Nintendo Making Sure Underage Kids Have Parents Permission By Requiring 50 Cent Fee
Generally, when you create an account online you’re told that if you’re under 18 you have to have a parent’s permission. So, what do most under 18 do? Well, they lie, of course, checking the box that says they have permission, or just putting in a date to make them “old enough”.
That’s why you have to give Nintendo props for at least trying to get more actual parental permission. Essentially, if you put in a birthdate that means you’re under 18 you’ll be given a prompt that a one-time, nonrefundable fee of 50 cents will be charged to a credit card. The purpose for this charge is to ensure that a parent or guardian has indeed given consent.
Of course, the system isn’t perfect. After all, as I mentioned earlier, they can just put in a date that would make them old enough, but there are bound to be at least a few kids who won’t think of putting in such a date and be forced to get their parents to come and cough up the 50 cents. But, at any rate, it’s a slightly more robust system than what many companies do, and it’s likely to net Nintendo a little bit of money to boot.
