Spotify Sets Seven-Day Scan Deadline

Spotify has activated a strict verification process for its Family and Duo subscription tiers, requiring members to physically scan a QR code on a manager's device to retain premium access.

The deadline is seven days. If a user fails to complete the address-verification scan within that window, their account is automatically downgraded to the free tier. The company also blocks the user from joining any other Duo or Family plan for 12 months following the demotion.

Support documentation now reflects this policy, a move that followed widespread reports on Reddit where users shared screenshots of the new prompt. The requirement enforces Spotify's long-standing rule that all members of a shared plan must reside at the same address.

While the rule aims to prevent groups of friends from pooling subscriptions to save money, it impacts households that do not fit a standard cohabitation model. The verification process may affect children attending college away from home or spouses who work away from the primary residence for extended periods.

The crackdown targets a gap between written policy and historical practice. Goldman Sachs analysts noted in an October 15 report titled "Music in the Air: 10 Years On" that a meaningful share of family plan users are not actual household members but rather friends sharing costs.

The analysts stated they see additional monetization upside from tightening household verification on multi-user plans. They observed that while most family plans require members to reside at the same address, enforcement had been minimal in practice until now.

The new QR code step represents a direct shift in how Spotify applies its existing terms. The company is moving to close the gap between the written requirement for shared residency and the leniency previously shown to users who lived apart.