When kids make in-app purchases or send gifts, parents can demand refunds for large sums spent by kids over eight if they never gave consent

Cost: There’s no direct monetary cost, but it does take time to gather evidence and negotiate with platforms. Most platforms initially refuse refunds but eventually comply. If talks fail, legal action becomes necessary — a process that can take months and requires paying attorney fees out of pocket. Thus, it’s far more efficient to compile all relevant documentation first and approach both the platform and China’s 12315 consumer hotline. The real challenge lies in getting the child to cooperate and share details.
In plain terms: Money spent by children over eight years old can be legally invalidated and refunded if the amount far exceeds what one would reasonably expect for their age and level of maturity, and if parents neither approved nor acknowledged the transaction. For kids under eight, any spending is automatically considered invalid, as they lack legal capacity to make such decisions. Even silence from parents is interpreted by law as a refusal to acknowledge the expense.
Benefit: Minors aged eight and older are classified as having limited legal capacity — meaning they may only engage in activities appropriate to their age and maturity level. Any financial transaction beyond that scope requires explicit approval or retroactive acknowledgment from a legal guardian. Conversely, children under eight are deemed completely incapable of independent decision-making; all actions must be handled by their guardians. In the absence of any affirmative response from parents, the law presumes they reject the transaction.
Evidence grade: A
Sources:全国人大 (2020). 民法典. 最高人民检察院转载全文. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202006/t20200602_463888.shtml 第十九条：「八周岁以上的未成年人为限制民事行为能力人，实施民事法律行为由其法定代理人代理或者经其法定代理人同意、追认；但是，可以独立实施纯获利益的民事法律行为或者与其年龄、智力相适应的民事法律行为。」第二十条：「不满八周岁的未成年人为无民事行为能力人，由其法定代理人代理实施民事法律行为。」第一百四十五条：「限制民事行为能力人实施的纯获利益的民事法律行为或者与其年龄、智力、精神健康状况相适应的民事法律行为有效；实施的其他民事法律行为经法定代理人同意或者追认后有效。」「法定代理人未作表示的，视为拒绝追认。」
Notes: The crux of success lies in proving that a child — not a parent — performed the transaction. Helpful evidence includes: transaction timestamps coinciding with school hours or times when parents are at work; device usage logs; chat histories and gaming records; and a direct statement from the child. There is no fixed monetary threshold defining “age-appropriate” spending — a few dozen yuan spent on game skins differs vastly from tens of thousands spent on virtual gifts. Prevention is far easier: set spending limits without requiring passwords, enable youth protection modes, and never disclose payment codes to children. For cases where parents themselves impulsively make such purchases, refer to the section titled “Avoid giving gifts to streamers, making in-game purchases, or acting on impulse.”