Spending controls

Spending controls on every big platform

Each platform handles spending differently. PlayStation has a real monthly cap, Xbox works from a balance you top up, Steam relies on purchase requests and Epic uses a PIN. Here is how they compare and how to set each one up.

Last checked 24 September 2026

The four platforms side by side

Checked on the official support pages, 24 September 2026.
Control	Steam	PlayStation	Xbox	Epic Games
Family system	Steam Families, up to 6 people	Family Management, one family manager	Microsoft family group	Controls on the child's own account
Monthly spending cap	No	Yes, starts at £0	Via balance you add	No
Approve each purchase	Yes, purchase requests	Via the cap	Yes, Ask to buy	Yes, PIN at checkout
Block the store entirely	Yes	Yes, leave the cap at £0	Yes, approval for all	Partly, PIN for payments
Playtime limits	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes, Fortnite
Manage from a phone	Steam Mobile App	PlayStation Family app	Xbox Family Settings app	Web browser

Step-by-step guides

Steam FamiliesPurchase requests, playtime limits and a child account in a Steam family.Set it up PlayStation FamilyA monthly spending limit for each child account, set on the console or the web.Set it up Xbox Family SettingsAsk to buy, spending money and screen time from the phone app.Set it up Epic GamesA parental PIN, purchase approval and cabined accounts for younger players.Set it up

Five rules that work on every platform

Give each child their own account. Every control on this page sits on the child's account or family membership. A child playing on a parent's profile is covered by none of them.
Take cards off shared devices. A saved card on a console, PC or phone is the most common route to surprise purchases. Remove it, or protect your own profile with a PIN or password for purchases.
Know how gift cards behave. On Xbox and Epic, money already on the child's account can be spent without asking. That makes a gift card a neat fixed budget, but birthday top-ups from relatives count too.
Check the game's own shop. Some games sell through their own account or launcher, especially on PC. Those purchases sit outside Steam's or Epic's controls, so check how each game takes payment.
Turn on notifications. Every platform can tell you about requests or purchases. It is the fastest way to spot something you didn't expect.

Games with their own shops

Several games in our reviews take payment through the publisher's own account rather than the platform store, at least on PC. Platform controls can't see those purchases, so check each one.

Publisher	Games we review	Spending controls for UK accounts
Riot Games	League of Legends	Riot's Parent Portal covers chat and access. Spending caps are only offered in some other countries, not the UK. Riot's terms make a parent responsible for a child's purchases, so keep payment methods off the child's account.
HoYoverse	Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero	HoYoverse's parental payment controls apply to US players only. In the UK, use the platform's controls where the game is bought through PlayStation, Xbox, Apple or Google, and keep cards off any PC account a child uses.
Level Infinite	Delta Force	Purchases on consoles and phones go through the platform store and its controls. On PC, check how the game is taking payment before a child plays.

Nintendo, iPhone and Android

Nintendo Switch. There is no amount setting, only an option to block Nintendo eShop purchases, set in the parent's Nintendo Account under the family group rather than in the Parental Controls app. Nintendo UK does not normally refund accidental digital purchases.
iPhone and iPad. Ask to Buy sends each purchase request to a parent through Family Sharing, and Screen Time can block in-app purchases completely. Redeeming a gift card code doesn't trigger a request.
Android. Google Family Link can require approval for all content, paid content or in-app purchases only. A child spending their own Google Play balance doesn't need approval.

The UK rules in the background

Two sets of UK rules shape how these controls work. The ICO's Children's code, in force since September 2021, sets 15 standards for online services likely to be used by children. It is about privacy and data, and it is why many services now start children on their most protective settings. Separately, the games industry body Ukie published principles on paid randomised items in July 2023. The first principle asks for technical controls that stop under-18s buying randomised items without a parent or carer knowing or agreeing, and the government called for a £0 default spending limit on child accounts to become standard. PlayStation's default limit of £0 is an example of that approach.

If something slips through

Every platform lets you see purchase history and ask for a refund, but the rules for in-game currency are strict everywhere. Act quickly, don't open or use what was bought if you can help it, and read our guide to refunds and cancellations and to what your card gives you.