Quick Summary
Netflix subscribers who pay via the App Store need to check their account. It seems that the streaming service has decided that these subscribers need to change their payment method.
One of the great things about Netflix is that you can watch it anywhere. On your smart TV, laptop, tablet or even your phone. It's those who use the streaming service on their iPhone that need to listen because Netflix seems to be changing things up.
If you pay your subscription for Netflix through the App Store's in-app purchases, then you need to add another payment method to your account ASAP. That's because the streaming giant is fed up with paying Apple a not-insignificant chunk (15%) of those fees.
It has been spotted on the US Netflix support site that "Some Apple-billed members in select countries may be prompted to add a new payment method to continue their subscription. "
We already knew that Netflix has not been accepting new members paying through the app store but this is a significant step to getting all those with such accounts to change payment methods. In a statement to 9to5mac, Netflix confirmed that this change affects those on the basic plan in both the US and Canada. Whether the UK is included too is currently unclear. With the definition of 'some countries', it doesn't look particularly full of fluff and rainbows for us.
If you think about it, it makes sense for Netflix to do this. Why should Apple benefit from its lineup of shows and movies every month, especially when it is a direct competitor with its own AppleTV+ platform?
This is similar to the path taken with the video game Fortnite, which left the App Store completely over a similar despite and now lets users download the game via the Epic Games launcher.
The main thing to do is to check your payment settings on your iPhone before you find yourself unable to watch that last crucial episode of your new favourite show.
