After school, you can often find Joey Ferri playing games on his iPad. Two of his favorites are Brawl Stars and Stumble Guys. Joey used to love getting skins, or outfits, for his characters. 

“Having the skins made the games more fun,” he explains. 

To buy skins, Joey used gems, the virtual money used in both apps. But he didn’t know that these gems cost real money. In November 2023, Joey’s parents got a call from their credit card company. Without realizing it, Joey had spent $3,800! His parents were shocked. 

“I felt sad and mad at myself that I’d spent the money,” says Joey, who’s now in fifth grade. 

Unfortunately, Joey’s story is not uncommon. Experts say it’s important to learn how in-app purchases work so that you can avoid getting tricked into spending money. 

After school, Joey Ferri often plays games on his iPad. Two of his favorites are Brawl Stars and Stumble Guys. Joey used to love getting skins, or outfits, for his characters.

“Having the skins made the games more fun,” he explains. 

Joey bought skins using gems, the virtual money in both apps. But he didn’t know that these gems cost real money. In November 2023, Joey’s parents got a call from their credit card company. Without realizing it, Joey had spent $3,800! His parents were shocked. 

“I felt sad and mad at myself that I’d spent the money,” the fifth-grader says. 

Joey’s story is not unusual. Experts say it’s important to learn how in-app purchases work. This way, you can avoid getting tricked into spending money.

Most popular gaming apps are free to download and play. But they can still end up costing players a lot of money. That’s because many apps let you make purchases to enhance the game. Players can shop for new skins or weapons. They can unlock new characters, powers, and levels. 

In many apps, making a purchase is as simple as clicking a button. The cost gets charged to a user’s credit card or taken out of their bank account. 

In-app purchases help game companies make big money from “free” games. Players spent more than $600 million in Brawl Stars in 2024. That’s according to AppMagic, a company that provides data about apps.

Most popular gaming apps are free to download and play. But they can still cost players a lot of money. Many apps let you make purchases to enhance the game. Players can shop for new skins or weapons. They can unlock new characters, powers, and levels. 

In many apps, making a purchase is simple. You might just click a button. The cost gets charged to a user’s credit card. Or it gets taken out of their bank account. 

In-app purchases help game companies make big money from “free” games. Players spent more than $600 million in Brawl Stars in 2024. That’s according to AppMagic. The company provides data about apps.

One problem is that gamers can easily get confused about the real cost of items in apps. Many games use virtual money. In Roblox, there’s Robux. In Fortnite, players buy V-bucks. So it may not always be clear what the “buy” buttons in gaming apps really mean.

“It’s easy to click them without knowing you’re actually spending money,” says Jill Murphy. She works at Common Sense Media. The organization teaches families about smart, safe technology use. 

Some mobile games add to the problem by being sneaky on purpose. In December 2022, the U.S. government announced that Fortnite had deceived players into making unwanted purchases. For instance, some players were charged while trying to wake the game from sleep mode. Epic Games, the company that makes Fortnite, agreed to pay $245 million. Players began receiving refunds last December. 

One problem? Gamers can get confused about the real cost of items in apps. Many games use virtual money. In Roblox, there’s Robux. In Fortnite, players buy V-bucks. So it may not be clear what the “buy” buttons in games really mean.

“It’s easy to click them without knowing you’re actually spending money,” says Jill Murphy. She works at Common Sense Media. The organization teaches families about safe technology use. 

Some mobile games are even sneaky on purpose. In December 2022, the U.S. government made an announcement. It said that Fortnite had deceived players into making unwanted purchases. For instance, some players were charged while trying to wake the game from sleep mode. The company that makes Fortnite agreed to pay $245 million. Players began receiving refunds last December.