In-Game Purchases and Kids: Controls That Actually Work
Every platform has a control that prevents this entirely, and every platform leaves it off by default.
The short answer
Every major gaming platform provides purchase authentication that requires a password or biometric confirmation for each transaction, and this control prevents essentially all accidental child spending. It is disabled by default on most platforms, which is the primary reason large unexpected charges occur. Removing stored payment methods and using gift card balances instead provides a hard spending ceiling that no setting can be bypassed to exceed.
Verified and last updated August 12, 2026.
- Time needed
- 11 min
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Read time
- 3 min
The stories about children spending large sums on games all have the same shape, and the same single cause.
A payment method is stored. Purchase authentication is off. Two taps complete a transaction.
It is off by default nearly everywhere
Purchase authentication exists on every platform and is disabled by default on most. That default is why these stories happen.
Step 1: Turn on purchase authentication everywhere
Android's default deserves particular attention. It commonly authenticates once and then allows purchases without re-authentication for a period afterwards, which is exactly the window in which a child using the device after you produces charges.
Set it to require authentication for every purchase rather than for the first one.
Step 2: Remove stored payment methods and use balance instead
Authentication is a setting, and settings can be changed by anyone who learns the password or watches it being typed.
A gift card balance is a ceiling. It cannot be exceeded no matter what happens, and that makes it structurally more robust than any control.
For a child's account this is the strongest arrangement available:
- Remove all stored cards from the account
- Top up with gift card balance periodically
- Keep purchase authentication on as well
- Treat the balance as their budget
It also teaches something useful, which is that money is finite. That lesson is easier delivered by a balance running out than by a conversation after a bank statement.
If it has already happened
Request a refund immediately. Both mobile stores and both console platforms handle unauthorised child purchases sympathetically, particularly for a first occurrence.
The refunds guide covers the exact routes, which are not where you would expect on either mobile platform.
Then set up the controls, because a second request with the same explanation is considerably less likely to succeed once the platform can see the control was available.
The design context worth understanding
None of this is accidental on the platforms' side. Frictionless purchasing increases purchases, which is the point of designing it that way.
Games aimed at children use urgency, limited-time offers and currency abstraction precisely because those work better on children than on adults. Understanding that the systems are designed rather than incidental makes the case for controls less negotiable.
The parental controls guide covers the full setup across platforms, of which purchasing is one part.
What works
What doesn't
Key takeaways
Frequently asked questions
Why did my child manage to spend money without a password?
Because purchase authentication is off by default on most platforms, and once a payment method is stored a purchase can complete in two taps. The systems are designed for frictionless buying, and that design does not distinguish between an adult and a child holding the device. Enabling authentication changes it immediately.
Is a gift card balance better than a card on file?
Considerably, because it creates a ceiling that cannot be exceeded regardless of what settings get changed or what a child works out. A stored card has no upper limit beyond your bank's. For a child's account, balance-only is the most robust arrangement available and it also teaches a budget.
Can I get a refund if it already happened?
Often yes, particularly for a first occurrence, and platforms handle unauthorised child purchases sympathetically. Request immediately rather than waiting. Set up authentication afterwards, because a second identical request is much less likely to be approved once the control was available to you.
Do these controls work on PC games?
Steam and other PC storefronts have their own settings, and Windows family safety adds a layer above them, but PC is generally the hardest environment to lock down completely. A separate limited user account without stored payment details is the most reliable approach there. Console and mobile are considerably easier to control.
About the author
Roblox & Live-Service Editor
Priya started scripting in Roblox Studio at fourteen and has since published three experiences, the largest of which passed 1.2 million visits. That background is why our Roblox coverage explains why a code fails rather than just telling you to try again later.
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