Micro transactions have been around since the mid-1990s; back then they were called shareware. From there, they took a backseat to DLC (downloadable content) for gaming, but in the last 7 years micro transactions have re-arisen in the game and app industry. People have said in the past that in-game/app purchases will ruin the industry, but it’s a matter of perspective. From the standpoint of a parent who just received a $800 bill for unapproved, unforeseen purchases, micro transactions would be seen as a scam – a way to prey on young kids and even adults. But from within the gaming industry, micro transactions have given the little guy a chance – the developer working 16+ hours/day from a basement and living on donuts… he doesn’t have millions for a development team, let alone a marketing budget, and his best chance to live his dream as a developer is to release a free app and charge for in-game bonuses, like power-ups or extra in-game currency. Perspective.
“But I’m not a developer, I’m a parent! How can they charge if my kid is underage?”
When you downloaded the game or app, somewhere in the fine print you certified that the user was of age to make such purposes and, that under no circumstances, would those purchases be reversed. If it’s an honest glitch in the game you may be able to argue for a refund, but not for lack of knowing or for someone’s bad judgement (more on that below). The best way to make sure you don’t end up with a surprise bill is to be informed, talk directly with any young gamers about in-game purchases (micro transactions) and set the rules, and check out the steps below you can take to be even more sure.
Some ways you can monitor, parental lock and check to see what types of micro transactions go on in a game/app.
- Parental locks on your family member’s devices and consoles.There are so many ways to place the device to make sure that no purchases are made! You will have to refer to the device manufacturer to see how to do this, however, at the end of this blog we’ve listed some videos that may save you some time.
- Prepaid cards.This is actually something that can teach responsibility to children. What you can do, if you have a child that plays a certain game with micro transactions, is purchase a refillable card and give them an allowance so they can manage their real-life currency with their in-game currency. They’ll learn that with a limited balance, they have to manage what they spend it on. For a lot of parents, this has helped teach their kids the responsibility of money.
- Open a separate PayPal Account.This will keep your credit card off the game profile and you can preset the account with the monies that you want only to be used for gaming purchases. It’s similar to prepaid account, but this can be monitored more closely because you can access PayPal from any device.
- Remove your credit card and use gift cards for the platform so your information is not there to be used. For Xbox and Sony, you can purchase credits from your local game retailer, so the account can be used online but there will be no transactions against your credit or debit card.
- For smartphones, you can often contact your provider and ask to be texted before any purchases that are billed to the account for approval. Lots of apps now allow the provider to be billed for any in-app purchases, so you’ll want to be proactive on this one.
Before downloading any app, game or even DLC, go to the publisher’s or developer’s site to see the terms and conditions or their end user license agreement that they have listed. Some apps may want to use more than just the basics to work, so make sure you and your child are safe.
Again, micro transactions are not a bad thing; it’s not knowing about them that can ruin your day. They can add more mileage to your favorite game when used right for the right content, but in our electronic age, it is better to be safe for you and your family than sorry.
Again any questions or assistance please feel free to contact us!
How to set up parental controls on Xbox One:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPu3pLU2sn0&ab_channel=ESRB
How to set up parental controls on PlayStation 4:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQlCXC_KqTY&ab_channel=ESRB
How to set up parental controls on STEAM:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBnCPziKGKs&ab_channel=HowToDo
