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If your child bought loot boxes without your permission, first save the receipts and transaction details, then stop further purchases and find out who billed the charge. Request a refund from that billing platform or the game publisher, depending on where the purchase was processed. A refund is not guaranteed: eligibility and procedures vary by platform, payment method, purchase, timing, and region. If the child made the purchase, describe it honestly as an accidental or unauthorized family purchase—not as a charge made by a stranger.
What should I do first?
Secure the account and document the purchases before contacting support. These steps help you avoid additional charges and give the billing provider the information it needs to identify each transaction.
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- Save the evidence. Keep the receipt or transaction history, and note the transaction ID, date, amount, game, account name, and device or platform used. Apple advises customers to find the relevant Apple receipt and identify the Apple Account that made the purchase. PlayStation points customers to transaction history.
- Stop additional spending. Remove saved payment methods where practical, turn off or restrict in-game purchases, and move the child to a separate, restricted profile if available. If you think someone else may have accessed the account, change the account and associated email passwords, sign out other devices, and use the provider’s account-recovery process.
- Identify who billed you. Check the receipt and payment statement rather than relying on the game’s name. The charge may have been processed by a mobile or console store, a publisher, or another payment provider. The billing channel determines where to ask for a refund.
- Submit a request through the correct route. Explain that a minor made the purchases without your permission, and list the charges separately with their transaction details. Be accurate about who made them.
- Escalate only if needed. If the provider’s refund process does not resolve the issue, or if the charge really was made by an unknown person, contact the payment provider or card issuer. Check the platform’s support process first when possible; an outside dispute can affect a publisher’s ability to issue a direct refund.
Act promptly, but do not assume that a report made immediately will be approved. Policies differ, and some providers distinguish between a child’s purchase and an account takeover.
How do I find out whether Apple, Google, a console store, or the game billed me?
Look at the transaction record, not just the game title. A game can sell items through its own checkout or through the store for the device or console, and the refund request generally goes to the provider that processed the payment.
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- Search your email for the receipt and compare its account, date, and amount with the statement charge.
- Open the relevant platform’s purchase or transaction history and check the child’s and family accounts as applicable.
- If the receipt names a store or payment provider, start with that provider’s refund route. If it shows a publisher checkout, contact the publisher.
- If the charge is missing from the account you expected, check other accounts linked to the device or family. Apple specifically advises searching for Apple receipts, checking other Apple Accounts, and reviewing Family Sharing purchases.
Do not submit the same charge as both an accidental family purchase and an unknown-person fraud claim. Google Play treats these as different situations, and the description should match what happened.
Where do I request a refund for each billing source?
Use the route for the company that processed the charge. The table summarizes the distinctions in the current guidance from Apple, Google Play, PlayStation, Epic, and Roblox; it is not a promise that any particular purchase will qualify.
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|---|---|---|
| Apple | Sign in at reportaproblem.apple.com and choose “Request a refund.” | Apple says eligibility varies by country or region and some purchases may not qualify. It advises allowing 24 to 48 hours for an update; an approved refund may take longer to reach the payment method. |
| Google Play | Request a refund for a purchase made accidentally by a friend or family member, including a child. | For a charge made by someone the account holder does not know, Google says to report it as unauthorized within 120 days. The app developer may also be able to help. |
| PlayStation Store | Check transaction history and contact PlayStation Support about a child’s purchase made through an adult account. | Child accounts can spend from the family manager’s wallet within an assigned limit; the default limit for a child account is 0. |
| Epic or Roblox checkout | Use the publisher’s support route for a purchase billed directly by the publisher. | For purchases billed by a mobile or console store, use that store’s refund process instead. Roblox cautions that disputing a charge first can interfere with its direct or immediate refund process. |
What if Apple billed the purchase?
At reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in, select “Request a refund,” choose the reason, select the app, subscription, or other item, and submit the request. Describe the child’s involvement accurately and include the relevant purchase details. Apple’s support guidance, published September 17, 2026, says some purchases from Apple services might be eligible for a refund, but eligibility depends on the purchase and country or region.
If you cannot find the charge, search your email for “receipt from Apple” or “invoice from Apple.” Check other Apple Accounts and Family Sharing purchases before concluding that the receipt is missing. Apple says to wait 24 to 48 hours for an update on a request; that is the time for an update, not a guarantee that funds will arrive within that period.
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What if Google Play billed the purchase?
Choose the correct report category. Google Play says to request a refund when a friend or family member—including a child—accidentally made a purchase through the account. If the account holder does not know who made the charge, Google says to report it as unauthorized within 120 days. Do not label a purchase made by your child as an unknown-person charge simply because you did not approve it.
Google also says the app developer may be able to help and may be the quickest route for a purchase problem. Keep the transaction information ready if you contact the developer.
What if PlayStation billed the purchase?
Review PlayStation Store transaction history and the account’s subscription settings first. PlayStation says a child account can use the family manager’s wallet only within an assigned spending limit, which defaults to 0 for a child account. If the child used an adult account, contact PlayStation Support; adult accounts do not have the same child-account controls.
If you suspect someone accessed the account without permission, PlayStation advises securing the account: change the email password, recover the account if necessary, sign out devices, and consider removing payment methods. These are account-security measures, separate from the refund decision.
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What if the game publisher billed the purchase?
For a purchase made directly through Epic on PC, Epic says to submit a support ticket for review. If the purchase went through a mobile or console store, Epic says that store—not Epic—must handle the refund. Roblox gives the same basic direction for purchases billed by Apple, Microsoft/Xbox, PlayStation, Meta Quest, Samsung, or Amazon: contact the billing provider.
What should I write in a refund request?
Keep the explanation factual, specific, and consistent with the platform’s categories. List every charge separately so support can match your explanation to its records.
A minor used this account or payment method to make these purchases without my permission. I am the account or payment-method owner. The charges are listed by date, amount, transaction ID, and item. Please review them under your accidental or unauthorized family-purchase process.
Include the game and account name, the device or platform used, and the receipt or transaction ID for each charge. If you know which child made the purchase, say so; do not claim an account takeover unless that is what happened. Google Play’s separate routes for family purchases and unknown-person charges make this distinction especially important.
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Avoid opening duplicate requests through several channels at once. If you are unsure whether the provider or publisher billed the transaction, confirm that from the receipt or account history first. If a support request is declined, follow the provider’s stated next step or ask for clarification before making a separate payment dispute.
Should I contact my bank or card issuer?
Usually, first give the billing platform or publisher a chance to review the purchase through its own support route. Contact the card issuer or payment provider if the charge was genuinely made by an unknown person, or if the platform process does not resolve the problem.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can I prevent another in-game purchase?
Use account controls to reduce the chance of another purchase, then make the family rule clear to the child. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends purchase restrictions, password requirements, spending limits, and separate profiles.
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- Use a separate child profile. Do not let a child play through an unrestricted adult account when a restricted profile is available.
- Require approval or a password. Set purchases to require an adult’s approval or authentication where the platform offers that control.
- Set a spending limit. Use a dollar limit or the platform’s child-account spending controls. On PlayStation, the family manager assigns the child-account limit; its stated default is 0.
- Remove payment details from unrestricted accounts. This can reduce the risk of repeat purchases from an adult profile the child can access.
- Review in-game settings. Turn off purchases where possible, and check whether the game has its own purchase controls in addition to the device or console settings.
Controls do not replace a conversation. Explain what counts as spending real money, whether random-reward items such as loot boxes are allowed, when the child must ask first, and what to do if a purchase screen appears unexpectedly. The FTC notes that games may encourage children to buy digital goods—including loot boxes, in-game currency, outfits, weapons, or bonus levels—with a card linked to an adult’s account.
Is there still a Fortnite refund program for these purchases?
The FTC’s Fortnite refunds page describes a specific past program, not a general refund process for loot boxes in other games. The FTC says the claims deadline was July 9, 2025, and that it is not accepting new claims under that program. It reported that in June 2025 it sent 969,173 payments totaling more than $126 million to eligible U.S. claimants.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a refund request automatically remove the loot boxes or items?
The available platform guidance describes refund eligibility and support routes, but does not establish a universal rule for what happens to in-game items after a refund. Ask the billing provider or publisher how it handles the specific purchase before assuming the items will remain available.
Can I ask for a refund if my child used gift-card balance instead of my credit card?
The policies summarized here do not establish a single rule for purchases funded by gift-card balance. Identify which store processed the transaction and ask that provider to review it; the payment method alone does not show which company handled the purchase.
Do parental controls prevent every kind of loot box purchase?
Not necessarily. The FTC recommends controls such as purchase restrictions and spending limits, but the available guidance does not say that one setting blocks every game’s checkout or every payment route. Check the child profile, device or console settings, and the game’s own purchase options.
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