Netflix for iOS No Longer Allows iTunes Payment Method for New Sign Ups

Netflix has confirmed it will no longer allow new members to use iTunes as a payment method, a move which seeks to bypass Apple’s App Store cut of 30% for the first year and 15% for subsequent years.

The media streaming service confirmed the change to VentureBeat, saying “We no longer support iTunes as a method of payment for new members,” but existing members are unaffected by this change.

Netflix did not clarify when the move was made globally, but did note the changed happened last month, after a limited experiment ended. Also, iOS Netflix users who have cancelled the service for at least a month, and who want to rejoin again, won’t be able to use iTunes billing.



Back in August, Netfix tested out this iTunes billing payment bypass in Canada, along with the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and Thailand.

For new Netflix users signing up on an iPhone or iPad, they will have to register for the service via a web browser to sign up, a similar move made in May for Android, as the company similarly bypassed Google Play.

What does this mean for new Netflix iOS users? Without the ability to select iTunes as a payment method, you lose out on the possibility to save 20% off your subscription, when your Apple ID is funded by discounted iTunes cards from Costco.