Simple! Because they don't want to take my money.

Let me explain: I'm living in a country where Spotify isn't present just yet. So I have to use a VPN every now and then to „trick” Spotify that I'm an US user traveling abroad.

I want to buy a subscription, I really want, but I can't use Paypal nor a credit card (because of the country restriction) so the only way of getting a valid subscription is to buy an overpriced gift card (i.e. $16+ for a $10 card).

Does it really cost that much? It's actually cheaper here, so my previous comment about global pricing was not entirely true.

But I still find it too expensive, for my use cases that is. I used it because it was free(mium), I wouldn't have touched it otherwise. I'm sure it's valuable service for some, just not for me. I'd be willing to pay 2-3 beers[1] worth a month (but I would still be hesitant because I really don't need to).

This post was mostly about anti-user behavior from Spotify, perhaps because they can't afford free users.

1. cost of domestic beer (or local food in general) translates better than money across different regions across the world