Singaporean dad $20,000 in debt after daughter’s in-game purchases in ‘Genshin Impact’

A Singaporean father was shocked by his $20,000 credit card debt after he traced it back to his daughter’s spending spree on the popular open-world game “Genshin Impact.”

A $20,000 character upgrade: The credit card was tied to Lim Cheng Mong’s 18-year-old daughter’s e-wallet in the mobile game. She reportedly bought in-game purchases from August to October 2021 to upgrade her “Genshin Impact” character.

“At first I thought I was scammed, but the credit card company said these were all legitimate transactions and there was nothing it could do,” Lim told The Straits Times. He explained that he only shared his credit card with his daughter’s Grab account for her transportation expenses.
“I told her off and said it was a lot of money — one year’s worth of school fees if she were to go to an overseas university. She just spent the huge sum without blinking an eye,” he added.
In the game, characters can progress faster with item upgrades bought with real money. His daughter would reportedly spend up to $300 for randomized items.
“Genshin Impact” earned $1 billion during its first six months after launch just from mobile sales. Companies that deal with digital payments are now alerting parents to keep track of their e-wallets and their children’s in-game purchases.
Lim was able to recover around $10,000 from the bank where he got his credit card. He said he hopes companies will review online transactions when children are involved.
“We as parents have totally no control,” Lim said. “It is a disaster waiting to happen and I want to make sure more parents are aware of it.”

Featured Images via Genshin Impact

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