Epic Games · Epic Games Terms of Service · View original document ↗

Parental and Guardian Financial Liability for Minor Accounts

High severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 343 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

If you accept these Terms for a child's account, you as a parent or guardian are personally responsible for all purchases and activities that happen on that account, including any purchases the child makes themselves.

This analysis describes what Epic Games's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

Parents who set up or accept the Terms for a child's Epic Games Account take on full financial responsibility for all transactions, including unauthorized or unexpected purchases made by the child, which can create significant financial exposure in games with in-app purchase mechanics.

Interpretive note: The phrase 'to the extent permitted by law' introduces jurisdictional variance; the practical scope of parental liability will depend on the applicable consumer protection and contract law in each user's jurisdiction.

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
3
Months Monitored
May 10, 2026
First Seen
May 22, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 3350 other provisions on other platforms.

Change history

modified May 28, 2026

The provision was expanded with more explicit language and now specifically references 'Guardian' in the title and includes direct address language ('For any parents or guardians reading this').

View full change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

A parent who accepts these Terms for a minor's Fortnite account may be held responsible for all V-Bucks and other in-game purchases made by the child, potentially including purchases made without the parent's knowledge or direct authorization, to the extent local law permits.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Dispute a Fee
    If a minor has made unauthorized purchases on your account, contact Epic Games Support via the help portal, explain the circumstances, and request a refund. Document the purchases and the date you became aware of them before contacting support.

How other platforms handle this

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At Ledger, earning and maintaining our users' trust is a top priority. That's why we are deeply committed not only to protecting your privacy and securing your personal data, but also to being fully transparent about how we handle it.

Garmin Medium

If you are located in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, you have the right to access, correct, or erase your personal data; the right to restrict or object to our processing of your personal data; the right to data portability; and, where our processing is based on your...

Strava Medium

We may display advertisements on our Services and those advertisements may be targeted to your interests based on your personal information. We may share your personal information with advertising partners for interest-based advertising purposes. You may opt out of interest-based advertising by visi...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
For any parents or guardians reading this: If you accept these Terms on behalf of a minor in your care for their Epic Games Account, you are agreeing to the Terms on your own behalf and on behalf of the minor. You agree that you will be responsible for all use of the Licensed Products (defined below) by you or the minor. You will be responsible for any purchases or other transactions made from the Epic Games Account, including those made by the minor, to the extent permitted by law.

— Excerpt from Epic Games's Epic Games Terms of Service

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This clause engages COPPA, which requires verifiable parental consent for data collection from children under 13 in the U.S. and imposes obligations on operators regarding how minors' accounts are managed. The clause's breadth of parental financial liability may interact with state contract law principles regarding minors' capacity to contract and parents' liability for children's contracts. In the EU, GDPR and national implementations impose specific requirements for processing children's personal data, including age-appropriate terms and consent mechanisms. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium to High. The broad financial responsibility clause for guardian-accepted accounts may face challenge in jurisdictions where minors' contract law limits the extent to which parents can be held liable for a child's contractual commitments. The phrase 'to the extent permitted by law' provides a partial carve-out, but the operational default is full parental liability, which may not be adequately communicated at account creation for minor users. JURISDICTION FLAGS: U.S. jurisdictions vary in their treatment of parental liability for children's contracts and online purchases. EU member states and the UK have enacted or are developing age-appropriate design codes and children's data protection frameworks that may impose additional obligations on Epic beyond what this clause addresses. California's Age-Appropriate Design Code Act may require specific design and disclosure considerations for minor-facing accounts. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations that provide Epic accounts to employees or students who are minors should assess whether the parental liability framework creates obligations for the organization as a de facto account administrator. Procurement teams acquiring Epic products for educational or youth-facing environments should evaluate whether additional contractual protections are needed. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should review Epic's parental consent and notification mechanisms at account creation to assess COPPA compliance, particularly whether the consent process adequately informs parents of the financial liability they are accepting. Spending controls and purchase authorization mechanisms should be evaluated for adequacy against the broad liability this clause creates. EU and UK data protection officers should assess whether the minor account management framework satisfies applicable children's data processing requirements.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has jurisdiction over COPPA compliance and has pursued enforcement actions regarding unauthorized in-app purchases by minors in gaming contexts.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

BIPA
Illinois, USA
CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
COPPA
United States Federal
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
UK GDPR
United Kingdom
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US
VPPA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Epic Games Terms of Service
Entity
Epic Games
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 10, 2026
Last verified
May 10, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-008594
Document ID
CA-D-00087
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
d068c1d1a4d746cf14567194f5f2da89727f9f10509d25972440dc3f3025fc1f
Analysis generated
May 10, 2026 08:39 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Epic Games
Document: Epic Games Terms of Service
Record ID: CA-P-008594
Captured: 2026-05-10 08:39:22 UTC
SHA-256: d068c1d1a4d746cf…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/epic-games/epic-games-terms-of-service/parental-and-guardian-financial-liability-for-minor-accounts/
Accessed: July 4, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Epic Games's Parental and Guardian Financial Liability for Minor Accounts clause do?

Parents who set up or accept the Terms for a child's Epic Games Account take on full financial responsibility for all transactions, including unauthorized or unexpected purchases made by the child, which can create significant financial exposure in games with in-app purchase mechanics.

How does this clause affect you?

A parent who accepts these Terms for a minor's Fortnite account may be held responsible for all V-Bucks and other in-game purchases made by the child, potentially including purchases made without the parent's knowledge or direct authorization, to the extent local law permits.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Epic Games?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Epic Games.