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IMPORTANT:
PlayStation Network is not for children younger than 7.
If you are 7 to 17 years old, your parent or legal guardian (“Responsible Adult”) must read and accept these Terms for you. You can read them too. Ask your Responsible Adult to explain anything you do not understand. You can also read the PSN Rules at www.playstation.com/legal/PSNTerms/. The Rules are shorter than these Terms. They help you understand the most important bits.
AS A CONSUMER YOU MAY HAVE RIGHTS UNDER APPLICABLE LOCAL LAWS THAT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED, LIMITED OR CHANGED. THOSE RIGHTS TAKE PRIORITY OVER ANYTHING IN THESE TERMS.
BEFORE YOU START USING YOUR ACCOUNT.
Read these Terms. We will rely on these Terms when dealing with you. We may suspend an account if the account holder breaches these Terms. If you have any questions, contact our customer services – see section 30.
6.1. You must be honest with us. Give us accurate personal information about yourself and any Child Family Members. Keep that information up to date via account management.
6.2.1. This is important because we rely on the information you provide. We send important information to the email addresses you give us. We use your Child Family Member’s date of birth to tailor their experience.
6.2.2. If you give us false information we may suspend the affected accounts. For example, we may suspend adults accounts if children are using them. When that happens, you lose access to PSN and some Products, even paid for ones. You can contact customer services to understand why you or a Child Family Member has been suspended and what you can do.
7.Defined Words and Phrases.
“Approved Payment Method”: the payment methods we accept on PSN.
“Authorised Systems”: any of our games consoles. That includes original PlayStation, PlayStation®2, PlayStation®Portable, PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita, PlayStation®TV, PlayStation Classic, PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®5.
“Child Family Member Account”: an account for someone whose date of birth indicates they are under 18. A Child Family Member Account has some functionalities determined by age and comes with a range of Parental Controls which the Family Manager or Guardian can set. See section 10. On PS3 and PS Vita the term sub account has the same meaning as Child Family Member Account.
“Child Family Member": someone with a Child Family Member Account.
“Code of Conduct”:how you must behave on PSN, as set out in section 12.
“Family Manager”:the adult account holder who creates a Child Family Member Account is the Family Manager. An adult account holder who invites other adult account holders to join their “family” is also a Family Manager.
“Family Member”:any account holder who belongs to a “family”.
“Guardian”: an adult Family Member nominated by the Family Manager who can set Parental Controls for Child Family Members.
“Parental Controls”: settings enabling a Family Manager or Guardian to tailor the experience of Child Family Members. Find more information about Parental Controls at: www.playstation.com/safety.
“Products”:all the digital content and digital services available via PSN. Products may be free or paid-for. Products include games, music, movies, subscriptions, PSN Wallet top up service and funds, virtual communities (where you can interact with other players) and more. Available Products vary depending on which system you are using and where you live. Some Products may not be available in your preferred language.
“PSN Wallet”:holds the funds you add to your account to spend on the PlayStation Store.
“Responsible Adult”:the parent or legal guardian of a child.
“Terms” these PlayStation Network Terms of Service.
"User Generated Content", also called "UGC": text, messages, comments, pictures, photographs, voice, music, videos, game assets, game videos, game-related information and other materials (i) created by you or others on PSN and/or (ii) shared by you or others via PSN.
“Wallet Funds” funds in your PSN Wallet.
“Wallet Top Up” buying Wallet Funds or redeeming a voucher for Wallet Funds.
9.1. We use appropriate technical measures to secure PSN and the information we hold about you.
9.2. You must play your part too. You are responsible for all use of your account, unless:
9.2.1. someone else used the account because we failed to use appropriate technical measures to secure PSN or the information we hold about you; or
9.2.2. someone else used the account but you had taken reasonable steps to prevent that happening including those in section 9.3.
9.3. Some steps to stop others using your account:
9.3.1. Sign-out of your account at the end of each session.
9.3.2. Set a passcode to prevent anyone with access to your Authorised System logging in to your account.
9.3.3. Use a strong password, different from any you use for other online services, and turn on “Require Password at Checkout” to prevent others spending on your account.
9.3.4. Never share your account details with anyone else.
9.3.5. Never let anyone else use your account, not even a family member or friend.
9.4. What if something goes wrong?
9.4.1. Change your password immediately if you think anyone else knows it.
9.4.2. Notify us immediately if you think someone else has control of your account.
9.4.3. Notify law enforcement if you are a victim of crime in relation to the PSN. (For example, someone else using your payment details on PSN.)
10. Your Child Family Members.
10.1. You must create a separate Child Family Member Account for each child. Set appropriate Parental Controls for each. See section 11.
10.2. Child Family Members have access to our PlayStation Store. See section 14. One of the Parental Controls is a monthly spend limit. We set it to zero. You can increase it. Only allow Child Family Members a monthly spend limit higher than zero if you are satisfied they are able to understand the purchase flow and make purchase decisions up to that value.
10.3. By setting a spend limit for a Child Family Member (or appointing a Guardian who does so), you are telling us:
10.3.1. the child can understand (i) the concept of a purchase; (ii) the cost; and (iii) an online purchase flow; and
10.3.2. you pre-approve and agree to pay for all PlayStation Store purchases by that Child Family Member up to the spend limit.
10.4. For each Child Family Member Account, you must:
10.4.1. provide accurate information – see section 6 – including age;
10.4.1.1. Why? This affects how we deal with them. We will use their age to tailor what they can see, buy and do on PSN. However, not all Products available via PSN are rated and some contain adult language and material which your Child Family Members may see.
10.4.2. explain to your Child Family Member how they should behave when using the PSN or dealing with us or the PSN community – see our Code of Conduct in section 12 – how to protect themselves and their account;
10.4.3. set appropriate Parental Controls – see section 11;
10.4.4. appropriately monitor their use of the PSN;
10.4.4.1. Why? Your Child Family Members may receive communications from other PSN users that will not be copied to you.
10.4.5. agree to supervise, and therefore accept responsibility for, your Child Family Member’s Account(s) activity to ensure they comply with these Terms. This will not apply:
10.4.5.1. if someone else used the account because we failed to use appropriate technical measures to secure PSN or the information we hold about your Child Family Members; or
10.4.5.2. if someone else used the account but you and your Child Family Member had taken reasonable steps to stop that happening.
11.1. We offer a variety of Parental Controls. You can read about them at www.playstation.com/safety.
11.2. Important information about our Parental Controls:
11.2.1. Guardians can set Parental Controls and adjust the ones you’ve set.
11.2.2. We will not notify you of Parental Control changes made by Guardians.
11.2.3. Only appoint Guardians you completely trust.
13. Do we track what you do online?
13.1. Yes, but we can't track all activity and we make no commitment to do so.
13.2. We may track and record your PSN activity and remove any of your UGC that breaches these Terms, without further notice to you. Other users may record things they see and send them to us.
13.3. Information we get can include your content, voice and text communications, gameplay videos, the time and location of your activities, your real name, your PSN Online ID and IP address.
13.4. We (or our affiliated companies) use that information to enforce these Terms, to comply with the law, to protect our rights and those of our licensors and users, and to protect our community. We may pass this information to the police or other appropriate authorities.
13.5. See our Privacy Policy at www.playstation.com/legal/PSNTerms/ for more details about this use of your information.
15. Shopping on PlayStation Store.
15.1. Make sure your Child Family Members understand how PlayStation Store works. What follows applies to them as well as you, except where indicated.
15.2. We guide you through the buying process from Product choice to purchase confirmation via a series of screens and instructions.
15.2.1. Read the information we show you during your purchase carefully. It affects the cancellation rights you may otherwise have under applicable local laws – see section 16.
15.3. The last button press is “Order and Pay”. When you press that button:
15.3.1. If your Wallet Funds are enough to pay the price, we deduct the funds from your PSN Wallet;
15.3.2. If you have some but not enough Wallet Funds to pay the price, we take those and charge the balance to your Approved Payment Method. (Does not apply to Child Family Members);
15.3.3. If you have no Wallet Funds, we charge the full price to the default Approved Payment Method stored on your account. (Does not apply to Child Family Members); and
15.3.4. You send the order to us.
15.4. If we cannot fulfil your order we will refund any sums deducted from your:
15.4.1. PSN Wallet to your PSN Wallet;
15.4.2. Approved Payment Method to that payment method unless it is one of the Approved Payment Methods for which we cannot do that. In those cases, we refund to your PSN Wallet.
15.5. You buy a personal licence to use Products for private use. Your licence to use games is not transferrable unless your local applicable laws say it must be.
15.5.1. This means you can use a Product in the ways described in the licence but do not own the Product.
15.5.2. We tell you where to find the licence terms during the purchase flow.
15.6. If you delete or close the purchasing account, you may lose access to and use of the Product.
15.7. If a third party published the Product, you may need to associate or link your account for PSN to an account you hold with that third party to use the Product. The Product may become linked to that third party account as well as the purchasing account. If you unlink the third party account from your account for PSN or if your third party account is closed or deleted, you may lose access to the Product.
16. Can I cancel my purchases just because I changed my mind?
16.1. Yes, in limited circumstances and when you request it within certain timeframes. See our Cancellation Policy at www.playstation.com/store-cancellation-policy.
16.2. Read the information we show you during your purchases carefully. When you buy, we provide information and follow a process which limits the change-of-mind cancellation rights you might otherwise have under applicable local laws.
16.3. Change-of-mind cancellation rights explained. In some countries, local law says that, when you buy Products online, you have time to change your mind, cancel your purchase and get a refund. In countries of the European Economic Area, for example:
16.3.1. When you buy digital content (like a game or movie), you can cancel for any reason within 14 days of your transaction
16.3.2. When you buy services (like a subscription or Wallet Funds), you can cancel for any reason within 14 days of your transaction.
16.3.3. But, the law also says that, if you consent to immediate delivery of the digital content or immediate supply of the service, we can provide them immediately and limit your right to cancel those orders provided we explain to you how that affects your cancellation rights.
16.3.4. Because most of our customers want to use their purchases straight away, we design our purchase flows to get your consent to immediate delivery of digital content and services and we provide you with clear information about how that affects your cancellation rights.
16.4. So, unless a Product is faulty or you have other rights to cancel your order under applicable local laws, when you shop with us:
16.4.1. You will not be able to change your mind and cancel your digital content purchase once you begin to download the content; and
16.4.2. You can change your mind and cancel your Subscription service purchases within 14 days of purchase but the amount we refund can be less than your purchase price (to account for the use you have had of the service).
18.1. We store your credit and debit card and PayPal account details when you use them for a transaction. We use them for future purchases unless you delete them through your account settings.
18.2. We do not store your payment card’s 3-digit security number. You do not need to enter it for future purchases.
18.3. For other Approved Payment Methods you may need to enter the details each time you buy something.
18.4. When you buy a Product using mobile billing your mobile network provider charges you the amount of the purchase. They may charge you their standard messaging rate on top.
20. Special Terms applying to some Products.
General.
20.1. Products we sell may not work with Authorised Systems and software licensed for sale outside of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, Russia and Oceania.
20.2. Unless otherwise specified, all Products are for non-commercial, home use only.
Games.
20.3. Some games and apps let you buy:
20.3.1. Products from the PlayStation Store; or
20.3.2. other things directly from the publisher of the game or app.
20.3.2.1. You cannot use Wallet Funds to buy anything from the publisher and you will need to register a payment method with them.
20.3.2.2. The spend limit on a Child Family Member’s account only applies to purchases from PlayStation Store.
20.4. Some Products offer online services like online multiplayer, leaderboards or communication facilities.
20.4.1. To access online multiplayer you (or another account which has designated your PS4 as its “primary console” or, if you have a PS5, has enabled the “Offline & Homeshare” setting on your PS5) need to have an active PlayStation Plus subscription.
Subscriptions.
20.5. Subscriptions continue indefinitely. We charge you on-going fees automatically on a regular basis until cancelled. We explain the on-going fees, the billing frequency and how to cancel before you buy. We email you before each payment is due.
20.6. Trials roll into paid-for subscriptions. We charge you subscription fees unless your subscription is cancelled before the end of the trial period. We explain this, the on-going fees, the billing frequency and how to cancel before you take out a trial.
20.7. If you do not have enough Wallet Funds to pay a recurring subscription fee, we charge the balance to your default payment method (if any).
20.7.1. This does not apply to purchases made by Child Family Members.
20.8. At the end of each billing period and at the end of a trial, we take the subscription fees for the next period. This will not happen if:
20.8.1. You cancel the subscription before the end of the trial or current billing period.
20.8.2. You do not have enough funds in your PSN Wallet and you do not have a registered payment method.
20.8.3. We discontinue the subscription for any reason.
20.9. If your payment for a subscription fails we may continue trying to take payment from you over the next few days.
20.9.1. You may be able to access the subscription service during that period.
20.9.2. Your billing period will not change. If a payment retry is successful, your next payment date will be the same as if your initial payment had not failed.
20.10. We may change the on-going cost of a subscription (up or down) to reflect changes in the subscription product, to reflect our costs in providing the subscription, to ensure the subscription continues to be a viable service or to respond to market changes, such as changes to exchange rates, local taxes or inflation.
20.10.1. We will notify you by email at least 60 days in advance of any price increase, telling you the new cost and the date from which the new cost will apply. You will be able to cancel before the price rise takes effect.
20.11. If you already have a subscription (whether paid or as part of a free trial) and you buy another subscription for the same service, your current subscription will end at the end of the current billing period and the new subscription will begin.
20.12. The package of Products in a subscription may vary throughout your subscription period. Age, geographic and other restrictions mean you may not be able to access all Products in the package. Some Products may be available to non-subscribers separately.
Pre-Orders.
20.13. You must pay for pre-orders on the date you place your pre-order.
20.14. You can cancel your pre-order and get a refund as explained at the point of purchase and section 16. If you cancel a pre-order you will no longer be entitled to any promotional products offered with the pre-order.
Virtual Currency.
20.15. Some games include fictional currencies (“VC”). Depending on the game you can earn VC through gameplay or buy it from PlayStation Store. You can exchange it in-game for other in-game items, experiences or functionality.
20.16. You must not:
20.16.1. sell, purchase, transfer or use VC outside of the game;
20.16.2. wager with or for VC (for example “skin betting”) unless the game provides that functionality;
20.16.3. exchange or redeem VC for money or money’s worth.
20.17. Each game publisher determines how their VC works and what you can do with it. See the game publisher’s terms for details.
21. Content You Create and Share.
21.1. Some Products allow you to share your UGC with us and other players.
21.2. You own your UGC. However you must not commercially exploit it without consent. You need consent from us and, where relevant, the publisher of the Product. This is because the way you make and share your UGC means your UGC may be bound up with software or intellectual property belonging to us and the publisher of the Product.
21.3. When you share your UGC:
21.3.1. We may make it visible across the PSN.
21.3.2. We may make it visible in other places like our websites and those of our affiliated companies.
21.3.3. We and our affiliated companies may alter your UGC for various reasons, including to add your Online ID (or your real name if you choose to use it) so others know it is yours, to ensure it displays well on various devices and so on.
21.3.4. Others can interact with it and do things to it like comment on it, alter it, delete it or reshare it.
21.3.5. We and our affiliated companies may:
21.3.5.1. license, sell and otherwise commercially exploit your UGC (for example, selling subscriptions to access your UGC alone or in combination with other UGC);
21.3.5.2. receive advertising revenue in connection with UGC;
21.3.5.3. use your UGC in the promotion of Products and any other PlayStation® products and services;
21.3.5.4. alter or delete your UGC where necessary to comply with the law or exercise our rights under these Terms.
21.4. We do not pay you for using your UGC as described in section 21.3.
21.5. By sharing UGC you are telling us you have all rights necessary to such UGC and to grant the rights set out in this section 21.
21.6. The licence for a Product may tell you more about how UGC sharing works for that Product.
30.1. If you have any questions, contact us.
30.2. For online support (help pages and an online contact form): www.playstation.com/get-help/contact-us/.To write to us the old-fashioned way use: Sony Interactive Entertainment Network Europe Limited, 10 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7LP, UK.
30.3. When you contact us, we expect our staff to be polite and respectful. We expect the same of you. If you are rude to or abuse or threaten our staff we may restrict you to contacting us by email or refuse to support you any further. If your behaviour suggests a risk to our staff, our community or our business we may suspend your account and escalate the matter to law enforcement.
Version 11 Last updated: December 2022
