How to save money on Netflix

Stranger Things, Black Mirror, Sex Education... We all LOVE Netflix, but we don't love paying premium prices. Here's how to get a cheaper subscription and still enjoy your TV faves!

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Netflix scratches that procrastination itch like no other. Whether it's escaping revision, writing essays, or just being a productive human being, Netflix is always there to provide the series that we never even knew we needed.

But with the prices of Netflix accounts for UK subscribers rising all the time (or, at least, what feels like all the time), it's always worth double-checking that you're not paying more than you need to.

We're here with our best hacks to save money on your Netflix subscription and keep on enjoying your on-screen faves once your free month's trial is up!

How much does Netflix cost?

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There are three different types of Netflix account that vary in price depending on the perks. The basic standard definition currently costs £5.99/month,  the standard plan costs £8.99/month and the premium plan will set you back £11.99/month.

The standard plan rose by £1 from £7.99 and the premium plan rose by £2 from £9.99 this year, eek!

Just to remind you what each plan includes, we've drawn up a table with the benefits of all three along with how much each Netflix plan costs.

Netflix subscription plans

5 Netflix money saving hacks

1. Share your account

   

   Credit: SME

   Check how many people are currently paying for a Netflix subscription in your household. The standard plan allows you to watch on two separate screens at once. So you can enjoy some House of Cards while your housemate digs into Peep Show!

   How much should you pay for your Netflix account?

   If you split the cost of a standard subscription, you'll end up paying £4.50 a month each – that's £54 for the whole year, compared to £71.88 for 12 months on a basic subscription whereby only one user can watch at a time. You both save just under £18 and can watch your faves in HD.

   If you live with three or four other people, you could split the cost of the Netflix premium account, which allows you to stream on up to four different devices at the same time. Split between four people, that comes to about £3 a month each, or £36 for the whole year! If there are three of you, the same account comes to just under £4 each, or £47.96 for 12 months.

   This last option may be wishful thinking, but then again if a couple of you aren't hardcore binge-watchers, this could be the perfect option!

   If you and your housemates have very different schedules and won't be watching at the same time, you could always opt for the standard £8.99 and share it – £3 each for three people and around £2.25 for four (£26.97 each for the whole year!).

2. Use your parents' Netflix account

   

   Credit: 20th Century Fox

   Unfortunately, Netflix doesn't do student discounts #sadface (Amazon Prime does free student membership for six months!).

   However, Netflix isn't against people from the same household sharing a plan, so in theory, students are able to use their family's account while they're at uni. Here's what they told Digital Spy back in 2016:

   We expect that Netflix is a household-level purchase and that sharing with members of the household is a reasonable thing to do.

   When the kids go off to college, are they going to use that login? Well, that's probably OK, but when the kids go off and form their own household, they want the control of having their own account, so eventually, that turns into a new revenue stream for us there as well.

   Neil Hunt, Chief Product Manager at Netflix

   So the strategy here is that Netflix expects you to sign up for your own subscription once you've graduated... There's no clear-cut policy on sharing a family account in Netflix terms and conditions, but if they do decide to clarify, we'll let you know!

3. Pay for your subscription using discount gift cards

   

   Credit: 20th Century Fox

   This hack is a bit more left-field and requires a tad more research than the others, but desperate times call for desperate measures!

   Effectively, Netflix subscriptions can be paid for via gift cards that are available at various different retailers. Sites like CDKeys.com sell discounted Netflix for slightly less than their actual worth, but generally, only a couple of quid get knocked off.

   It's also worth keeping in mind that Netflix subscriptions can be purchased via iTunes and Google Play (this only works for current subscribers as new customers can no longer sign up to Netflix via iTunes or Google Play). So, if you can get your mitts on some discounted iTunes or Google Play gift cards, you can pay for your Netflix account using those.

   The amount the gift card is worth will be added to your Apple or Google account, which you can then use to purchase your subscription. Simples!

   You can also complete surveys to earn Google Play credit via the Google Play Rewards app which can be used to pay for your Netflix account. We've earned over £100 by completing (very quick) surveys priced at around 20p each!

4. Use cashback websites

   

   Credit: Kalamurzing - Shutterstock

   We love a good cashback website here at Save the Student. We use them for broadband, energy bills, ASOS... So why should paying for your Netflix subscription plan be any different?

   Similar to the previous hack, it's always worth checking whether there is cashback to be earned on websites like Quidco and TopCashback for Apple Music via which you can then pay for your Netflix subscription if you're already an existing Apple customer.

   We've seen offers for up to 7% cashback, which may not seem like much, but if you're about to do some serious buying, it's not one to be sniffed at! And if you've got a student cashback credit card, you could buy your gift card through a cashback website via your credit card for cashback XXL!

   Unfortunately, Google Play doesn't do cashback. However, you can still use cashback sites to shop at CDKeys to earn additional discounts on Google Play (and iTunes!) gift cards.

5. Try cheaper alternative streaming services

   

   Credit: Ann in the uk – Shutterstock

   Okay, so this final one is less a solution and more an alternative – but you can combine other streaming services, some of which are completely free!

   If you have a TV Licence you're free to stream iPlayer, ITV Hub and All 4 (Channel 4's catch-up service) to your heart's content. In fact, you may not even need a TV Licence at all – click here for more details!

   We've made a list of the prices of online streaming services and what they each include so you can decide which one suits you best. 🙂

Alternative streaming services to Netflix

*These streaming services are free if you already have a TV Licence, but you may not need one. See this guide for more details.

For more hacks see our complete guide on the cheapest ways to legally stream all your fave films and series!