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Google Play’s Purchase Requests let a member of a Google family group ask the family manager to pay for a paid app or in-app purchase—without setting up a shared family payment method. Google announced the feature on December 20, 2022, and updated its announcement on August 30, 2023, to clarify that any family-group member, not only a child, can send a request.
What Google Play Purchase Requests do
Purchase Requests are an approval-and-payment workflow inside Google Play. A family member selects Ask your family manager during the payment flow; the manager can review the request and choose whether to complete it using their own stored payment method. Google says that can include a Google Play gift card.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Google Play gift code | $200.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Google Play gift code | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Google Play gift code | $25.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Google Play gift code | $100.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Google Play gift code | $200.00 | Buy on Amazon |
This is not a shared card, a peer-to-peer payment service, or a Google Wallet feature. It is intended for paid apps and in-app purchases made through Google Play. Google’s announcement and feature update describe the request flow and its family-group eligibility.
How a request is made and handled
- A family member starts to buy a paid app or in-app item in Google Play.
- In the payment-method flow, they choose Ask your family manager rather than paying independently.
- The family manager receives a notification and can inspect the request before deciding.
- The manager approves or denies it. Approval means the manager completes the purchase with an eligible payment method; the request does not automatically charge a shared family card.
- Once completed, the transaction appears in Google Play order history.
Google describes notifications as real-time, but that does not mean a purchase is approved automatically or immediately. The manager makes the decision, and a request can be reviewed later from the approval-request queue.
#1 Best Overall
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
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Where to find pending requests
In the Play Store on Android
Google’s current Android help documentation gives this route: Google Play Store → profile picture or initial → Settings → Family → Manage approval requests. Open a pending request there to review and act on it.
In Family Link
Google also says requests can be handled in Family Link by opening the app and tapping Notifications. For a supervised child’s broader approval settings, the documented route is Family Link → select the child → Controls → Google Play → Purchases & download approvals → Require approval for.
Rank #2
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
These are Google’s documented paths; labels or placement may differ by app version, account role, country, device interface, or Google UI changes. If no notification appears, check the request queue manually and confirm that notifications for the Play Store or Family Link are enabled. Google’s purchase-approval help page covers pending requests and notification settings.
Purchase Requests versus a family payment method
These are separate ways to handle eligible Google Play purchases. Requests keep payment with the manager until a specific request is approved. A family payment method makes an eligible shared card available for family members’ qualifying purchases.
Rank #3
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
| Question | Purchase Requests | Family payment method |
|---|---|---|
| Is a shared card required? | No. The family manager uses their own stored payment method to complete an approved request. | Yes. Google requires the family payment method to be a credit or debit card. |
| How does payment begin? | A family member asks the manager to complete a particular purchase; the manager decides case by case. | A family member can use the shared method for eligible purchases. Approval controls can be set for certain transactions. |
| Can a Play gift card be used? | Google says the manager may use a stored payment method including a Google Play gift card when completing a request without a family payment method. | No. Google says gift cards cannot be added as the family payment method. |
| Who is responsible for charges? | The manager chooses whether to pay for each request. | The family manager is responsible for purchases made with the family payment method and receives an email receipt for each purchase. |
Google’s family payment method guidance lists its requirements and limits. The method is not universal: Google excludes subscriptions, Google Store devices, Google Play balance, Google Pay purchases, and purchases made through an alternative billing system.
When purchase approvals or Family Link make more sense
Purchase Requests are a way to ask the manager to pay without a shared family payment method. Purchase approvals are standing controls that specify which categories of Google Play purchases need permission. They are related, but one does not replace the other.
Rank #4
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
- Just the app you’re looking for: Millions of apps means millions of ways to get things done, learn something new, and maybe even meet someone special.
Google Play’s approval choices depend on the account and role. The Play Store documentation lists options including All content, All purchases using the family payment method, Only in-app purchases, and No approval required. For accounts managed with Family Link, the choices include All content, Paid content only, In-app purchases only, and Never. A family manager can set approval requirements for family members; a parent can set them for a family member whose account is managed with Family Link.
Family Link is therefore useful when the goal is to supervise a child’s downloads and purchases with category-level rules. It is not required for every Purchase Request: Google describes requests as a family-group feature, while Family Link provides additional controls for supervised accounts.
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Best Value
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- New finds, old favorites, one card. Choose a unique gift card design featuring your favorite games or apps. This card can also be used for anything else on Google Play. There’s something for everyone, so find what’s yours. Go Play.
- Easy to use: With a Google Play gift code, you never have to worry about expiration dates or fees.
- Endless games to explore: Find and play old and new favorites – from mind-bending puzzles to epic quests and more.
What these controls do not cover
Family payment methods and purchase approvals apply to transactions processed through Google Play billing, not every payment associated with an Android device or Google account. An app using an alternative billing system may fall outside these controls and may not appear in the same family-payment history. Check the billing route for the specific purchase rather than assuming a Play approval setting governs it.
For a family payment method, Google specifically excludes subscriptions, Google Store devices, Google Play balance, Google Pay purchases, and alternative-billing purchases. Those exclusions apply to the family payment method; they should not be read as a complete list of every transaction that could be requested through the separate Purchase Requests flow.
Which setup fits your family?
- Choose Purchase Requests if you do not want to add a shared card, purchases are occasional, and you want the manager to decide each time. This also allows the manager to use their own stored method, including a gift card where accepted.
- Choose a family payment method if family members regularly make eligible Google Play purchases and convenience matters more than keeping each payment behind a separate request. The manager remains responsible for purchases made with that method.
- Set Family Link approvals if the main need is ongoing supervision of a child’s downloads and purchase categories rather than simply routing an occasional purchase to the manager.
Google first announced Purchase Requests in 2022, so it is not a newly launched 2026 feature. Its later eligibility clarification matters: the option is for all members of a Google family group, even though the original announcement emphasized children.
Quick Recap
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