Why You Shouldn't Save Your Card Details For In-App Game Purchases

In-app purchases have evolved to become the cornerstone on which most games make their revenues. From battle passes, skins, extra levels or in-game currency, the convenience of paying directly from stores like Google Play or Apple's App Store has made paying gaming costs easier than ever before. But that same convenience also comes with risks to players. From surprise charges to fraud and unauthorised charges, the monetary loss can be significant. 

A Gamer's Cautionary Tale

On September 16, 2025, a Reddit user by the name of PJ268 posted that he was conned out of money by two unexpected transactions from his Google Play account to Roblox. 

He said, "Two transactions have been made to Roblox from my Google Play account and I have never been notified by my bank or Google. It was my hard earned money and it's a big amount for me." Google refused to return it stating that it does not follow policy. "I have sent an email to the bank and have also registered a complaint with the cyber crime."

What worsened the case was that he affirmed he had not done anything negligent that usually initiates fraud. 

He wrote: "I am a very cautious guy and haven't downloaded any suspicious applications or apks. I never opened any link or sent any OTP to anyone." 

The payments still continued and left him confused. The only link he could remember was that of a shopping he did a few months ago when he purchased UC in PUBG using Google Play, which left his payment credentials saved in the system. 

He added: "I linked it once to buy UC from PUBG and it got saved there but never even thought someone can do payments just through Google Play even if they don't have my Google Pay access."

This incident is a reflection of the fact that may not even come to many players' minds. To save payment details in order to speed up future transactions carries the risk of being charged without additional verification. Alerts can also be overlooked, and in some cases, transaction records may not be synchronised in real-time, which means customers remain unaware until they ask for a statement manually.

Why These Risks Exist

In-app spending is usually made frictionless by design. Stores encourage card saving or linking Unified Payments Interface (UPI) so that a single click will make the payment. Although this reduces friction, it also removes other security levels, such as OTPs or SMS alerts per transaction. Once payment details are saved, access to the account or device at times may be enough to make a buy. It's because of these that even users who don't share OTPs or open suspicious links are still exposed.

Refunds introduce an additional degree of complexity. Most firms hold that once digital products are in the process of being provided, like virtual currencies or skins, reversing a purchase would cause losses to the platform or the developer. It is most often for this reason that disputes are denied, even if the user didn't initiate payment.

Steps To Stay Safe

The first action is not storing payment details permanently on gaming platforms. If you link your card, UPI, or wallet to buy something, remove it as soon as you are done with the purchase. Use of prepaid gift cards or vouchers can also reduce risk because they restrict exposed money at a given point.

It is also pertinent to provide biometric authentication for doing in-app purchases. Both Android and iOS devices provide options that enable users to authenticate with facial or fingerprint recognition prior to making payments. Implementing purchase limits and parental restrictions will prevent accidental spending, especially on shared devices.

Intermittent cross-verifying bank and wallet statements is another crucial step. Relying only on emails or SMS can be misleading, as messages can be deleted or missed. Checking your account yourself from time to time ensures any suspicious transaction gets identified in advance.

Finally, if you ever do experience an unauthorised transaction, report the incident to your bank right away, freeze the corresponding payment option, and change your account passwords. Report to the cybercrime cell if refunds are not offered immediately.

In-app purchases are now common, and for most gamers they have become a reality of the game. But convenience should not come at the expense of security. The experience PJ268 has described shows that responsible users can also be vulnerable to losing money if payment details are left behind, and transactions occur without such warnings.

Being as cautious with your app store accounts as with your bank account is the best course to follow. Removing stored cards, employing secure payment avenues, and verifying transactions can add some seconds to the process, but save your hard-earned money from being stolen.