Purchase Requests let kids ask for premium apps even without a shared payment method
Google Play is just packed to the brim with software for your Android phone or tablet, and whether you’re interested in the top apps for the platform, or some of its most popular Android games, there is no shortage of titles for you to choose from. While that includes plenty of free content, there are also lots of premium paid apps and those with optional IAPs, waiting for you to splurge. Understandably, Google’s very interested in making sure those purchase workflows operate as smoothly as possible, and today we’re learning about a slight tweak to how this works for families, with the introduction of Play Store Purchase Requests.
If you’re not already a member of a family group, this is probably all new to you, but the Play Store has an existing system that allows family managers to configure shared payment methods for their household. When a child wants to buy an app or some pricey Roblox IAP, they need to submit a request to a parent, who then make the final call.
Basically, Purchase Requests represent a way for a child to get that process started even when the family manager hasn’t yet defined any shared payment method. Instead, they’ll receive an approval request that allows them to authorize a one-off purchase using any of their own saved payment methods. Why this didn’t exist already, we can’t say, as it sure sounds like a pretty obvious fallback for the old way of handling requests, but at least we’re finally getting it now.
As with the old shared payment methods, children won’t have access to the details of these payments. Queue support means that parents can occasionally take a breather and worry about working through the list of requests at a future, more convenient time. None of this sounds like an outright game-changer, but we’re happy to the sensible addition, all the same.
