What it is
Subway Surfers is free to download and free to run. Adverts play between games. The shop sells hoverboards, characters, keys, and event items. None of that is required to play.
What it costs if you let it: small purchases that repeat, plus a season-style hunt that nudges them to buy. What it costs if you do not: time and adverts. A card on the phone turns the shop into a one-tap spend.
What to look out for
- Keys, coins, or a “special offer” bought without you.
- A card or store password saved on the device.
- A child who is more interested in the shop than the run.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Subway Surfers. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Do not put your card details on their device. Not in the App Store, Google Play, the game, or PayPal. If you choose to pay, type the card in yourself for that purchase, then remove it.
- Leave the shop alone. The game works without it.
- Turn off in-app purchases in the phone settings, as well as keeping the card off the device.
- Adverts are the trade for a free game. A purchase to “remove ads” is a decision you make, not a button they press.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Games that sell random prizes are getting higher age ratings This BBC report is about higher age ratings for games that sell random prizes. Subway Surfers can be played without paying. The shop and the card are the part to refuse. The report does not name Subway Surfers.
A way to start the conversation
You can say: "You can play this without spending. The shop is optional. My card is not going on this phone, so if you want something from it, you ask me first."
Video
Parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.