Netflix offers two tiers of membership services. By paying a $7.99 monthly fee (as of December 2010), members are given unlimited access privileges to the Netflix catalog of online movies and TV shows. An additional $2 allows users to receive movies and television programs by mail using the Netflix envelope. Although members can only receive one DVD at a time, additional films can be checked out once the previous DVD is returned.
After selecting the desired rental online, Netflix mails the DVD to the member's mailing address in a clearly marked Netflix envelope. By paying a monthly membership, members are allowed to keep their rented movies indefinitely without return penalties.
After a member has finished watching his rented DVD, he can return his product in the Netflix envelope provided with the film. As postage is included in the monthly fee, members only need to place the envelope in their mailbox. After the movie has been received by Netflix, members can choose a new film or television program for rental.