What Was the Netflix DVD Rental Program? (2024)

Note

Netflix ended its DVD rental service on September 29, 2023. See Netflix's FAQ for more information. This article remains for archival purposes.

Netflix used to have two separate services: an online streaming platform you access through www.netflix.com and other apps, and also a DVD rental program via dvd.netflix.com, where they sent you DVDs through the mail.

Netflix's DVD program included some TV shows and movies that weren't available through their streaming service. You could watch both DVDs and Blu-rays, and there were a few plans to pick from depending on how many discs you wanted to borrow at once.

Netflix's DVD Plans

There are three DVD Netflix plans. All of them offer unlimited discs per month, no late fees, free shipping and returns, DVDs and Blu-rays, and no long-term commitment (just month-by-month).

The only difference between these plans is the number of discs you can have at once:

  • Basic: $9.99 /month; one disc at a time
  • Standard: $14.99 /month; two discs at a time
  • Premium: $19.99 /month; three discs at a time

How to Sign Up for DVD Netflix

If you’re already subscribed to Netflix’s streaming service, follow these steps, otherwise skip down to the next set of instructions:

These directions are for using a desktop web browser, but you can also sign up with the DVD Netflix mobile app.

Existing Users

  1. Visit DVD Netflix and sign in with your Netflix information.

  2. Choose Add DVD Plan.

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  3. Select the plan you want to subscribe to, and then choose Get Started.

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  4. Fill out your shipping information, and then select Start.

New Users

If you don’t currently have a Netflix account, follow these steps instead:

  1. Visit DVD Netflix at DVD.com.

  2. Select Sign Up.

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  3. Choose the plan you want, and then select Get Started.

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  4. Enter your email address, choose a password, and then select Continue.

  5. Enter your shipping information, and then press Continue.

  6. Provide payment details, and then select Start Membership.

How to Choose DVDs

Netflix automatically sends DVDs to you based on what you've added to your personal queue. The order in which you receive them is based on the way they're arranged within the queue.

Once you've returned the DVD, the next title on the list is sent, and so on.

Here's how to add movies to your DVD Netflix queue and then adjust which ones you'll get first:

From a Computer

  1. From DVD Netflix, select Add to Queue or Add, depending on the screen you're looking at, next to any DVD you want.

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    To add a whole season of a TV show, pick the season you want to rent and choose Add All to Queue.

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    You can find titles by searching by name, people, or genre. There's also a Browse menu for locating popular movies, new releases, and Netflix's top 100 titles.

  2. Open your queue via the QUEUE menu at the top of the site to manage the DVDs. You can adjust the order by dragging the titles up and down. Delete an item by hovering your mouse over it and selecting the trash icon.

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With the Mobile App

Mobile users can manage the DVD Netflix queue as well. Tap the plus sign to add a movie to TV show to the queue, and use the disc icon at the top right to edit the order or remove DVDs.

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How to Return Netflix DVDs

You have to return DVDs to Netflix in order to get the next one from your queue.

Returning your rented DVDs to Netflix is easy. Just put the disc into the sleeve and envelope that came with it when you received it, and then put it in your mailbox or drop it off at a local post office.

How to Cancel DVD Netflix

You can leave the DVD Netflix program at any time to stop getting DVDs from Netflix.

If you have a streaming plan with Netflix, ending your DVD plan will not affect it.

When you cancel your Netflix DVD service, your queue will remain for 10 months in case you decide to reopen your account. All DVDs must be returned by the end of your billing cycle to avoid additional charges.

  1. Log in to Netflix at netflix.com or with the Netflix or DVD Netflix mobile app.

  2. Hover your mouse over the profile image at the top right of the screen, and then choose Account. If you're using the app, go to More > Account to open your account information in your browser.

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  3. Select Cancel DVD plan from the PLAN DETAILS section.

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  4. Check the box next to Proceed to Cancellation, and then select Continue.

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  5. Scroll down and choose Yes, cancel my account.

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  6. Choose Done on the final page.

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What Was the Netflix DVD Rental Program? (2024)

FAQs

What Was the Netflix DVD Rental Program? ›

Netflix's DVD program included some TV shows and movies that weren't available through their streaming service. You could watch both DVDs and Blu-rays, and there were a few plans to pick from depending on how many discs you wanted to borrow at once.

How did Netflix DVD rental work? ›

Subscribers could create a queue of movies online and receive DVDs by mail, eliminating the need to visit physical rental stores. No Late Fees: Unlike traditional rental stores, Netflix didn't charge late fees. This customer-friendly policy relieved the stress of returning DVDs on time.

Does Netflix do DVD rentals anymore? ›

Netflix will send out its last red envelope on Friday, marking an end to 25 years of mailing DVDs to members. The company announced earlier this year it is shutting down its DVD-by-mail service, 16 years after it gradually shifted its focus to streaming content online.

What was the last DVD Netflix sent out? ›

The company also revealed the contents of the final delivery, with the Netflix DVD account writing on X (formerly Twitter), "Inside the last-ever red envelope that we shipped out was… the Blu-ray disc of True Grit (2010)."

What will happen to the Netflix DVD library? ›

Netflix is shutting down its DVD rental business, and the last disc would be mailed on September 29. Netflix announced on Monday that after the deadline its subscribers have the option to keep any DVDs, telling subscribers, “Please enjoy them for as long as you like!

What happens if you don't return a Netflix DVD? ›

You won't be charged for any unreturned discs and can enjoy them for as long as you like.

Can I share my Netflix account with family in a different home? ›

A Netflix account is meant to be shared by people who live together in one household. People who are not in your household will need to sign up for their own account to watch Netflix. You can manage who uses your account by setting a Netflix Household.

How much did it cost to rent a DVD from Netflix? ›

Netflix's DVD Plans

The only difference between these plans is the number of discs you can have at once: Basic: $9.99 /month; one disc at a time. Standard: $14.99 /month; two discs at a time. Premium: $19.99 /month; three discs at a time.

How many people still get Netflix DVDs? ›

Netflix does not break out the number of DVD subscribers in its figures, but according to an AP estimate fewer than 1 million people now subscribe to the service.

Why did Netflix stop selling DVDs? ›

Why is Netflix ending their DVD service? Netflix attributes the end of the service to a shrinking DVD business. "Our goal has always been to provide the best service for our members, but as the DVD business continues to shrink, that's going to become increasingly difficult.

Can I keep my last Netflix DVD? ›

As a parting gift to its loyal DVD-by-mail members, Netflix will let them keep any discs they still have out. The company, which launched as a DVD subscription service 25 years ago, announced this spring that it would wind down the business — which, superseded by streaming, has been dwindling for years.

Did anyone get extra Netflix DVDs? ›

Netflix will send 10 extra DVDs to customers, and now says you can keep them. Since this story was first published, Netflix has said its DVD-by-mail customers will not be required to return the 10 DVDs it offered to send them before the service ends in September.

Can you still rent DVDs from Netflix? ›

On September 29, Netflix will cease to mail out DVD rentals, the end of a 25-year movies-by-mail operation that expanded people's access to a world of movies and then, eventually, evolved into a streaming model that may have broken the entertainment industry entirely.

What was Netflix originally called? ›

The original name for Netflix was Kibble — yes, like the dog food. Netflix invented the original streaming box but decided to spin it off into Roku. Following the launch of The Queen's Gambit, there was a 125% increase in chess board sales.

Will Netflix ever put their movies on DVD? ›

In April, a little more than 25 years after Netflix shipped its first DVD, co-CEO Ted Sarandos announced that the company would be shutting down its disc-mailing business for good at the end of September.

How does Netflix DVD plan work? ›

Netflix's DVD Plans

All of them offer unlimited discs per month, no late fees, free shipping and returns, DVDs and Blu-rays, and no long-term commitment (just month-by-month). The only difference between these plans is the number of discs you can have at once: Basic: $9.99 /month; one disc at a time.

How did Netflix's shift from DVD rentals to a subscription-based model contribute to its exponential growth? ›

In 2007, they took their first step into the world of streaming video. They offered customers a streaming subscription in addition to the more traditional DVD rental service, giving customers the option to chart their own path. Since then, they've seen exponential growth in subscribers and revenue.

How did Netflix's strategy evolve from a DVD rental by mail service to a subscription-based streaming service? ›

Disruptive Innovations and Product Development at Netflix

The company's original DVD-by-mail service disrupted traditional video rental stores by offering greater convenience. In 1999, Netflix introduced a groundbreaking subscription model that provided customers with unlimited DVD rentals for a flat monthly fee.

Can you keep Netflix DVDs? ›

As a parting gift to its loyal DVD-by-mail members, Netflix will let them keep any discs they still have out. The company, which launched as a DVD subscription service 25 years ago, announced this spring that it would wind down the business — which, superseded by streaming, has been dwindling for years.

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