When parents attach their debit card to a child’s Google Play account, they may have a vague understanding of exact in-game purchases, but purchase requests can solve that
Google Play Introduces Purchase Requests for Kids. Image: unsplash.com
Along with the already existing tools to restrict purchases their children make on the Play Store, parents may now have full control over each transaction with purchase requests.
Purchase Requests enable controlling kids’ in-game and app purchases without a family payment method set up. The process is simple. Children send a purchase request directly to the family manager (a parent or a guardian). Parents evaluate the request details to either confirm or deny.
The payer can use their stored payment methods, including Google Play gift cards. Although the requests arrive in real-time, parents can queue them to make a decision later. All transactions completed via Purchase Requests will all be available in one’s Order History.
Previously, the only way to restrict kids’ purchases was by setting up a joint family payment method. The family manager is responsible for any purchases made with this method. They can trace each transaction by email receipts from Google Play’s billing system.
The new tool works for both paid apps and in-app purchases.
Among the other recent Google updates to improve control over how children interact with its services, there is a redesigned Family Link app with highlights, controls and location tabs, as well as enhanced requirements for an app to be certified as a “kids” app.
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