Stay in control
Spending limits and purchase controls on every platform
How to cap or approve spending on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam, Epic, Battle.net and GOG, and the loopholes each one leaves open.
The controls at a glance
| Platform | What you can set | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation | A monthly spending limit per child account, starting at £0. Children cannot add cards or wallet money. | Wallet money cannot be refunded, so the limit is your main control. |
| Xbox and Windows | Ask to buy: every purchase needs an adult's approval. Spending notifications. | Gift-card balance on the child's account can be spent without approval. |
| Nintendo Switch | The Parental Controls app can restrict eShop purchases. PayPal is 18+ only. | No change-of-mind refunds if something slips through. |
| Steam | Steam Families: child accounts send purchase requests for an adult to approve and pay. | No fixed monthly cap in pounds. |
| Epic | A six-digit PIN for every purchase with money; under-13s have a US$100 daily limit. | The PIN is only as strong as the person who knows it. |
| Battle.net | Parental Portal blocks shop and in-game purchases and sets play-time schedules. | Balance added before the controls were set can still be spent. |
| GOG | No purchase-approval tool documented. Accounts are 16+. | Keep payment details off shared PCs. |
A sensible setup for a family account
- Create separate child accounts on each platform rather than sharing an adult login. Every control above depends on it.
- Keep cards on the adult account only. PlayStation and Nintendo enforce this; on other platforms, do it yourself.
- Choose approval or a budget. Ask to buy (Xbox) and purchase requests (Steam) approve item by item; PlayStation's monthly limit sets a budget. Gift cards act as a hard cap on any platform.
- Check the in-game shop before you buy. Every review on this site describes what a game sells inside it, and the PEGI “In-game purchases” label tells you whether anything is sold at all.
Controls for adults too
The same tools help anyone who wants to keep spending predictable. A monthly PlayStation limit, a gift card instead of a saved card, or simply removing saved payment details all add a pause before you buy. On subscriptions, turn off auto-renew as soon as you sign up and decide each month whether to continue.
Each platform's official instructions are linked from its guide in our pay guide.