You can no longer pay your Netflix subscription through the App Store as streamer claws back Apple's cut

(Image credit: Netflix)

Do you pay for your Netflix subscription through the App Store? If so, you’ll need to make a change as Netflix looks set to stop taking payments through Apple.

Back in 2018, the streaming giant stopped taking new subscribers that signed up via App Store billing, yet older legacy customers that have paid through Apple’s in-app purchases were able to continue doing so.

Now, it looks like time has been called on those legacy subscribers as Netflix has begun notifying customers that they must update payment information and start paying for the streaming service directly through the company’s own website.

Netflix’s support page reads, “Some Apple-billed members in select countries may be prompted to add a new payment method to continue their subscription.”

By leaving the App Store billing system completely, Netflix will no longer need to pay Apple a percentage for each of the subscriptions purchased through the App Store. It is unclear how many users this affects.

An annoyance for subscribers

This isn’t the first time a subscription service has removed the ability to continue your subscription via the App Store.

Spotify did a similar thing a few months ago, similarly expressing discontent between service providers and the charges from Apple on the App Store.

One thing is clear — it’s the consumer that loses out. Seeing all your subscriptions in the Settings app is a fantastic way to keep on top of where your money is going, and it’s a shame that this is becoming less and less possible.

Currently, Apple charges 30% fees for apps and in-app purchases on the App Store, and companies like Netflix, which rely on a subscription-based model, deem the cut far too much.

While it’s highly unlikely that Netflix or Spotify would return to offering subscriptions via Apple’s billing system, it would be nice to allow iPhone users to add subscription payment dates and prices into the Settings app to keep on top of their monthly outgoings. With iOS 18 quickly approaching, maybe we’ll see a manual way to add subscriptions so you can get the best of both worlds despite the quarrels between companies.

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John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019. John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.