Making a purchase from within an application after it is installed and running. Typically found in mobile apps, an in-app purchase is made to add enhancements or extend a subscription. Also called an "in-app payment" (IAP).
Concerns with Gaming Add-Ons
In the case of game apps, in-app purchases add extras such as more currency, clues or battlefield armaments. Starting in 2013, regulators in the U.S. and European Union (EU) began to crack down on this method, claiming children have spent inordinate sums making in-app purchases without parents' knowledge. In 2014, EU Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) officials declared that if a game is advertised as free, it must be playable in a normal manner without further requiring in-app transactions. See
online app store and
gaming.