Spending money online

In-app purchases and ‘free’ games

Even if an app says it is free to download, it might take your money for an ad-free version or to get extra lives in a game.

Add-ons like these are called in-app purchases and you can spend money without knowing.

This could get you into real trouble, especially if it is your mum, dad or carer’s money.

If you are unsure about buying something, or about a site or a product, ask for help.

Ask your parent or carer before you buy anything — especially with their money.
Ask if you are unsure about a site, game or product — ask an adult you trust if it is safe and trusted.
‘Free’ is not always free — even if something says it is free, it might not be.
Be careful of what you click on in a game or app — if you are unsure, ask your mum, dad or carer to check that it is safe.
Turn off in-app purchases — ask an adult to help if you need to.
Look for the padlock — look for the ‘https://’ in the URL of a website (the ‘s’ is for ‘secure’).
Avoid sites with lots of pop ups – pop ups could contain viruses or malware.
Never give out your PIN or online banking password — if you get a text, email or phone call asking for these details hang up or do not reply.