Many games are free to download and expensive to play. A few settings stop your child from spending your money without asking.
What to remember
- Turn on purchase approvals, or require a password for every purchase, on any device your child uses.
- The FTC has secured refunds from Apple, Google, Amazon and Epic Games over charges parents didn’t authorize.
- Check your purchase history regularly and ask for refunds quickly if you spot charges you didn’t approve.
Free games often make their money from in-app purchases: extra lives, outfits, coins and gems that cost real money. Children don’t always understand that, and a saved payment method makes buying very easy.
Why the charges happen
- Stored payment details. Once a card is saved, a purchase can take a single tap.
- Password windows. On some settings, entering a password once allows further purchases for a short time without asking again.
- Virtual currency. Gems and coins make it hard to see how much real money is being spent.
What regulators have done
The Federal Trade Commission has taken action over children’s unauthorized purchases several times:
- Apple agreed in 2014 to refund at least $32.5 million to parents. The FTC said that entering a password once could open a 15-minute window for more purchases without the parent knowing.
- Google agreed in 2014 to refund at least $19 million.
- Amazon lost a court case brought by the FTC and in 2017 opened a refund process for more than $70 million in in-app charges.
- Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, agreed in 2022 to pay $245 million in refunds over unwanted charges, along with a separate penalty under the children’s privacy law.
These cases led to clearer purchase prompts, but the most reliable protection is still the settings on your child’s device.
Turn on approvals
- iPhone and iPad: set up Family Sharing and turn on Ask to Buy for your child’s account, so you get a request to approve each purchase.
- Android: in Google Family Link, require approval for purchases on your child’s account. On a shared device, set Google Play to require authentication for every purchase.
- Amazon devices and apps: use the parental controls to require a PIN or password for purchases.
- Game consoles: use the family settings to set spending limits or require approval.
Parent tip: Remove saved credit cards from devices your child uses, or use a prepaid gift card balance instead. Our guide to gift card rules explains the protections those cards carry.
Talk about it
Explain that coins and gems in games cost real money, and agree on a budget together. Older children can learn a lot by managing a small monthly amount.
If unwanted charges appear
- Check the purchase history in the app store and on your card statement.
- Request a refund from the app store as soon as you can.
- Change the device password and turn on approvals so it doesn’t happen again.
- If the app store won’t help and you paid by card, contact your card issuer about disputing the charges.
Charges from an order that never arrived are a different situation, covered in what to do when an online order is late.
Parents also ask
Can I get money back for a purchase my child made?
Ask the app store first, since each has a way to request a refund, and do it quickly because time limits apply. If that fails and you paid by card, contact your card issuer.
Is a gift card safer than a saved credit card?
A prepaid balance caps how much can be spent, which some parents prefer. Combine it with purchase approvals for the best protection.
What about game consoles?
Consoles have their own family settings, including spending limits and purchase restrictions. Set them up on the console or in the manufacturer’s family app.
This guide is general information for U.S. shoppers, not legal advice. Safety rules and store policies change, so follow the product’s instructions and labels and check official sources such as CPSC.gov, NHTSA.gov and FTC.gov.