Only a few hundred thousand accounts (less than 0.5 percent of total Netflix users) meet these criteria, and Netflix has already accounted for them in its financial guidance. If you decide to cancel but later change your mind, all of your preferences, profiles and so on will be on your account just as you left them — as long as you rejoin within 10 months.

This is a slightly unusual move from Netflix, as companies that adopt a subscription model rely on regular income from their members, including those who continue to pay every month without actually using the service. Ultimately, it might help Netflix earn some goodwill without damaging its bottom line too much.