Spotify Adds Qr Checks For Premium Family Addresses
Some Premium Family members may have seven days to verify they live with their plan manager or lose access to shared-plan options.
Spotify is rolling out QR-code checks for some Premium Family members to verify that they live at the same address as their plan manager. The company confirmed the change during its third-quarter investor call, but co-CEO Alex Norström described it as a routine improvement to existing verification methods rather than a new crackdown, according to TechCrunch.
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How the check works
Spotify’s support documentation says a member may receive a notification asking them to scan a QR code. The code appears on the plan manager’s phone, and the member scans it with their own phone, TechCrunch reports. Members have seven days after the notification to complete the check.
Missing that window can have consequences beyond the current subscription. Engadget says a member may be locked out and cannot join another Family or Duo plan for a year. TechCrunch likewise reports a 12-month restriction on joining another such plan if verification is not completed. An individual Premium subscription remains an option. Engadget lists its price at $13 per month, compared with $22 per month for a Family plan covering up to six accounts.
An existing rule with a new verification method
The Family plan already requires members to live with the plan manager; the QR code changes how Spotify checks that requirement. TechCrunch says the move is intended to encourage separate Premium subscriptions instead of letting friends or adult children who live elsewhere split the cost of a Family plan.
Norström framed the change differently on the investor call. According to TechCrunch, he said Spotify has operated the Family plan for roughly 12 or 13 years and expects verification methods to keep evolving as the company identifies ways around them. He characterized that work as ongoing, with no set end date.
Questions about remote scans
The new method has already prompted discussion of possible workarounds. Engadget reports that Reddit users claimed the QR codes refresh every few seconds, making screenshots less useful. Some users said they had managed to scan a code remotely using video calls and additional devices. Those accounts are user claims reported by Engadget, not a stated exception to Spotify’s same-address requirement.
For members who receive a verification request, the immediate issue is the seven-day deadline. The reports do not say that every Family member has been prompted, but they make clear that a missed check could limit a member’s ability to use another shared plan for the following year.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.