going to use this TV for a limited time, you can watch Netflix for up to two weeks at no additional charge as long as your account has not been previously used on this site.
After that time, the TV will be blocked unless you add the extra home page.
The support pages also go into more detail about how the platform defines "home," which is defined as "a physical location where you can use Netflix on any of your devices."
The company uses information such as IP addresses, device identifiers, and account activity to identify the home.
Netflix first announced that it would test ways to charge password-sharing fees in March, just a few weeks after it announced price increases for US customers.
Netflix is also working on an ad-supported subscription option, and just last week it said it would partner with Microsoft to run its ads.