FocusEdgeIf your child bought diamonds, UC or other game items on your phone, ask the store you paid first. Most game purchases in India go through Google Play or the App Store, even when the money left your account by UPI. Request the refund quickly, keep every order ID, and be ready for a "no": refunds are not guaranteed.
In short: act quickly. If the purchase went through Google Play, request a refund from your Google Play order history and say a family member made it. If it's been more than 48 hours, Google says to contact the game's developer. On an iPhone, use reportaproblem.apple.com. Your UPI app or bank comes after the store. Refunds aren't guaranteed.
Checked against the official Google, Apple, Garena, Krafton and NPCI pages linked below on 11 October 2026. Policies change, so check the linked page before you act.
This happens in many homes. Hyderabad Police warned parents that many complaints first reported as online fraud turned out to be children buying in-game items with saved cards or UPI on family phones, with no hacking involved (The Hindu).
Which way to go first
| You paid through | Ask first | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Google Play (UPI, card or other method) | Google Play refund request | The game's developer (Garena, Krafton), then your UPI app or bank |
| App Store (iPhone, iPad) | reportaproblem.apple.com | The developer, then your bank |
| UPI straight to a website or seller | The complaint option in your UPI app | Your UPI app's bank, your bank, NPCI, then the Ombudsman; 1930 if it was a scam |
First 10 minutes: stop more spending and collect proof
- Take the phone back and close the game.
- Turn on purchase verification in Google Play. Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Payments & subscriptions → Purchase verification, and choose to verify every purchase (Google Play Help). Google says that when verification is off, you take responsibility for unintended purchases.
- Find every order. On play.google.com, click your profile picture, then Payments & subscriptions → Budget & order history (Google Play Help).
- Talk to your child calmly. One line is enough for now: you need to know what was bought so you can try to fix it.
What to collect
- A screenshot of each order in your Google Play or Apple order history
- The Google Play order ID for each purchase (it starts with GPA.)
- The UPI reference number from your UPI app or bank SMS
- The date, time and amount of each payment
- The game, and the player ID or account used
How to ask Google Play for a refund (Android)
Pick the right form
If your child or another family member made the purchase, request a refund. Don't report it as unauthorised. Google's "report unauthorized charges" option (within 120 days) is for purchases made by someone you don't know (Google Play refund policies).
Request the refund
- Go to play.google.com and click your profile picture at the top right.
- Click Payments & subscriptions → Budget & order history.
- Find the order and click Report a problem.
- Choose the option that describes your situation.
- Fill in the form, say you'd like a refund, and click Submit.
Send one request per order. Google says more requests for the same order won't speed it up. You'll usually get a decision within one day, and it can take up to four days (Google Play Help).
After 48 hours, ask the developer
Google says to contact the app's developer if you want a refund and it's been more than 48 hours since the purchase. The developer "can process refunds pursuant to its policies and applicable laws" (Google Play refund policies).
Be ready for a "no"
Google's own policy says: "If you give your account or payment details to someone else, appear to be abusing our policies, or don't protect your account with authentication, we usually can't issue a refund." A child using your unlocked phone can fall under this. Ask anyway, and explain plainly what happened.
When the money comes back
If the refund is approved, it usually goes back to the payment method you used. Google says most refunds are processed within 10 business days, though it can depend on how you paid (Google Play Help).
iPhone or iPad: request a refund from Apple
- Sign in to reportaproblem.apple.com.
- Choose I'd like to, then Request a refund.
- Choose the reason, then Next.
- Choose the item, then Submit.
Apple says to expect an update in 24 to 48 hours (Apple Support), and you can check the status of your request. If the purchase was made with a family member's Apple Account in your Family Sharing group and you're the organiser, choose All on the Apple Account button to see purchases charged to your shared payment method.
If your child has their own Apple Account in your Family Sharing group, Ask to Buy makes them ask you before buying (Apple Support).
Free Fire MAX: what Garena says
Before you ask Google or Apple for a refund of Free Fire diamonds, know this. Garena says refunded purchases are taken back as diamonds, and "any account with negative diamonds must top-up the required amount shown in the message to remove the restriction regardless of who asked for the refund" (Garena Free Fire support). So a refund may leave your child's game account restricted until it's topped up. That's your call to make.
To ask Garena directly, contact Free Fire customer support with your Google Play receipt, order ID (GPA…) and UPI reference, and explain what happened.
BGMI: what Krafton says
Krafton's BGMI Rules of Conduct say (battlegroundmobileindia.com/rules):
- Cancelling a purchase of paid UC follows the refund policy in BGMI's Terms of Service.
- Items bought with paid or bonus UC that haven't been used can be cancelled within 7 days, with some exceptions.
- Bonus UC, earned from events or the Royal Pass, can't be refunded.
Contact BGMI customer support through the support centre or in the game, with your receipt and order ID, and ask what they can do before you request a store refund.
When to go to your UPI app or bank
Most game purchases are paid by UPI to Google Play or Apple, so the store comes first. Go to your UPI app or bank if the store can't help, or if you paid by UPI directly to a website or seller.
NPCI sets the order for UPI complaints (Google Pay's NPCI page):
- In your UPI app (Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm and others), select the transaction and raise a complaint.
- If it isn't resolved, go to the app's bank (the PSP bank), then your own bank, then NPCI.
- After that, you can go to the RBI's Banking Ombudsman or Ombudsman for Digital Complaints, through cms.rbi.org.in.
Bank rules on unauthorised payments are written for fraud and security breaches. A payment made with your own PIN on your own phone may be treated differently, so ask your bank how it applies to you.
Should you file a cyber-crime complaint?
The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and the 1930 helpline are for fraud. If your own child made the purchases, it usually isn't fraud. Hyderabad Police found many such complaints involved no hacking at all.
Do use 1930 or the portal if a stranger, a fake "free diamonds" or top-up website, or a scam call was involved.
Stop it happening again
- Keep purchase verification on in Google Play, for every purchase.
- Keep your UPI PIN private. Children often learn it by watching you pay.
- Lock the payment apps while your child has the phone. More in how to stop UPI payments and game purchases and how to lock apps before giving your phone to your child.
FocusEdge is built for the moment you hand your own phone, Android or iPhone, to your child. In Study Mode, only the study apps and websites you choose open, so GPay, PhonePe, games and everything else stay locked until you enter your PIN. On Android, Settings and the Play Store are locked during Study Mode too, so nothing can be installed. You choose how long Study Mode lasts: a timer from 1 to 8 hours, or no timer, so it stays on until you end it. FocusEdge is on Google Play for Android, and on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. If your child has their own phone, FocusEdge works there too, in the same way. The first 7 days are free, with no card needed. After that it's ₹699 a year in India, paid through Google Play or the App Store.
Questions parents ask
Can I get a refund if my child bought something on Google Play?
Possibly. If a family member made the purchase, request a refund from your Google Play order history using Report a problem. Google usually decides within a day, and can take up to four days. Google says it usually can't refund purchases when account or payment details were shared or authentication was off, and points you to the developer after 48 hours.
Will my child's Free Fire account be restricted if I get a refund?
It may be. Garena says refunded Google Play or App Store purchases are taken back as diamonds, and an account with negative diamonds must top up the amount shown to remove the restriction, regardless of who asked for the refund. Contact Free Fire customer support with your receipts if you're unsure.
Can I get BGMI UC refunded?
Krafton's BGMI rules say items bought with UC that haven't been used can be cancelled within seven days, with exceptions, and bonus UC can't be refunded. Paid UC follows the refund policy in BGMI's Terms of Service. Contact BGMI customer support with your receipt and order ID before you request a store refund.
Should I complain to my bank or call 1930?
Start with Google Play or the App Store, because that's who you paid. If the store can't help, use your UPI app's complaint option, then your bank. The 1930 helpline and cybercrime.gov.in are for fraud, such as a scam top-up website, not for purchases your own child made.
How long does a Google Play refund take?
Google usually decides within one day, and it can take up to four days. If the refund is approved, it goes back to the payment method you used, and Google says most refunds are processed within 10 business days. Sending more requests for the same order won't make it faster.
