Epic Games: lock purchases with a PIN

How Epic's controls work

Parental controls live on the child's own Epic account and are protected by a six-digit PIN that only you know. Players who say they are under 13, the UK age of digital consent, get a cabined account with some features switched off until a parent completes setup from the email Epic sends.

Set the PIN and purchase rules

1. In a web browser, go to the Parental Controls page of the Epic Games account site and sign in with your child's account, not your own.
2. If your child plays on a console, check that the account ID on the website matches the one shown in the game.
3. Choose Parental Controls in the menu.
4. Create a six-digit PIN your child doesn't know.
5. Under Purchasing Permissions, turn on Require a PIN for Epic Games Payments.
6. Decide whether to switch off Allow Paid Random Items, which covers V-Bucks spent on items with a random reward.
7. In the account's Payment Management, remove any card or PayPal link you don't want used.
8. Set time limits for Fortnite and turn on the weekly time report email.
9. Sign up for the daily email that lists any change to the controls.
10. If your child plays Fortnite on a console or phone, set that platform's spending controls too.

What the PIN covers, and what it doesn't

• The PIN is needed for purchases paid in pounds through Epic's own checkout, whether by card, PayPal or Epic account balance.
• Redeeming a Fortnite gift card doesn't need the PIN, but spending the balance does if the PIN setting is on.
• V-Bucks bought through PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Steam, Apple or Google follow that store's controls, not Epic's.
• Epic applies an automatic daily limit of 100 US dollars on Epic checkout for players under 13. It doesn't cover console stores or the spending of V-Bucks already owned.

Time limits

Fortnite can have one overall daily limit, or separate limits for playing and for creating. You can decide whether your child may ask for more time as the limit approaches, and receive weekly reports.

History and refunds

• The account's Transactions page lists purchases made with Epic checkout, with a refund button where eligible.
• Store games can usually be refunded within 14 days of purchase and with less than 2 hours played.
• In-game items and currency are generally not refundable. In Fortnite, an item bought with V-Bucks can be cancelled within 24 hours if it hasn't been used, and each account has up to three return tickets for eligible items bought in the last 30 days, with one new ticket a year.

Gaps to know about

• A child using a parent's Epic account, or a console profile with a saved card, bypasses these controls.
• Other publishers' games in the Epic Games Store may use their own accounts and shops.

Sources: Epic Games safety centre, Epic help pages on parental controls, account balance and refunds, checked 24 September 2026.