Risks
In-app purchases
Things bought inside an app or game, such as upgrades, coins, or subscriptions, that kids can rack up without realizing the cost.
- Parents
What parents should know
In-app purchases are spends that happen inside an app: coins, skips, extra lives, or a subscription buried in a character screen. Kids can tap through faster than a parent can notice. HeyOtto is not that coin shop. A parent may still pay for a plan. The bill is the parent's, not a pile of surprise taps.
On this page
What are in-app purchases?
The purchase can be a one-time unlock or a renewing subscription. Games often use a currency so the dollar amount is one step removed. That distance is the trick. A child thinks in gems. The card statement thinks in dollars. Device stores added ask-to-buy and family sharing because this pattern produced real bills.
A parent-paid subscription is different from a child tapping coins, and it is still a spend. Honesty means saying who pays. On HeyOtto, a free plan does not require a credit card. A paid family plan is something the parent buys. There is no coin counter inside a child's chat for the child to drain.
Why in-app purchases matter
Surprise bills are the obvious harm. The quieter harm is a child learning that progress costs another tap. Parents can turn on purchase approval at the device. They should also look at whether the app even has a child-facing store.
Do not hear no in-app coins as the child never costs money. If you choose a paid HeyOtto plan, you are paying. The pricing page is the place to see the current numbers. This glossary will not freeze a price that can change.
How it shows up in practice
- A game offers a chest of coins after a loss.
- A subscription renews inside a character screen a child opened.
- Ask to Buy stops the charge until a parent approves.
- A parent compares that with a plan they chose themselves, with no child-facing store.
How HeyOtto helps
In-app purchases are buys inside an app, such as coins or upgrades, that a child can trigger. HeyOtto does not sell those inside a child's chat, and there are no ads aimed at the child. The parent holds the account.
- No child-facing coin shop.
- The free plan does not require a credit card.
- A paid plan is a parent decision, and it is still a bill.
For families
Try freeFAQs
Can my child spend money inside HeyOtto?
Not through a coin shop or upgrade button in the chat. You might still choose a paid family plan. That charge is yours. The free plan does not require a credit card.
Should I still use Ask to Buy?
Yes, on the device, for every other app. HeyOtto not having a coin shop does not protect a different game on the same phone.
Where are the current prices?
On HeyOtto's pricing page. Do not treat a glossary as a rate card.
Sources
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. This entry is reviewed twice a year.