Netflix has quietly axed its 30-day free trial offer for new subscribers to the streaming service. Instead, new customers will now have to pay for their first month upfront.
The streaming giant is however throwing in a small bonus for anyone signing up for the first time.
If you subscribe to the $9.99 per month Basic plan, you'll get a "free" upgrade to the $13.99 Standard plan for your first 30 days. If you subscribe to the $13.99 per month Standard plan, you'll get upgraded to the $19.99 per month Premium plan for your first 30 days. There is no offer currently associated with the Premium plan.
They key differences between plans is the quality you can stream and, and the number of number devices you can watch at once. Here's a quick breakdown:
Netflix plans in Australia
| Basic | Standard | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per month | $9.99 | $13.99 | $19.99 |
| Resolution | SD | HD | Up to 4K |
| Simultaneous streams | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Offline download devices | 1 | 2 | 4 |
When asked for comment as to why the free trial was ended a Netflix spokesperson said that the company is "looking at different marketing promotions in Australia to attract new members and give them a great Netflix experience".
Netflix axed the offer in the UK at the end of last year, but at the time, the 30 days free offer was still available in Australia. It ended the free trial offer in France in February, and it seems like it may have been discontinued in Australia around the same time. Whether or not Netflix offers a free trial seems to vary on a country-by-country basis.
For example, customers in the United States, Austria, South Korean, and China are still eligible for a free trial, while customers in France, Belgium, New Zealand, Canada, and Vietnam are not.
Competitors Stan, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video still offer free trials, albeit varying in length.
This article has been updated with a statement from Netflix (3:40pm, 09/03/2020)
Alex Choros
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