In-game purchases is a content descriptor used by PEGI that signifies that the product contains in-game purchases including microtransactions, random items (loot boxes), bonus content, and other purchases with real currency. It is the only actively used PEGI content descriptor not tied to any of PEGI's age ratings (the Online descriptor was discontinued on July 2015). In 2020, 362 titles (20.8%) were given the in-game purchases descriptor.
This descriptor was introduced in 2018 after the Star Wars Battlefront II loot box and microtransaction controversy which even crossed the legal territory, specifically Belgium.
The use of the descriptor, along with the ESRB's counterpart, has been criticised for being extremely vague and poorly described. Additionally, publishers have found a loophole: they can release games without any in-game purchases so that the descriptor does not get used, and then add them later in an update. It was proven to be ineffective in informing video gamers about the risk of taking in-game purchases. There was one notorious case in the UK where without the knowledge of their parents, four children abused in-game purchases to get player packs in FIFA 19 for the Nintendo Switch. In three weeks, they spent nearly £550 on in-game purchases, which eventually emptied their parents' bank account.