Netflix is presenting customers on its cheapest ad-free plan with a choice: switch to a new tier or lose access.
Users on this plan have been receiving warnings on their TVs about the cutoff date of July 13. One user shared on Reddit that Netflix wouldn’t let them continue watching without resubscribing, even though the termination date was still more than a week away.
This move is part of Netflix’s effort to phase out its Basic plan, which was the cheapest option following a recent price increase.
In October 2023, Netflix increased the price of its Basic plan for subscribers in the U.S., the UK, and France by two dollars, from $9.99 to $11.99 monthly. At the same time, it eliminated the Basic plan as an option for new subscribers. Basic offered the cheapest non-ad-supported subscription to Netflix.
Netflix informed affected customers that they would be automatically downgraded to the Standard with Ads plan on their next billing date.
In emails to users, Netflix promoted the change as a cost-saving measure, offering better video quality (1080p versus 720p on Basic) and the ability to watch on two devices simultaneously.
However, it didn’t highlight the drawbacks, such as having to watch ads and having access to fewer movies and shows compared to other tiers.
With the Basic plan gone, users now have these tiers to choose from – the cheapest is the Standard which offers unlimited access to Netflix’s library, full HD resolution, and the ability to watch and download on two devices.
The Premium plan includes the same library, downloads on six devices, and simultaneous streaming on four devices, among other benefits.
