Spotify defends Family Plan verification update as a routine fix

Spotify has confirmed it is rolling out new QR code checks to ensure Family Plan members live in the same house. The company addressed the user reports during a recent call with investors.

How It Works

Under the new system, users on a Family Plan get a notification and must scan a QR code shown on the plan manager's phone. Members have seven days to finish this scan to prove they live at the same address. Missing this seven-day window means users cannot join another Family or Duo plan for a full 12 months, leaving them with no choice but to buy an individual paid subscription instead. Spotify designed this step to stop friends and adult children who live elsewhere from sharing a single plan.

Executive Response

When an investor asked about the changes on the earnings call, Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström rejected the word crackdown. He instead described the new QR code tool as a routine update to existing checks. Norström noted that the Family Plan has run for nearly 12 or 13 years and makes up a large part of the user base. He added that the company constantly fixes loopholes as people find ways around the old rules, and this work will continue over time.

Context

Streaming services often use household verification checks to protect subscription revenue and push more users toward individual paid accounts. Rules that require users to live at the same address help companies ensure that group discounts go only to actual household groups.