Netflix No Longer Offering In-App Subscription Options on iOS Devices

[MhaelK]

Why? I rather pay Apple wich I love than Netflix wich I’m neutral about. Actually I will quit it if a good alternative comes around (wich I doubt, haha).
Same goes for Audible...

Maybe Netflix will add an option that will allow you again to sign up on ios and just pay an extra 15% on top of your subscription. So 7.99 + 15% directly to apple, just as a service for people how like to pay apple

 

[I7guy]

Maybe Netflix will add an option that will allow you again to sign up on ios and just pay an extra 15% on top of your subscription. So 7.99 + 15% directly to apple, just as a service for people how like to pay apple

People don't pay apple, the app owner pays apple. People have strong opinions about the way apple manages the app store commission and in the beginning I'm guessing netflix needed apples support, now, not so much.

 

[KevinN206]

Maybe Netflix will add an option that will allow you again to sign up on ios and just pay an extra 15% on top of your subscription. So 7.99 + 15% directly to apple, just as a service for people how like to pay apple

I believe Apple forbids this in their App Store policy for IAP.

 

[MhaelK]

People don't pay apple, the app owner pays apple. People have strong opinions about the way apple manages the app store commission and in the beginning I'm guessing netflix needed apples support, now, not so much.

I dont think Netflix has needed Apples support for years. If a Company makes 30/15% less Selling through a platform compared to Selling through other platforms. It seems fair the the customers who wants to use that platform pay the extra %, when other options ares still available to them. Netflix should just label it Apple tax and make the consumer decide for themselves.

 

[User 6502]

The content providers are separating more everyday, instead on working together. Soon, cable, a consolidated option, will be king again.

Cable . You don’t travel much, do you?

 

[I7guy]

I dont think Netflix has needed Apples support for years. If a Company makes 30/15% less Selling through a platform compared to Selling through other platforms. It seems fair the the customers who wants to use that platform pay the extra %, when other options ares still available to them. Netflix should just label it Apple tax and make the consumer decide for themselves.

Maybe apple should just charge netflix 15% per app user. To make up the loss of revenue to apple. It seems fair to all concerned.

 

[MhaelK]

Maybe apple should just charge netflix 15% per app user. To make up the loss of revenue to apple. It seems fair to all concerned.

I guess you and i have a different opinion of what defines fair, and where we believe the money will benefits the Netflix users the most.

There was a similar discussion when Apple geared up to start Apple Music and other Music streaming platforms complained about the issue and unfair competition. I dont know the outcome, but i believe that in some contries Apple would be heavily fined if they tried to follow your suggestion, especially if they decide to enter the movie streaming marked.

 

[rocknblogger]

Oh my lord. Yes, many Netflix customers were acquired outside of the App Store. Netflix does all the work of acquiring those people and gets all the profit. But you do realize that Apple only takes a 15% cut for customers that they deliver to Netflix, right? Traditional retailers take as much as 50%.

It’s highly likely that Netflix acquired a huge number of subscribers via the App Store. Certainly, some of them might have found alternate ways of signing up if they were motivated. But many of them wouldn’t have, and Netflix would never have gotten ANY of their money.

We’ll see how long this rebellion lasts.

Honestly I don’t want to argue but I think you’re giving Apple too much credit. How many users do you think may have been acquired via the 2 billion Android devices? Or smart TVs, connected blue ray players, PCs etc etc etc.

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

That's correct. In the game of hypotheticals on an on-line forum, we pick the most egregious case that supports our position. You picked the position, the 30% apple cut will cause netflix to raise rates, that's called cutting of your nose to spit your face. Netflix already did this once and faced extreme consumer backlash. And for balance please ensure you throw the label "apple basher" out there when discussing "fanboys".

The other hypothetical is that netflix customers who like to bill through itunes, will find another service thus (like apple) will cause netflix to raise rates. Netflix isn't the only game in town anymore.

And as far as the "most people are not that sad", you don't know what people do. You know what you do, what your family does that's where it ends.

People will not get a lot of what Netflix provide from another service. This is different to Spotify/Apple Music etc who all basically provide near identical content. There are multitudes of items that cannot be purchased through iTunes so how do these people get by not providing card details to 3rd parties?

 

[bigboy29]

Not sure where you came up with that nonsense since Netflix has been around since before the App Store/iPhone/Apple TV and they will continue to be around post these devices.

Might have misunderstood me: I'm not saying that Netflix cannot survive without iTunes billing. I'm saying that Netflix does not have a sustainable business model, iTunes or not. I provided the details twice already in this thread, I think page 2 first time. Netflix is taking on crushing amount of long term debt.

 

[ipponrg]

Might have misunderstood me: I'm not saying that Netflix cannot survive without iTunes billing. I'm saying that Netflix does not have a sustainable business model, iTunes or not. I provided the details twice already in this thread, I think page 2 first time. Netflix is taking on crushing amount of long term debt.

People have been saying they have an unsustainable business model for years now. Based on this article, it seems they are turning things into a profit.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/n...-streaming-to-record-profit-totals-2018-04-16

 

[s15119]

For me, as a consumer this is a negative. I'd much rather pay using ITunes like I do other services. If I have to pay Netflix directly, I may consider other options. Netflix has plenty of competition. I would be willing to bet, in a few years they will reconsider this.

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

People don't pay apple, the app owner pays apple..

An app provider decides they want to make £3.50 per app sale. To do so, they need to sell the app at £5 in the app store. So yes, people can be effectively paying Apple for an app.

 

[I7guy]

People will not get a lot of what Netflix provide from another service. This is different to Spotify/Apple Music etc who all basically provide near identical content. There are multitudes of items that cannot be purchased through iTunes so how do these people get by not providing card details to 3rd parties?

Straw man.

I almost left Netflix once and I’ll do it again. And I wasn’t alone, there was quite a backlash in the past.

There’s enough variety out there for me.
[doublepost=1546121616][/doublepost]

An app provider decides they want to make £3.50 per app sale. To do so, they need to sell the app at £5 in the app store. So yes, people can be effectively paying Apple for an app.

An app provider decides if they want an iOS app and for Apple to manage the entire thing. If so they have to abide by the guidelines. And if there is enough value to charge for the services of the app. If so, apple takes its cut.

So no, people aren’t paying Apple, that’s twisted logic.

 

[chatin]

Netflix has become the streaming standard and no longer needs or wants Apple iTunes. I moved off iTunes three years ago when I hit a one year limitation on deauthorizing all devices. I did quite a few posts on the date Apple gave me to get back into my library.

 

[nburwell]

I figured this was coming eventually. Spotify did it, and now Netflix is following suit. Fortunately I can keep my Netflix subscription still billed through iTunes since I like to streamline my subscriptions via iTunes since I have so much credit accumulated.

I wonder if Hulu or other big content providers will follow Spotify and Netflix's path. Hopefully not, but with what Apple takes as a cut, I can't blame app developers.

 

[Gilligan's last elephant]

Straw man.

I almost left Netflix once and I’ll do it again. And I wasn’t alone, there was quite a backlash in the past.

There’s enough variety out there for me.
[doublepost=1546121616][/doublepost]
An app provider decides if they want an iOS app and for Apple to manage the entire thing. If so they have to abide by the guidelines. And if there is enough value to charge for the services of the app. If so, apple takes its cut.

So no, people aren’t paying Apple, that’s twisted logic.

How is it twisted logic. App store 30% is an overhead. Apple do the same thing when they set the price of a product.

 

[bigboy29]

People have been saying they have an unsustainable business model for years now. Based on this article, it seems they are turning things into a profit.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/n...-streaming-to-record-profit-totals-2018-04-16

This kind of sloppy reporting is - unfortunately - as mistaken as it is common. Even Netflix' CFO does not expect to break even for years to come (reference - Netflix investor conference call in October, transcript here):

"We still think it's going to be a few years towards breakeven because we're optimizing again for long-term cash flow and long-term profitability, and we think that's the right thing."

They might be okay in the end, and I hope they are, but they are banking on several things which might not happen: that content creation costs will level off / not raise as fast (so far has not been the case). That long-term debt continues to be cheap (has been so far). We'll see. I certainly think that no matter what happens, Netflix has changed the industry for the better, but that does not mean they will survive.

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

Because Apple doesn't deserve the 30% of the $7.99 or higher monthly from Netflix or any other company.

Lol, ok...
Well- for the hundreds of millions of times it’s been downloaded off the App Store (Apple’s servers) since inception & the hundreds of millions of updates Apple has pushed (from their servers), & the prominent listing on the App Store, (also since inception) encouraging people to use their paid service... what do you feel IS a fair price?? What do they “deserve”, in your (apparently, not so humble) opinion?

I’d love to get an actual answer... but I have a sneaky suspicion you’re going to say something silly like “Apple deserves NOTHING; they need to bear 100% of those operational expenses for other companies! No remuneration!!” =/

Btw, it drops to 15% after year one.

 

[Ries]

Lol, ok...
Well- for the hundreds of millions of times it’s been downloaded off the App Store (Apple’s servers) since inception & the hundreds of millions of updates Apple has pushed (from their servers), & the prominent listing on the App Store, (also since inception) encouraging people to use their paid service... what do you feel IS a fair price?? What do they “deserve”, in your (apparently, not so humble) opinion?

I’d love to get an actual answer... but I have a sneaky suspicion you’re going to say something silly like “Apple deserves NOTHING; they need to bear 100% of those operational expenses for other companies! No remuneration!!” =/

Btw, it drops to 15% after year one.

You pay for that service using the developer program. A free app can be downloaded a billion times, but Netflix has to pay 15% each month? Hosting is cheap as hell.

 

[gim]

If you’re after discounts, you can easily save over 50 percent by buying Netflix gift cards or subscribing directly through a country with an advantageous currency exchange rate.

No, I can't.

1. Netflix gift cards don't exist in my country.
2. Subscribing through another country (via VPN) only works with a credit card from that country.

 

[falainber]

For me, as a consumer this is a negative. I'd much rather pay using ITunes like I do other services. If I have to pay Netflix directly, I may consider other options. Netflix has plenty of competition. I would be willing to bet, in a few years they will reconsider this.

I think you might be missing something here. As a Netflix customer it is good for you that Netflix does not lose 30% to Apple. They will have more money to pay for the content.
[doublepost=1546130064][/doublepost]

Lol, ok...
Well- for the hundreds of millions of times it’s been downloaded off the App Store (Apple’s servers) since inception & the hundreds of millions of updates Apple has pushed (from their servers), & the prominent listing on the App Store, (also since inception) encouraging people to use their paid service... what do you feel IS a fair price?? What do they “deserve”, in your (apparently, not so humble) opinion?

I’d love to get an actual answer... but I have a sneaky suspicion you’re going to say something silly like “Apple deserves NOTHING; they need to bear 100% of those operational expenses for other companies! No remuneration!!” =/

Btw, it drops to 15% after year one.

Stop with this Apple racket. Netflix would gladly let iOS users download their app from their own website or outsource this service to someone for peanuts. Apple model is very similar to mafia "business model" - you have to pay me for my services whether you want it or not.

 

[dazed]

So Netflix doesn’t want to pay a percentage for every subscription?

In other news, Apple doesn’t want to pay Qualcomm a percentage for every iPhone sold.

Seems to me that you can’t have it both ways and let’s not pretend that the up keep of the App Store justifies 30%, just the same as owning some patents doesn’t justify taking a slice of all phones sold.

Maybe a little less greed all around is in order

 

[Michael Scrip]

When did Netflix add the ability to do an in-app purchase for subscriptions?

I seem to recall Netflix existing before the App Store was even a thing. Thus people had to go to a website to create their account (the horror!)

Also... how many people are using iTunes to manage their Netflix subscription? I know there are a lot of people here who use iTunes billing for Netflix... but this is an Apple forum.

Think of all the people who have some other brand of smart TV, Roku box, etc.

There are plenty of Netflix users outside of the Apple ecosystem.

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

You pay for that service using the developer program. A free app can be downloaded a billion times, but Netflix has to pay 15% each month? Hosting is cheap as hell.

Sweet!
I didn’t realize that.
(*rolls eyes at bs lie*)
Then I guess Netflix should host the app on their own servers, serve it from there, & push updates from there!

Fortnight did something similar on Android, yeah?