How do I stop my child spending money in games and apps?

The surest way to stop surprise spending is to make every purchase need your approval. On a child’s iPhone or iPad that’s Ask to Buy; on Android it’s purchase approvals in Google Family Link; on consoles and in games like Roblox it’s a spending limit you set from your own account. Add one more habit, keeping your bank card off your child’s account, and money can’t leave without you knowing. Each one takes a few minutes.

It’s also worth saying: if a child has already run up a bill, it’s rarely sneaky behaviour. Many games are free to download and then sell coins, skins, loot boxes and passes, and young children don’t always connect a tap on the screen with real money. Webwise makes exactly this point. The fix is settings plus a chat, not a telling-off.

The steps below come from each company’s current help pages. Menus move between software updates, so if something looks different, check the linked page.

iPhone and iPad: turn on Ask to Buy

Ask to Buy sends you a request whenever your child tries to buy or download something, including in-app purchases (Apple). It works when your child has their own Apple Account in your Family Sharing group. In some countries and regions it’s already on by default for under-18s and can’t be switched off.

To turn it on from your own iPhone or iPad (Apple):

1. Open Settings and tap Family.
2. Tap your child’s name.
3. Tap Apps & Websites, then Restrictions.
4. Tap Ask to Buy and turn on Require Purchase Approval.

When a request comes in, you approve it with your password or Face ID, or decline it and nothing is bought. Two things to know: a request you ignore expires after 24 hours, and Ask to Buy doesn’t cover redownloading something your child already owns, app updates or redeeming a code (Apple). So a gift card code can still be redeemed without asking you.

If you haven’t set up Family Sharing yet, our guide to setting up Screen Time on your child’s iPhone walks through it.

Android: purchase approvals in Family Link

If your child’s Android phone or tablet is supervised with Google Family Link, you can decide which Google Play purchases need your approval. The options are all content, paid content only, in-app purchases only or never (Google). For most families, “all content” or “paid content only” is the sensible choice.

To change it in the Family Link app (Google):

1. Open Family Link and select your child.
2. Tap Controls, then Google Play.
3. Under Purchases & download approvals, tap Require approval for and pick an option.

Approvals cover paid apps, in-app purchases and prepaid subscriptions bought through Google Play’s own payment system. Google is clear that anything paid for outside that system isn’t covered (Google). Keep Family Link and Play Store notifications switched on, or you won’t see requests. Our Family Link set-up guide covers the rest of the controls.

Consoles: PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch

PlayStation 5. A child account’s monthly spending limit starts at 0, so nothing can be bought until you raise it, and purchases come out of the family manager’s wallet (PlayStation). To check or change it:

1. On the console, go to Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management.
2. Select your child, then Parental Controls > Monthly Spending Limit.

You can also do this in a web browser through Account Management. Any guardian the family manager appoints can change the limit too, so agree it between you.

Xbox. Rather than a cap, Xbox works best with a prepaid balance. In the Microsoft Family app, select your child, choose Spending and use Add money to top up their Microsoft account balance: that’s the most they can spend (Internet Matters). In the same place you can turn on a notification for every purchase. On the console, the Ask a parent setting (under Buy & download in the child’s Xbox privacy settings) means they need your permission to buy or download games. If a card is on their account, turn on Require approval for every purchase, though Internet Matters suggests not attaching one at all.

Nintendo Switch. Spending is controlled through your Nintendo Account rather than the console’s parental controls app. Our Nintendo Switch parental controls guide covers how to restrict eShop spending.

Roblox and other games with their own money

Some games, Roblox in particular, have their own spending controls on top of the device’s. Once you’ve linked your account to your child’s with parent privileges, you can set a monthly spending limit; in most regions this is for children under 13 (Roblox). When they hit it, your child is told they can’t buy anything else that month.

Two catches, both from Roblox’s own help page: you won’t be told when the limit is reached unless you opt in to spending notifications, and the limit doesn’t apply to gift cards. So a Roblox gift card from a birthday will still go straight into their account. That’s not a bad thing, as a gift card is a fixed amount, but it’s worth knowing. Our guide to whether Roblox is safe for a 7-year-old covers linking accounts.

Talk about loot boxes and in-game money

Settings stop the surprise bills; a conversation helps your child make good choices when they do have money to spend. Webwise describes loot boxes as mystery bundles of game items where you don’t know what you’ll get until you’ve paid, and notes concerns about how close that is to gambling. Its suggestions:

• Ask your child to show you the games they play and how buying works in them.
• Make sure they know that coins, gems and loot boxes cost real money.
• Agree rules for spending together, and check PEGI ratings, which flag in-game purchases.

Internet Matters adds that a small weekly or monthly allowance, on a gift card or prepaid balance rather than your card, lets children practise managing money online with a built-in limit. It also suggests talking about peer pressure, since wanting the same skin as their friends is a powerful pull.

If money has already gone

Don’t panic: refunds are often possible. For Apple purchases, sign in at reportaproblem.apple.com, choose I’d like to > Request a refund, pick a reason and select the item (Apple). Apple says to expect an update within 24 to 48 hours, and eligibility varies by country. If you’re the Family Sharing organiser, purchases on the shared payment method show up when you choose All. For Google Play, consoles and games, start with the help pages of the store the money went through, and act quickly.

Then turn on the relevant setting above so it doesn’t happen again, and have a calm chat with your child about what happened.

What to do next

• Check your child’s main device tonight. Turn on Ask to Buy (iPhone or iPad) or purchase approvals (Android), and look up the monthly spending limit on their console.
• Take your card off their accounts. Use a prepaid balance or gift card instead, so the most that can ever be spent is what you put in.
• Opt in to purchase notifications on Xbox and Roblox, so you hear about every purchase rather than finding out from your bank statement.
• Have a five-minute chat this week. Ask your child to show you how buying works in their favourite game, and agree together what’s okay to spend and on what.