Stop In-Game Purchases and Paid Packs: Controls and Their Limits
Set Apple and Google purchase controls, check Roblox child spending limits and EA FC pack settings, and understand which payment routes remain outside them.
Last updated on Oct 12, 2026
If paid packs, coins or repeated game purchases are becoming a problem, start with the store or account that takes payment. Game settings and payment controls are different layers. This guide does not classify all gaming, Roblox or EA FC as gambling, and these settings are not formal self-exclusion. For broader concerns, see our youth and family resource or independent support.
Block Apple in-app purchases on iPhone or iPad
Apple's current instructions, published September 17, 2026, say to enable Screen Time, then open Settings → Screen Time → Apps & Websites → App Store → In-app Purchases → Blocked. Older software may display different menu labels; use Apple's instructions for the version on the device rather than disabling protection to match a screenshot.
For a child with their own device in Family Sharing, Apple also links to Ask to Buy. A shared adult device and a child's separate account are not the same setup. Check which account is signed in before changing settings. This control concerns Apple in-app purchasing, not every payment made on the web or on another console.
Require Google Play purchase approval
For a child managed through Family Link, Google's purchase-approval guide gives Family Link → child → Controls → Google Play → Purchases & download approvals → Require approval for. Choose the appropriate option; “All content” is broader than “In-app purchases only.” A family manager can also manage approvals through the Play app's family settings.
Google explicitly limits these approvals to purchases through Google Play's billing system. They do not establish a cap on an external website or another payment system. Review settings without making a paid test purchase. This is an approval control, not cancellation of an existing subscription or a promise of a refund.
Check Roblox's age and payment-route limits
From an account with parent privileges, Roblox documents Settings → Parental controls → Settings you manage → Spending restrictions → Monthly spending limit → Update. Use the current spending-limit instructions and check that the parent account is linked to the intended child.
The limit does not cover gift-card redemptions, and Roblox says Xbox spending needs separate console controls. Its age-transition explanation also says monthly spending limits stop applying when a child turns thirteen. Do not assume yesterday's parental control still covers an older teen. Notifications can help reveal spending but are not the same as stopping it.
Understand EA FC Points and pack controls
EA's FC Playtime guide requires opting in through Settings → Online Settings → Privacy Settings → Share Playtime Usage Data. Consider that data-sharing choice before enabling it. In Ultimate Team, open Club → Settings → Playtime, then Points Purchase Limit or Pack Purchase Limit → Edit Limit.
These are separate weekly controls. The pack counter excludes reward packs and previews; purchases made outside the Ultimate Team store appear in the Points information after the relevant sign-in update. EA also allows the limits to be changed or reset. Do not rely on them as an irreversible block or a complete record of every purchase channel.
If you need a stronger child-account payment barrier, use the console provider's official PlayStation spending-limit instructions or Xbox purchase-approval instructions. These have their own account and payment-scope limits; do not assume one setting covers every device in a household.
Finish with a payment-route check
Privately list each device, account and store used for purchases. Confirm the intended settings are saved, then check existing subscriptions separately. If a payment was unauthorized or a service was not delivered, contact its official billing provider with the facts; controls do not automatically reverse past charges.
For an adult helping another adult, agree on the support they want rather than covertly taking over an account. A calm conversation and practical support can accompany controls. If the issue involves a cash-prize or mystery-box service instead, use its specific account-action guide; game-store controls may not cover it.
Official control instructions checked October 12, 2026. No account setting or payment is changed by reading this page.