To limit in-game spending, first check who processes the payment: the console store, Apple or Google, or the game publisher. There is no single control that covers every route. Choose the matching account or device setting, then confirm whether it sets a monthly cap, requires approval, blocks purchases, or limits spending to prepaid funds.
Find out which service processes the purchase
Check the payment prompt and the receipt for a previous transaction. A game may offer purchases inside its menus, but the charge can still be handled by PlayStation, Apple, Google Play, Nintendo, or the publisher. Controls usually apply only to the payment service they name.
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Before changing settings, identify the account that will make the purchase and whether it is a child or supervised account. Also check whether the control covers subscriptions, automatic renewals, virtual currency, and purchases made on other devices; those can have different rules.
Choose the kind of control you need
| Control | What it does | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly spending limit | Caps eligible spending over a monthly period. | A recurring budget where the platform offers one. |
| Purchase approval | Requires a parent or organizer to approve eligible purchases. | Reviewing purchases individually before they go through. |
| Purchase restriction or block | Prevents a defined account or store from making purchases. | Stopping purchases through that specific route. |
| Prepaid balance | Limits spending to funds already added to an account wallet. | Setting a finite amount without a recurring monthly cap. |
These controls are not interchangeable. An approval prompt is not a dollar cap, and a limit on one store does not necessarily stop charges made through another.
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Set a limit or purchase control by platform
PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4
The child must be part of a PlayStation family. A family manager can set the child’s Monthly Spending Limit, which applies to purchases paid from the family manager’s wallet. PlayStation Support says the limit defaults to zero; raise it to the amount you want the child account to be able to spend.
- On PS5: Open Settings > Family and Parental Controls > Family Management, select the child, then open Parental Controls > Monthly Spending Limit.
- On PS4: Open Settings > Parental Controls/Family Management > Family Management, select the child, then open Applications/Devices/Network Features > Monthly Spending Limit.
- Enter the limit and save the change. If the child is playing when you update the setting, have them sign out and back in so the change takes effect.
PlayStation also provides these controls through the PlayStation Family app. See PlayStation’s parental-controls instructions and monthly spending-limit guidance.
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Apple devices
Apple’s Ask to Buy requires approval for eligible child downloads and purchases; it is not a monthly dollar limit. On the family organizer’s device, go to Settings > Family > [child’s name] > Apps & Websites > Restrictions > Ask to Buy, then turn on Require Purchase Approval.
Eligibility and whether Ask to Buy is enabled by default or can be turned off may depend on the child’s age and the state, country, or region. The approval applies to eligible purchases in Apple’s flow, not payments handled by a different service. See Apple’s Ask to Buy instructions.
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Google Play
Google Play purchase approvals can apply to a child’s purchases billed through Google Play using the family payment method. They do not cover a game transaction billed through another payment system. Check the checkout screen and receipt to establish whether Google Play handled the purchase, then use the family purchase-approval settings for that account. See Google Play’s purchase-approval guidance.
Nintendo Switch and eShop
A parent or guardian in a Nintendo family group can restrict eShop purchases and automatic renewals for a supervised account. Nintendo describes this as a purchase restriction, not a configurable dollar allowance.
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- An Epic Games account is required to redeem an Epic Games Store Card code
- If playing on a console platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch or Mobile) you need to link your Epic Games account to that gaming platform (one time) to redeem your gift card code
- The 16 digit code on the back of the card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly through your gaming platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch, Mobile, etc.)
- Note: Nintendo devices do not support Fortnite Shared Wallet, so V-Bucks purchased using your account balance will not show up on your Nintendo device. However, if you purchase items in the web Item Shop — or another platform where you play Fortnite — those items will be available in your Locker across all platforms.
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For a fixed budget, add a chosen amount to the child’s eShop balance with a credit card or Nintendo eShop card. Nintendo says the child can spend only the funds in that balance. This is a finite prepaid balance, not a recurring monthly limit. Check that any card or funds are compatible with the account’s region before redeeming.
Purchases inside smart-device apps are governed by the device’s own settings, rather than these Nintendo eShop controls. See Nintendo’s parental-controls information, Nintendo’s guidance on eShop spending limits, and Nintendo’s eShop balance instructions.
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Epic Games payments
Epic’s Parental Controls PIN can authorize real-money purchases made through Epic’s own payment service. It does not control purchases billed by PlayStation, Steam, Xbox, or Nintendo, and it does not apply to purchases made with in-game currencies such as V-Bucks.
Epic documents a separate rule for accounts where the player indicates they are under 13: purchases processed by Epic above a $100 daily threshold require a parent or guardian PIN to override. Epic says this applies across Fortnite, Rocket League, Fall Guys, and the Epic Games Store. It is an Epic-specific threshold, not a monthly budget or a cross-platform limit. See Epic Games Safety’s parental-controls guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check that the control covers the purchase you want to stop
After changing a setting, verify its scope against the route shown at checkout or on the receipt. If a purchase still goes through, check these likely gaps:
- The game uses another payment service: A publisher PIN will not govern a console-store charge, and a store approval may not govern a charge billed elsewhere.
- The purchase uses virtual currency: A control for real-money payments may not cover spending from an existing in-game currency balance.
- The transaction is a renewal: Confirm whether the setting restricts subscriptions or automatic renewals, rather than only one-time purchases.
- The game is on another device: Apply the relevant controls for that device and payment route as well.
- The setting has not refreshed: On PlayStation, have the child sign out and back in after changing the limit.
If your aim is to stop all spending, an approval or purchase restriction may be more appropriate than a cap—but only for the services and account types it actually covers. Review linked wallets and payment methods too, since a control on one account does not automatically govern another.
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