Beware Those ‘Free’ Video Games

It’s every parent’s nightmare: a credit card statement showing thousands of dollars in mysterious charges.

You immediately suspect identity theft, but the credit card company says the charges did, indeed, come from you. According to their records, you purchased “a package of hearts for $499.99” … four times. You start to deny the charges, only to realize that your young child has been playing a new game on your phone. Oh no.

The biggest tip for any parent is to make sure you slow yourself down and read.

Blame the new generation of “free to play” video games. This game category costs nothing to enjoy — at first. If you want to check out more features or game options, though, prepare to pay up. For most, thousands of dollars in purchases from an app isn’t common. But the drip-drip-drip of small fees from video game purchases adds up all the same.

There is good news. Companies are starting to implement guards against unwanted or accidental purchases.

Every single platform — PC, iOS, Android, Xbox or Playstation — has free-to-play games with some form of micro-transaction implemented. That’s because microtransactions earn developers and publishers far more money long-term than charging a simple retail price.

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The formula is generally the same. You download a game because it’s free. You find that it’s fun, or that it’s entertaining and educational for your child. Before you know it, it’s asking you to spend money, sometimes as low as 99 cents, to play more right now or unlock new features. If you don’t pay, you’ll have to wait an hour or longer before you can play again. That free game can sometimes cost you $30 or more after all is said and done.

Regardless of the platform, there’s a massive movement for free-to-play and micro-transaction-focused games. So it’s important you know what’s in place and what additional steps you can take to prevent unwanted charges.

That free game can sometimes cost you $30 or more after all is said and done.

Starting with mobile, both Android and iOS came under scrutiny for their practices. Just last year Google (the folks behind Android) and Apple paid millions to some customers because of their micro-transaction practices. Due to the fines and bad publicity, both companies have implemented certain safeguards to prevent your children from accidentally buying content.

For Android users, simply go into your Play Store and access the settings. Under user controls, select the option for “Require authentication for purchases.” This will require you to put your password in every time you download an app or attempt to purchase something. You can choose to input it every 30 minutes, but 30 minutes is more than enough time to cost you money.

Related: Parents’ Guide to Gaming

Those of you on Apple products have similar instructions, starting with opening your settings. On the left hand side, you’ll want to select general, and then look for restrictions. After turning on restrictions, you’ll then be able to turn on parental blocks, stop micro-transactions and prevent your apps from being accidentally deleted.

For game consoles and PC systems, your best option is to ensure you don’t have any credit cards attached to those units. Sometimes that can be a requirement, so if there’s no other option, you should access the console’s settings and turn on parental blocks. This will require you to input a password every time a purchase is attempted, providing a level of protection for your bank account.

The best tip for any parent is to make sure you slow yourself down and read. Settings, parental blocks, and password requirements always explain themselves well. Many pay attention only to a few things on the screen at a time, which makes you miss important instructions. If you take a few minutes to ensure you’ve got the appropriate level of security before handing your phone or tablet to your child, it will save you hours of arguing with customer service about getting that $499.99 purchase refunded.