How to Stop Kids From Buying Anything on Fortnite
There are plenty of tales of anxious parents about losing their kids – or, as Chicago Tribune writer Thomas Pace describes “these zombies that were once our kids,” in Fortnite , the hugely popular video game that takes kids away from their days. , destroying several schools and spawning support groups in the area. Less exaggerated, but no less alarming, are messages from moms and dads who are losing real money because their young players make in-game purchases without their knowledge. “My little bro just spent $ 100 on Fortnite with my mom’s money,” one person tweeted . “My sister lost $ 750 because her 11-year-old was playing this game,” wrote another. Ouch.
Fortnite is free to play, but players have the option to purchase improved skins, custom outfits for their avatars, special dance moves (like landing celebrations), and other items using V-Bucks, an in-game currency that costs real money. These digital goods do not have any impact on the gameplay, but people still accumulate them in huge quantities – in the four days after launching the game on iOS, developer Epic Games has collected over $ 1.5 million in in-app purchases.
If you’ve decided to let your kids play Fortnite and don’t want any surprises on your credit card account, you should talk to your kids about how “freemium” games are often designed to be addictive and encourage players to spend their money . And you should also disable in-app purchases on their consoles and devices. Here’s what to do on Fortnite-enabled systems:
Xbox one
- Create a passkey to prevent unauthorized purchases and require it to make purchases.
- Do not include credit card information on your child’s account. If you want your child to buy multiple items, you can buy them an Xbox Gift Card.
- Be sure to log out every time you use the console if you are sharing it with your child.
Playstation 4
- Create a baby account for your child. By default, the monthly spending limit will be zero.
Microsoft Store
- Click the profile icon for your account next to the search box, and then select Settings.
- In the Shopping Login section, turn off the Optimize My Shopping Experience option. This ensures that users are prompted for a password every time they want to buy something.
iOS
- On your device, open Settings, select General and select Restrictions.
- Select the Enable Restrictions option. Enter and re-enter the restrictions password. (Make sure you choose a different password from the one you use to unlock the device – your child probably knows this.)
- Prohibit in-app purchases for Fortnite and any other app of your choice.
- If your child is 13 years of age or older and you are using Family Sharing, you can allow your child to request purchases using the Ask to Buy feature.