A free game on a tablet can turn into a £50 bill before you’ve finished making dinner. Accidental in-app purchases are one of the most common money worries parents raise about children’s gaming, and the numbers show why.
Ofcom’s research on children’s online spending and potential financial harm, published in June 2025, surveyed 2,205 UK children aged 8 to 17. It found that 58% had spent money online in the previous month. Among children who had gamed in that month, 53% had spent money while playing. Around one in five who used someone else’s money said they did so without permission.
The good news is that every major phone, tablet and console has settings that stop surprise spending. Most take less than five minutes to switch on.
This guide starts with what to do if money has already gone. It then explains why accidental in-app purchases happen and walks through the settings for iPhone, iPad, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox. You’ll also find advice on Roblox, saved browser cards, your consumer rights in the UK and Ireland, and a simple family spending agreement.
Table of Contents
What to Do If Your Child Has Already Spent Money
If you’ve just spotted accidental in-app purchases on your statement, act in this order. Stopping further spending comes first, then a refund request to the platform, and only then a conversation with your bank.
Step 1: Stop Further Spending Straight Away
Take the device and switch off purchasing before you do anything else. On an iPhone or iPad, turn off in-app purchases in Screen Time (the steps are further down this page). On Android, set Google Play to ask for verification on every purchase.
Next, check which account made the purchase. Apple and Google send an email receipt for every transaction, so search your inbox for “receipt from Apple” or “Google Play”. Note the date, the amount and the name of the item. You will need these details for the refund request.
If the charge is linked to a game console, sign in to the console account and remove the saved card.
Step 2: Request a Refund from the Platform First
Apple and Google both have their own refund routes, and they are the quickest way to get money back.
For Apple, sign in to reportaproblem.apple.com, tap “I’d like to” and choose “Request a refund”. Pick the reason, select the item, and submit. Apple’s support pages say you should hear back within 24 to 48 hours. A pending charge cannot be refunded yet, so wait for the email receipt. If you are the Family Sharing organiser, you can see purchases made on your shared payment method by selecting “All”.
For Google Play, the standard window is short. Google says refunds for apps and in-app purchases can be requested through Google Play within 48 hours. After that, Google directs you to the app’s developer, who applies its own policy and the law.
Choose the reason that matches what happened. Google’s own policy treats a purchase made by a family member as different from fraud by a stranger. Reporting your own child’s spending as an unknown, unauthorised charge is not accurate, and it can slow things down.
Step 3: Be Careful Before Calling Your Bank
Many parents ring their bank first. It feels like the fastest fix, but it can cause new problems with your Apple or Google account.
A bank dispute tells the platform your card may have been used fraudulently. Apple’s support community reports that disputed charges are a common reason for the message “Your account has been disabled in the App Store and iTunes”. When that happens, you may be unable to download or update apps until Apple Support sorts out the payment issue.
A chargeback makes most sense when a stranger made the charges, not when a child in your home made accidental in-app purchases. In that case, contact your bank and report the fraud to Report Fraud, the national reporting service that replaced Action Fraud in December 2025.
Why Accidental In-App Purchases Happen So Easily
Children aren’t careless by nature. Many games are built so that spending feels like part of play, and the gap between a tap and a real payment is very small.
Virtual Currencies Hide the Real Price
Gems, coins, Robux and V-Bucks all put a layer between the child and the pound. A pack of 1,000 gems means very little to a nine-year-old. It only becomes real money when the bank statement arrives.
Ofcom’s 2025 survey shows how confusing this is. Of children who spent money while gaming, 42% said it isn’t always clear what they are getting for their money. Four in ten (41%) said they often spend more than they should, and 32% said they often regret purchases. Ofcom’s researchers also noted that children struggle to turn in-game currency back into pounds.
Most of this currency is also “consumable”. Once a child spends it, the item is used up, which is one reason refunds for in-game currency can be harder to win.
Offers, Timers and Pressure to Keep Up
Limited-time bundles, countdown clocks and “only today” skins push children to decide quickly. In Ofcom’s survey, 22% of child gamers who spent money said a special offer influenced them, and 21% pointed to items available for a limited time. Another 16% said they bought something because friends or family had.
The Office of Fair Trading investigated them in 2013 and 2014, and its principles for online games now sit with the Competition and Markets Authority. Our guide to choosing safe online games for children covers which features to watch for before you download.
Saved Cards and Password Grace Periods
The biggest technical cause of accidental in-app purchases is a card that’s already saved. Ofcom found that 19% of children who spent money while gaming paid with a parent’s card that was already stored on the device.
Password grace periods make this worse. On Apple devices, one password option lets further purchases go through without a password for 15 minutes after you last entered it. Google Play has a similar option that asks for verification only every 30 minutes. Type your password for a free game, hand the device back, and your child may be able to buy items inside that window.
How to Turn Off In-App Purchases on iPhone and iPad
Apple gives you three layers of protection against accidental in-app purchases. You can block purchases completely, require a password every time, or approve each request from your own phone. Use at least one, and ideally two.
Block In-App Purchases with Screen Time
This is the strongest setting for a child’s own device, or for a family iPad your child uses often.
- Open Settings: tap Screen Time. Set a Screen Time passcode your child doesn’t know.
- Open restrictions: tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, enter your passcode and turn the switch on.
- Find purchases: tap iTunes & App Store Purchases.
- Block spending: tap In-app Purchases and select Don’t Allow.
Free apps can still be installed, but nothing can be bought inside them. On the same screen, you can also set Require Password to Always Require. Menu names can shift slightly between iOS versions, so if a label looks different, search for “In-app Purchases” in Settings.
Require a Password for Every Purchase
If you share your own iPhone with your child, close the 15-minute window. Go to Settings, tap your name, then Media & Purchases, then Password Settings, and choose Always Require.
If you don’t see Password Settings, Face ID or Touch ID is already switched on for purchases. That is fine, as long as your child’s face or fingerprint isn’t registered on your device. Anyone whose biometrics are stored on the phone can approve a purchase, so remove any fingerprint that isn’t yours.
Use Ask to Buy for a Child’s Own Device
Ask to Buy sends every purchase or free download request to the family organiser for approval. Apple says it is on by default for children under 13 in a Family Sharing group, but check it rather than assume.
In iOS 26, open Settings, tap Family, then your child’s name. Tap Apps & Websites, then Restrictions, then Ask to Buy, and turn on Require Purchase Approval.
For more on setting up a child’s first device, see our mobile phone safety tips for students.
How to Block In-App Purchases on Android
To prevent accidental in-app purchases, Android relies on Google Play settings rather than the phone itself. There are two main tools: purchase verification on the device and purchase approvals through Google Family Link.
Require Verification for All Google Play Purchases
This setting protects any Android phone or tablet your child uses, including your own.
- Open Google Play: tap your profile picture in the top right.
- Go to Settings: open the Authentication or Purchase verification section.
- Choose the strictest option: select “For all purchases through Google Play on this device”.
Avoid the “Every 30 minutes” option on any device a child can pick up. As with Apple, don’t register your child’s fingerprint on your phone. Google has warned that anyone with biometrics stored on the device can approve purchases once biometric verification is on.
Set Purchase Approvals in Google Family Link
If your child has their own Google Account managed with Family Link, you can make them ask before buying anything.
Open the Family Link app and select your child. Tap Controls, then Google Play. Under “Purchases & download approvals”, tap Require approval for, and choose “All content” or “Only in-app purchases”.
Google is clear on one limit: purchase approvals only apply to purchases made through Google Play’s billing system. Purchases made on a website or through another payment route are not covered, which is why the browser section below matters. If Family Link feels limited for your household, our guide to parental control software for UK families compares third-party options.
How to Control Spending on Games Consoles
Ofcom found that 68% of children who spent money while gaming did so on a console, more than on a mobile phone. Locking down the phone alone leaves a large gap for accidental in-app purchases.
The table below shows where each main spending control sits.
| Platform | Where to find it | What to set |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 | Nintendo Account, Family Group | Spending Restrictions ticked |
| PlayStation 5 | Settings, Family and Parental Controls | Monthly Spending Limit at £0 |
| Xbox | Xbox Family Settings app, Spending | Ask to Buy on, card removed |
| Roblox | Parental Controls, Spending Restrictions | Monthly limit and all-transaction alerts |
Nintendo Switch and Switch 2
Sign in to your Nintendo Account in a web browser and open Family Group. Select your child, choose Spending Restrictions, tick the box, and save. You can also reach this from the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app. Once it is on, your child needs your permission to buy games or in-game content from the Nintendo eShop. You receive an email for every purchase.
PlayStation 5
On the console, go to Settings, then Family and Parental Controls, then Family Management. Select your child and open Parental Controls, then Monthly Spending Limit. Sony says the limit is set to zero by default for child accounts, so check that nobody has raised it. Remember that any guardian you add can change the limit.
Xbox
In the Xbox Family Settings app, select your child and open Spending. Turn on Ask to Buy so you’re notified whenever your child wants something they can’t afford. If you’d rather give an allowance, add a fixed amount of money to their Microsoft account and remove any card.
Roblox, Fortnite and Cross-Platform Wallets
Some games keep their own wallet, which follows your child across phone, tablet, console and computer. Blocking purchases on one device doesn’t stop spending through the same account elsewhere.
Roblox lets parents set a monthly spending limit and choose spending notifications from the Parental Controls menu. Internet Matters notes that high-spend alerts are on by default, but they only warn you at £100, £250 or £500 a month. Choose “All transactions” instead so you hear about every purchase. The monthly limit doesn’t apply to gift cards, so a gift card is a separate route to watch.
Epic Games accounts, used for Fortnite, have their own parental controls on the Epic website, separate from the console or phone settings. Check them, remove any saved cards, and review purchase history regularly. Our guide to video game security risks explains how to secure a child’s gaming accounts with two-factor authentication.
Browser Autofill and Website Checkouts
Parents often lock the app store and still find accidental in-app purchases on their bill. The reason is usually a card saved in the web browser, which app store controls cannot see.
On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, then Apps, then Safari, then AutoFill, and turn off Credit Cards. You can also remove individual cards from AutoFill in the Wallet settings. In Google Chrome, open the menu, go to Settings, then Payment methods, and turn off saving and filling payment methods. Delete any cards stored there.
Check other shared devices too, such as a family laptop. A child who can’t buy Robux inside the app may simply open the Roblox website instead. Our explainer on what a mobile parental filter does covers browser-level controls in more depth.
Your Consumer Rights in the UK and Ireland
If a refund request for accidental in-app purchases is turned down, you still have options. UK consumer law sets clear standards for games aimed at children. Apple’s own refund page notes that consumers keep their rights under local consumer law.
What the CMA Principles Say
The Office of Fair Trading published its Principles for online and app-based games in 2014, and the Competition and Markets Authority adopted them. Games had to comply from 1 April 2015. The principles state that in-game payments should not be taken unless the account holder, such as a parent, has given express, informed consent. They also say a game should not directly encourage children to buy items, or to ask others to buy for them.
Enforcement became stronger on 6 April 2025, when the consumer protection parts of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 came into force. The CMA can now fine a business up to 10% of its global turnover for breaking consumer law, without going to court first.
How to Challenge a Refusal
Reply to the refusal politely and in writing. Explain that a child made the purchase without your express, informed consent. Refer to the CMA’s principles for online and app-based games. Keep copies of receipts, dates and any screenshots of the game’s purchase screens.
If you get nowhere, the Citizens Advice consumer helpline can advise in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, contact Consumerline. Readers in Ireland can get advice from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).
A refund is not guaranteed, and platforms judge each case on its facts. Google, for example, says it usually can’t issue a refund if an account wasn’t protected with authentication. That’s one more reason to switch the settings above on now.
Build a Family Spending Agreement
Settings stop the accident. Conversation stops the next one. As children get older, the aim is to move from blocks to shared rules they understand.
Ofcom found that 84% of parents use some form of control or monitoring for their child’s online spending. Only 20% receive a notification when their child tries to spend money, so there is room to do more.
A simple agreement might include:
- A fixed allowance: top up a gift card, such as a £10 App Store or Google Play card, rather than linking a bank card.
- An “ask first” rule: any purchase, even 79p, needs a grown-up’s yes.
- A cooling-off habit: wait until the next day before buying a limited-time offer.
- A monthly check: look at purchase history together and talk about what was worth it.
Our kids’ internet safety guide includes a template for a wider family internet agreement you can adapt.
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers cover the questions parents ask most often about accidental in-app purchases and refunds.
Will Apple or Google refund accidental in-app purchases?
Often, if you ask quickly. Apple handles requests through reportaproblem.apple.com and usually responds within 24 to 48 hours. Google allows requests through Google Play within 48 hours of an in-app purchase, then passes you to the developer. Neither refund is guaranteed.
Why shouldn’t I ask my bank to reverse the charge first?
A bank dispute signals possible fraud to the platform. Apple users commonly report that their App Store account was disabled after a disputed charge. Try the platform’s refund route first and keep bank disputes for charges made by a stranger.
What is the 15-minute password window on iPhone?
Apple offers a setting that lets purchases go through without a password for 15 minutes after you last entered it. Switch to Always Require in Settings, [your name], Media & Purchases, Password Settings.
Can I block in-app purchases but still allow free apps?
You can. On iPhone and iPad, setting In-app Purchases to Don’t Allow still lets free apps install. On Android, Family Link lets you require approval for “Only in-app purchases”.
How do I stop my child spending on Roblox?
Set a monthly spending limit and turn on “All transactions” notifications in Roblox’s Parental Controls. Remove saved cards and remember that gift cards sit outside the monthly limit.