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Apple details how to recoup kids' in-app purchases under class action settlement

Apple details how to recoup kids' in-app purchases under class action settlement

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App Store users whose kids ran up hundreds of dollars in in-game purchases back in the early days of iOS now have a way to get that cash back. 9to5Mac reports that an email courtesy of the "Apple In-App Purchase Litigation Administrator" lays out the settlement specifics of Apple's class action settlement, which affects some 23 million people. The email includes details on deadlines, instructions for signing up for class status, and directions for getting the $5 iTunes gift card you’re entitled to if your claims are less than $30. The maximum award under the settlement is the total amount your child spent within a single 45-day period.

Parents first filed the lawsuit back in 2011, when buying a freemium game automatically enabled a 15-minute window during which you could make in-app purchases without re-entering your password. Apple now allows users to close that window in Settings. While it's good that the cash is finally flowing in the case, not everyone will be able to take part in the great iTunes gold rush. The settlement is limited to the purchase of "consumable game currency" in qualified games, and other forms of in-app spending aren't covered.