In-Game Spending and Loot Boxes: How to Stop Surprise Charges

Many popular games are free to download and make their money from small purchases: skins, game currency, battle passes and mystery boxes. For children, those purchases can add up fast, sometimes without them realizing real money is being spent. In 2022 the FTC alleged that Fortnite’s maker, Epic Games, “let children rack up unauthorized charges without any parental involvement” and used confusing button layouts that triggered purchases; Epic agreed to pay $245 million in refunds. This guide explains how in-game spending works and how to set up approval for every purchase. Checked October 25, 2026.

How games encourage spending

• Virtual currency. Coins, gems or “V-Bucks” hide the real price and are often sold in bundles that leave leftover currency, nudging another purchase.
• Limited-time items. Countdown timers and rotating shops create pressure to buy now.
• Battle passes and subscriptions that renew automatically.
• Social pressure. Skins and items are visible to friends, so children may feel left out without them.
• Loot boxes. Paid mystery boxes, packs or spins that give a random item. The child doesn’t know what they’ll get, which keeps them buying for the rare one.

What the ESRB label tells you

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating on a game’s store page or box can include an interactive element notice:

• In-Game Purchases: the game sells extra content or currency with real money.
• In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items): some purchases are random, such as loot boxes, card packs or prize wheels.

Check this before you buy or download a game, alongside the age rating.

Require approval for every purchase

• iPhone and iPad: Turn on Ask to Buy in Family Sharing so you approve each purchase, and block in-app purchases in Screen Time if you prefer. See How to Set Parental Controls on an iPhone.
• Android: In Google Family Link, require approval for purchases on Google Play. See How to Set Up Google Family Link.
• Game consoles: Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch each let a parent account set spending limits or require approval for a child account. Set this up through the console maker’s family settings app or website.
• Roblox: Use the parental controls for monthly spending limits. See Roblox Parental Controls.
• Remove saved cards from devices and game accounts children use, or use a prepaid gift card with a fixed amount for game spending.

Set a family spending plan

1. Agree on a monthly budget, or make purchases part of allowance.
2. Explain what game currency costs in real dollars. Converting “1,000 coins” to “$9.99” changes how it feels.
3. Decide whether loot boxes and random packs are allowed at all.
4. Agree that nobody shares a parent’s password or payment details, even with friends.

Beware of anyone offering free game currency or cheap skins. These offers are a common way to steal accounts and passwords. Real game currency only comes from the game or the official store.

If there are charges you didn’t approve

1. Check your statement and the account’s purchase history in the app store or console account.
2. Request a refund from the store: Apple, Google Play and the console stores each have a refund request process for purchases. Explain that a child made them without permission.
3. Contact the game company if the purchase was made directly in the game.
4. Dispute with your card issuer if the store won’t help. Credit cards have strong dispute rights for charges you didn’t authorize.
5. Turn on purchase approval so it doesn’t happen again, and report unfair practices to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Quick checklist

• Ask to Buy or purchase approval turned on
• Console spending limits set
• Saved cards removed from kids’ accounts
• Monthly game budget agreed
• ESRB purchase labels checked before new games

Frequently asked questions

Are loot boxes gambling?
Regulators disagree, and rules vary by country. In the U.S., the ESRB labels games with random paid items so parents can decide for themselves.

Can I get a refund if my child bought something?
Often, yes, if you ask quickly. Each store decides case by case, so explain that it was a child’s unauthorized purchase and turn on approval right away.

Is a battle pass a good deal?
It can be, if your child plays regularly. Make sure it doesn’t renew automatically without your OK.

Sources

• FTC Sends Refund Payments to Consumers Impacted by Epic Games’ Unlawful Billing Practices, Federal Trade Commission (December 2024), accessed October 25, 2026
• Ratings Guide, Entertainment Software Rating Board, accessed October 25, 2026
• ReportFraud.ftc.gov, Federal Trade Commission, accessed October 25, 2026