Netflix Drops In-App Payments on Apple Devices

Following Spotify’s initiation to eliminate the option for in-app subscription payments, compelling users to subscribe through web services instead, Netflix has similarly commenced mandating users who previously subscribed via in-app options to renew their subscriptions through web portals before the next billing cycle. This strategy is employed to circumvent the additional commission fees levied by Apple.

In certain regions, Netflix has begun instructing users to alter their method of in-app payment subscriptions to avoid extra charges imposed by Apple. Despite previously maintaining the availability of subscription and renewal options within the app, Netflix had long encouraged users to subscribe or renew services via the web, thereby facilitating access to the service on iOS or Android apps through the same account.

As Apple adjusts its in-app payment methods in response to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, allowing developers and service providers to collect fees through third-party channels, Netflix is now notifying users who have paid through in-app subscription options in the past. These users are asked to revise their payment methods for subscriptions to bypass the commission fees incurred when paying within the app.

Netflix indicates that this approach is currently being implemented in select countries but anticipates expanding it across all nations where Netflix services are offered. This move is intended to mitigate the “losses” incurred from paying commission fees to Apple.