Skip to content
Sprout Guard

Menu

Urgent help
All articles

Your child should not have to pay to belong

When your child pays a streamer: responsibility, refunds and the conversation at home.

About this article

When spending buys attention on a livestream, children need better protection. Here is our view, with advice on stopping payments and talking with your child.

Children and digital spending · Opinion · 3 min read

The family is being refunded

TV 2 reports that a 14-year-old bought gift subscriptions worth DKK 16,964 during Rasmus Søndergaard’s Sønderthon. Her father’s account was charged. He says she wanted to climb the leaderboard of viewers who had given the most subscriptions.

On 22 October 2026, TV 2 reported that Twitch would refund the amount. The manager says the format is for adults and payment is voluntary. The refund is a good outcome for the family. The payment model still deserves scrutiny.

Adults have a responsibility

Streamers and platforms have a responsibility to protect children from pressure to spend.

Read more

Streamers and platforms have a responsibility to protect children from pressure to spend. An adult can choose to support entertainment. For a child, the wish to be noticed may matter more than the price. At Sprout Guard, we consider it irresponsible to let children buy visibility without effective safeguards.

Platforms should detect unusually large and repeated payments. Streamers should clearly discourage payments from children and help when something goes wrong. Parents’ responsibilities do not remove those of the platform or the person earning from the format.

Loyalty must leave room to say no

Strong fan loyalty is not proof of a cult.

Read more

Strong fan loyalty is not proof of a cult. Examine the behaviour: Does payment become proof of loyalty? Can someone say no and still belong? That pressure deserves discussion.

If money has already been spent

Stop further payments. Block the card if you suspect misuse, remove stored payment methods and check recurring subscriptions.

Keep receipts, amounts and order numbers. Contact the payment recipient, explain your child’s age and identify the payments you did not authorise. Twitch has dedicated purchase support. If Apple billed the purchase, use Apple’s refund process.

Also contact your bank immediately to dispute card payments made without your consent. Describe events accurately. Refund rights and any liability depend on the circumstances. Ask for a written response if refused; a bank dispute may be eligible for the Danish Financial Complaint Board.

A child’s age does not automatically entitle them to a refund. Minors may control certain funds, including gifts given for their own use and wages earned after turning 15. Seek advice about the particular case when substantial sums or disagreements are involved.

Ask what your child hoped would happen

Start with: ‘A lot of money has been spent. We need to stop the payments. I want to understand what happened.’ Ask what your child thought the purchase cost, what happened in the chat and whether stopping felt difficult.

Avoid humiliating your child. Agree which purchases always need an adult. Review purchase history and stored cards together. Use Apple or Google purchase approval where available, and check payments outside their app stores too. A child owes no streamer money or proof of loyalty.

Sources