Spotify's Seven-Day Window Sends Shared Plan Members to Free Tier
Family and Duo plan members must scan a QR code in person on the plan manager's device to keep their access.
By Jason Fischer ·
Spotify is giving shared plan members seven days to complete a QR code scan or face a downgrade to the free tier, plus a 12-month block on joining any other Duo or Family plan. The company's support documentation confirms the requirement.
The scan must happen in person on the plan manager's device. The request follows posts on Reddit from users who said they received the QR prompt. The requirement grows out of Spotify's existing rule that family plan members live at the same address.
Analysts at Goldman Sachs have pointed to that rule as a revenue opportunity. In an October 15 report titled "Music in the Air: 10 Years On," made available by HITS Daily Double, they estimated that "a meaningful share of family plan users are not actual household members, but rather friends sharing a plan to reduce costs."
The Goldman Sachs report added: "We see additional monetization upside from tightening household verification on multi-user plans. Most family plans require members to reside at the same address, but enforcement has been minimal in practice."
The enforcement step raises questions for households where members do not share an address. A child living at college or a spouse who works on the road could fall outside the same-address condition. The verification could reach families who believe they are using the plans as intended.
Spotify's support documentation confirms the policy.
The requirement applies to Family and Duo subscriptions.
Source: Ars Technica
