Spotify Forces Seven-Day QR Scan

Spotify is enforcing its household rules with a seven-day deadline for in-person verification. Members of Duo and Family plans must scan a QR code on the plan manager's device within that window to retain access. Failure to complete the step results in an immediate downgrade to the free tier.

The verification process confirms that all plan members reside at the same address. This requirement applies to anyone currently on a shared subscription. The deadline is fixed at seven days from the time the prompt appears on the user's profile.

Those who miss the scan face a secondary penalty beyond the loss of paid status. Spotify blocks affected accounts from joining any other Duo or Family plan for 12 months. This restriction prevents users from simply switching to a different household's subscription while the ban is active.

The policy change follows user reports on Reddit regarding the new prompts. Spotify's support documentation now confirms the procedure. The company cites its existing terms of service, which state that family plan members must live at the same address.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs identified this enforcement gap as a revenue opportunity. In an October 15 report titled "Music in the Air: 10 Years On," the firm noted that a meaningful share of family plan users are friends sharing costs rather than household members. The report stated that enforcement of the same-address rule has been minimal in practice until now.

The new process targets households that may not fit the standard model, such as students living away from home or spouses with travel-heavy jobs. The verification step applies to all shared plans regardless of the specific living arrangement of the members. Spotify has not announced an exception process for non-traditional households.