Netflix is forcing Basic subscribers to switch plans or lose access

Netflix is giving customers on its cheapest ad-free plan an ultimatum: switch to a new tier or lose access.

Affected users have had their TV sets taken over with warning messages alerting them that their cutoff date is July 13. Taking to the social media platform Reddit, one affected customer said Netflix wouldn’t let them continue watching without resubscribing, despite the termination date being more than a week away.

The move marks the culmination of Netflix’s efforts to phase out its Basic plan , which at £8 a month (following a recent price hike ) was the cheapest way to watch the service without ads. Netflix stopped offering the low-cost option to new users in the UK in June 2023, and scrapped it altogether in May of this year.

At the time, Netflix warned affected customers that it would automatically downgrade them to the Standard with Ads plan on the date of their next bill.

In its email to users, Netflix sold the change as a way to save money, while getting better quality video (1080p vs a paltry 720p on Basic) and the ability to watch on two devices at the same time.

But, it failed to mention the cons. Not only will you have to sit through ad breaks, but you’ll also have to settle for fewer movies and shows compared with the other tiers.

How much is Netflix?

Wondering what plan to switch to? With the Basic plan gone, there are now three tiers to choose from, with a bigger jump between the ad-supported and ad-free plans.

The cheapest of the lot is Standard with adverts, which costs £5 a month. Unlike the other plans, you can’t add an another member to the ads tier for an extra fee, which is basically Netflix’s way of preventing password-sharing .

Then, there’s Standard for £11 a month, which gives you unlimited access to Netflix’s massive library, full HD resolution, the option to watch and download on two devices at once. Finally, Netflix Premium at £17.99 a month gives you access to the same unrestricted library, plus downloads on six devices and simultaneous streaming on four, among other perks.

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