To stop spending money on mobile games, make every purchase slower and more visible. Check what you’ve spent so far, require a password or fingerprint for every purchase, remove saved cards or switch to a fixed gift-card budget, and convert gems back into real money before you buy. If you regret a recent purchase, Apple and Google both have a refund request process. It’s worth trying.
Why it’s so easy to overspend in games #
Free-to-play games make most of their money from a small share of players, so they’re designed to make spending feel small and urgent. The most common tactics:
- Premium currency. Gems, diamonds or coins hide the real price. A $4.99 pack gives you 500 gems, the item you want costs 600, and the leftover gems from the next pack nudge you toward buying again.
- Bonus bundles. “Best value” packs make the biggest purchase look like the smart one.
- Starter packs and first-purchase deals. An offer in your first ten minutes tests whether you’ll pay at all. Once you’ve paid once, the second purchase is easier.
- Countdown timers. “Offer ends in 23:59” is pressure, not a deal.
- Piggy banks and VIP levels. Some games fill a “piggy bank” with currency as you play, then charge you to break it open. VIP tiers reward total spending with perks.
- Paying to skip a wait. Energy refills and speed-ups sell you time the game took away.
These can cross a line. In 2022, Epic Games agreed to pay $245 million in refunds to Fortnite players after the US Federal Trade Commission alleged it used confusing button layouts and hidden refund options that led to purchases players didn’t mean to make. That’s rare, but it shows how much design can drive spending.
Step 1: See what you’ve actually spent #
Most people underestimate their total. Look it up once:
- iPhone: Settings, tap your name, then Media & Purchases, View Account and Purchase History. You can also sign in at reportaproblem.apple.com.
- Android: open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Payments & subscriptions and Budget & history.
On Google Play you can also set a monthly budget in the same place. It warns you as you approach it, although it won’t block purchases.
Step 2: Add friction to every purchase #
A few seconds of friction stops a lot of impulse buys.
- iPhone: go to Settings, Screen Time, Content & Privacy Restrictions, then iTunes & App Store Purchases. Set Require Password to Always Require, or set In-app Purchases to Don’t Allow if you want to shut them off completely.
- Android: in the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Settings, Authentication, and Require authentication for purchases. Choose “For all purchases through Google Play on this device.”
- Remove saved cards, or use a prepaid budget instead. Loading a $10 or $20 App Store or Google Play gift card each month gives you a hard limit. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
Step 3: Set rules before the offer appears #
Decisions made in the moment are the ones you regret. Decide these in advance:
- Convert gems to dollars. Work out what one gem costs in your currency and translate every price before you buy.
- Wait 24 hours. Any offer worth buying will still look good tomorrow. Most limited-time offers come back.
- Never buy against a timer. If the countdown is the reason you want it, skip it.
- Pay once, not forever. A single purchase that removes ads or opens the full game is usually better value than a stream of small ones.
- Price it per hour. $10 for a game you’ll play for 50 hours is cheap entertainment. $10 for a boost that lasts an evening isn’t.
Fair purchases vs predatory ones #
Not every purchase is a trap. This rough guide helps:
| Usually fair | Watch closely | Usually predatory |
|---|---|---|
| Buying the full game once | Battle passes | Paying for power in competitive modes |
| A one-time ad removal | Cosmetic items at high prices | Loot boxes and random pulls bought with money |
| Paid expansions with new content | Energy refills | Offers that appear right after you fail |
| A subscription with no ads or purchases | Subscriptions inside free games | Hidden or hard-to-find refund and cancel options |
Our guide on how to spot pay-to-win games goes further on the red flags, and why mobile games are so addictive explains the psychology these tactics lean on.
Step 4: Ask for a refund if you regret it #
- Apple: go to reportaproblem.apple.com, choose “I’d like to” and then Request a refund, pick a reason, and select the purchase. Apple says to expect an update within 24 to 48 hours.
- Google Play: find the purchase in your order history in the Play Store or on the Google Play website and request a refund there. Google’s rules depend on what you bought, when, and where you live, so ask as soon as you can. If Google can’t help, contact the game’s developer through its store listing.
Refunds aren’t guaranteed, and asking for them repeatedly can get your requests refused. They’re meant for mistakes and accidental purchases, not for undoing a whole spending habit.
Stop kids from spending #
- iPhone: turn on Ask to Buy in Family Sharing, so every purchase your child tries sends a request to your phone.
- Android: use Google Family Link to require your approval for purchases, and turn on purchase authentication on the child’s phone.
- Talk about gems as money. Kids often don’t connect a pile of diamonds to a real card. Converting it for them helps.
Play games that can’t take your money #
The easiest fix is to play games that have nothing to sell:
- Premium games charge once. Stardew Valley is $4.99 on the App Store and Mini Metro is $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
- Apple Arcade costs $6.99 a month or $49.99 a year in the US, and its games have no ads and no in-app purchases.
- Google Play Pass removes ads and in-app purchases from the games in its catalog. Check the current price in your country.
- Ad-supported games with nothing to buy. Our own Flappy Kittens (Flappy Cat on Google Play) is free and has no in-app purchases at all. Its shop only takes the fish treats you collect while flying, and the rarest cats can only be earned by playing well. You’ll see ads instead. Our guide to stopping ads in mobile games compares the trade-offs.
Frequently asked questions #
Can I get a refund for an in-app purchase? #
Often, yes, especially if you ask soon after buying. Apple handles requests at reportaproblem.apple.com, and Google Play through your order history. Neither guarantees a refund, and repeated requests are more likely to be turned down.
How do I stop in-app purchases completely? #
On iPhone, go to Screen Time’s Content & Privacy Restrictions and set In-app Purchases to Don’t Allow. On Android, require authentication for every purchase and remove your saved payment methods, or use Family Link approvals on a child’s phone.
Why do games use gems instead of real money? #
A made-up currency makes prices harder to compare and easier to spend. Bundles rarely match item prices exactly, so there’s almost always a leftover amount that tempts you to top up.
Is it bad to spend money on mobile games? #
No. Paying for a game you enjoy supports the people who made it. The problem is spending you didn’t plan and wouldn’t have chosen with a clear head, which is what the steps above are for.