Instead of raising prices or scaling back perks, Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) keeps making its service more attractive.

A new policy at the leading mail order rental service for DVDs is welcome news to its 8.7 million subscribers. Now, when the next available title in a renter's queue is being shipped from a faraway distribution center, a queue title that's locally available will also be shipped out at no additional charge. The Netflix subscriber will then have an extra flick in the mail the next day.

As Netflix grows -- now with 55 regional distribution centers as far away as Anchorage and Honolulu -- it just makes sense for the company to curb its cross-country mailings to avoid frustrating users. The new policy provides the best of both worlds, since a subscriber will get the requested film in a few days, but has a bonus DVD to watch in the meantime.

But how will it impact shareowners?

Good question. With the exception of charging customers requesting Blu-ray discs $1 more a month for access, Netflix has held its prices in check. In fact, the average customer pays just $13.60 a month these days, nearly a buck less than the monthly average a year ago. This translates into Netflix coming up with new ways to improve margins, yet its actions suggest otherwise.

Digital streaming of 12,000 of the more than 100,000 DVDs in the Netflix library is offered at no additional cost. It is actually promoted, available this quarter through many home theater appliances like LG and Samsung Blu-ray players, TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO) DVRs and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Xbox 360 video game consoles.

But the customer freebies aren't free to Netflix. The company still has studio royalties to pay, as well as roundtrip postage and bandwidth overhead.

It may seem like an unconventional strategy, but it clearly has to help the company with customer retention. If members are happy -- and clearly the perceived value of a Netflix subscription is greater today than it ever was -- they will not stray. Acquiring new subscribers doesn't come cheap. Gross subscriber acquisition costs clocked in at $32.21 for each new user this past quarter. Keeping churn in check frees up the company to spend less to attract members through other channels.

Things can change, of course. One has to think that digital video specialists like Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) or Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) will eventually roll out an "all-you-can-stream" model. Then again, since Apple has never followed Napster or RealNetworks (Nasdaq: RNWK) into music subscription models, maybe Netflix can continue to grow in its niche unchecked.

Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI) is giving it a go with its attractively priced set-top box solution, but the video retailer would rather win you over to its stores, where there is more money to be made.

So Netflix definitely gets the concept of winning over subscribers. However, it's not an entirely selfless act. It's a business. It has subscribers to keep. It has competition that it has -- so far -- been able to keep comfortably away.

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