Kids' privacy and in-app purchase refund settlements: a parent's guide

Three kinds of kids' settlements (and which one you're in)

Parents searching for refunds usually land in one of three programs, and the rules differ:

• FTC refund programs. When the Federal Trade Commission settles with a company, it can order refunds to consumers. The biggest kids' example is Epic Games: in December 2022 Epic agreed to pay $520M — a $275M penalty for children's-privacy violations plus $245M to refund players charged for unwanted items. The same playbook produced Apple (at least $32.5M, 2014), Google (at least $19M, 2014) and Amazon (more than $70M, 2017) refunds for kids' unauthorized in-app purchases. FTC refunds are free to claim and are run by administrators such as Rust Consulting.
• Class actions over minors' purchases. In most states a minor can disaffirm a contract, so lawsuits argue that purchases made by children without a parent's consent should be refundable. Our Roblox minors' purchases page ($60M fund, up to $20,000, some proof, ends Aug 24, 2026) is the live example.
• Children's privacy (COPPA) cases. COPPA requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal data from children under 13. FTC penalties under COPPA go to the Treasury — Google and YouTube's record $170M penalty in 2019 paid nothing to families — but parallel class actions can pay parents directly, like the YouTube children's privacy settlement ($30M, $1–$92.26 per claim, now closed).

Fortnite / Epic Games FTC refunds: who qualifies

The FTC's Fortnite refund page lists three ways to qualify: you were charged in-game currency for items you didn't want between January 2017 and September 2022; your child made charges to your credit card without your knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018; or your account was locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after you complained to your card company about wrongful charges. The FTC mailed a first round of refunds in December 2024, a second round of about $126M in June 2025, and said further payments would follow in 2026 after it reviews remaining claims. Refunds go out by PayPal or check; the FTC never charges a fee and never asks for your password.

Practical notes for parents: the claim is tied to the Epic account and the payment method, so the adult whose card was charged usually files, listing the child's account where asked. Keep any Epic receipts ("Your Epic Games receipt" emails) and card statements in case the administrator asks for support. Owed's Fortnite page tracks the current claim window and walks through the form; for how FTC refund checks and the administrator behind them work, see is Rust Consulting legit.

Minors' in-app purchase refund settlements (Roblox example): how parents claim

Purchase cases turn on two facts: a minor made the purchase, and a parent didn't authorize it. Settlements typically pay a flat amount with a sworn statement, and a larger documented amount — capped, and pro rata if claims exceed the fund — when you can show the charges. Using the Roblox terms on our page (up to $20,000, some proof) as the model, here's the filing flow:

1. Identify the account and the payer. Note the child's username, the platform (iOS, Android, Xbox, PC) and the card or store account that was charged.
2. Pull the purchase records. Apple: Settings → your name → Media & Purchases → Purchase History, or reportaproblem.apple.com. Google Play: Payments & subscriptions → Budget & history. Consoles: the store's transaction history. Add card statements if the app history is gone.
3. Total the unauthorized charges inside the class period and note which were already refunded by the store (those are usually excluded).
4. File as parent or guardian. You sign the attestation; the child is listed as the user. One claim per child or account.
5. Upload evidence for the documented tier — screenshots or PDFs are fine — and choose a payment method.
6. Save the confirmation. Deficiency notices arrive by email; answer them by the cure deadline or the claim is reduced to the flat tier or denied.

Children's privacy (COPPA) settlements: YouTube and what's next

COPPA is the federal rule behind most kids' privacy money. It covers children under 13 and requires verifiable parental consent before a site, app or game collects personal information (including persistent identifiers used for targeted ads). Regulators enforce it with penalties; private class actions — often paired with state privacy and consumer laws — are what put cash in a parent's hands. In the YouTube children's privacy settlement the parent filed on behalf of a child who watched child-directed channels while under 13, no proof was required, and payments were pro rata from the $30M fund. That window has closed; if you missed it, the pattern repeats — gaming platforms, ed-tech and children's apps settle several COPPA-related suits a year — so set up alerts (how to get notified of class action settlements) rather than checking by hand. One nuance: biometric and data-privacy cases such as our TikTok privacy settlement often include minors as class members, with the parent signing the claim.

What proof parents need (and where it already is)

Most parents already have everything the administrator wants; the work is finding it. Store receipts show the date, item and amount and are accepted almost universally; card statements prove the charge hit your account; in-game transaction logs tie the charge to the child's username. Gift cards are the hard case — keep the card number and activation receipt. The general rules for what counts are in proof of purchase for class action claims; the table below is the kids'-settlement shortcut.

Filing as a parent or guardian: the rules

• An adult signs. Minors can't sign the attestation; a parent or legal guardian files and is paid. If the "child" is now 18+, they file for their own purchases.
• One claim per child or account. Two kids, two claims — but the same purchase can't be claimed twice, and refunds you already received from Apple, Google or the game company are usually excluded.
• Be precise on dates. The class period matters; charges outside it are cut, and inflated claims invite an audit of the whole claim.
• Expect a wait. Documented claims are reviewed after the deadline; payments typically land 3–12 months later (how long settlement checks take).
• Taxes. Refunds of money you spent are generally not income; payments above what you lost can be. See IRS Publication 4345.

Not legal advice: settlement terms, eligibility and payment amounts are set by each settlement and decided by the administrator and court.

While you wait: other money your household may be owed

Kids' cases are a slice of a much bigger pie. The same inbox that holds your Roblox receipts probably holds delivery-app orders, ticket confirmations and streaming subscriptions that match other open cases in the settlements directory, and most of those pay a flat amount with no proof at all. Run the 9-question quiz at Owed once, connect your inbox if you'd like receipts found for you, and let the filing and deadline reminders run in the background — the full how-to for any claim is in how to file a class action claim.

Glossary

COPPA

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act: a federal law requiring verifiable parental consent before collecting personal data from children under 13.

Verifiable parental consent

A method (signed form, card verification, video call, etc.) that reasonably confirms a parent approved data collection.

Disaffirm

A minor's legal right in most states to cancel a contract — the theory behind refunds of kids' unauthorized purchases.

FTC refund program

Money the FTC recovers in an enforcement case and returns to consumers through a claims process run by an administrator.

Documented claim

A claim supported by receipts or statements that pays more than the flat no-proof tier, up to a cap and often pro rata.

Account holder

The adult whose store account or card was charged — usually the person who must file and be paid.

FAQ