Requirements for Skills that Allow Purchases

All Alexa skills that allow users to make a purchase must adhere to the requirements outlined below. The list is not exhaustive, and the guidelines might change over time.

1. Skills that allow users to purchase physical products or services

If your skill allows users to pay for non-digital products or services, such as, retail products, food delivery, or tickets for travel, events, or movie tickets, even if the tickets are delivered digitally, it must meet the following minimum requirements. This list isn't exhaustive and the guidelines might change over time.

a. The skill must use account linking and must note in the skill description that the skill uses account linking. The skill must pass the tests described in Skills that use account linking.
b. The skill's invocation name must match the seller name, and the skill must guide customers to use the seller name when invoking the skill, e.g., "Alexa, ask [seller name]…" or "Alexa, open [seller name]."
c. The skill must confirm the seller of record, products, delivery details, and order total, including any taxes or tip/delivery charges, via voice before completing the order.
d. If the skill uses account linking, after completing the order, the skill must confirm the transaction is complete via voice and must provide order details via email and a card in the Alexa app (see Cards).
e. If the skill uses account linking and sells an item(s) that costs $100 or more (or has an average transaction amount of $100 or more), it must give customers the option to set a four-digit voice code to protect against unwanted or accidental purchases. For more details, see Voice Code Requirements. If customers have enabled this function, the skill must ask customers to confirm the code via voice before completing a transaction. Any skill that provides a voice code option should notify customers of the option to set up the code in their skill description.

To ensure the best experience for customers, we encourage all skills that allow users to pay for physical goods or services to participate in a beta test. This provides the developer an opportunity to incorporate customer feedback. See Skill Beta Testing for Alexa Skills for guidance on how to participate in a beta test.

2. Skills that allow users to purchase digital products, content, or services

If your skill allows users to purchase digital products or services, such as premium features or content, it must meet the following minimum requirements. This list isn't exhaustive and the guidelines might change over time.

a. The skill must use the Amazon In-Skill Purchasing feature.
b. The skill must offer free content that enables customers to assess the quality of the skill and understand the product for sale prior to purchasing. For child-directed skills that offer a subscription, the free content must be provided outside of a free trial.
c. Entitlements purchased by a customer must be usable by that customer for as long as your Alexa skill is made available. Consumables must be usable until fully consumed. Subscriptions must be supported through the final subscription term purchased by customers.
d. The skill description and example phrases cannot tell the customer how to purchase, or encourage them to purchase, the premium content. The skill description can only describe what is included in the premium content.
e. The list price for all in-skill purchases cannot exceed, at any time, the lowest list price or actual price you set for that content or functionality on any similar service.
f. Skills that enable customers to play casino-style games cannot offer consumable in-skill products within those games.
g. The In-Skill Purchasing feature cannot be used to solicit donations from end users.
h. Skills offering in-skill purchasing cannot duplicate another published skill.
i. The skill cannot include upsell messages for in-skill products in notifications or reminders.
j. If the skill or the in-skill product(s) only work on a device with a screen, the skill must include the following disclaimer: "This [insert premium content description here] can only be accessed on a device with a screen."

  • Entitlements and consumables: include the disclaimer in the purchase prompt description
  • Subscriptions: include the disclaimer in the upsell message

k. The skill must not require customers to make a payment to win a game or receive a benefit which was perceived to be free. For example, a skill cannot tell a customer to find the hidden key to become a super detective if when the customer finds the key, they cannot become a super detective without upgrading their account which requires a payment. A skill also cannot require a customer to make a payment to move to the next level or complete the game. However, a skill can require payment for additional content.
l. The skill should not mislead customers by giving the false impression that payments are required if that's not the case. For example, if customers can win an item via gameplay or purchase, the skill should not mention the ability to purchase without mentioning the ability to win through the game.
m. Any skill that offers the ability to make an in-skill purchase must support an in-skill purchase cancellation or refund request by voice.
n. Child-directed skills with in-skill purchasing must also meet the following minimum requirements:

  • The skill cannot include direct exhortations to children to make a purchase or to persuade others to make a purchase for them. Skills can only give information about what is available to purchase, without prompting the child to buy anything.
  • The skill cannot include practices that are aggressive, or which otherwise have the potential to exploit a child's inherent inexperience, vulnerability, or credulity or to place undue influence or pressure on a child to make a purchase. This includes the following specific restrictions:
    • The skill cannot imply that characters within the skill are relying on the customers to do something that will ultimately require a payment. For example, we would not allow a game that asks users to care for a bunny and keep him happy, but the customer has insufficient carrots to feed the bunny and the only way to avoid the bunny becoming unhappy is to buy more carrots.
    • The skill cannot require payment to avoid a negative outcome. For example, if a skill involves caring for a puppy, the skill cannot tell the user that if they don't buy the puppy a food in-skill product, the puppy will get sick.
    • The skill cannot imply that the customer is in some way inferior if they do not do something that requires a purchase. For example, a skill that allows a customer to dress up characters cannot say that a character will not be popular if they do not have a green hat when the green hat can only be obtained by making a payment.
  • The skill cannot offer consumable in-skill products.

At this time, in-skill purchasing is available only for Alexa skills in the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Canada, and India. In-skill purchasing in child-directed skills is available only in the US.

If your skill requires an up-front payment to access the skill, it must meet the following minimum requirements. This list isn't exhaustive and the guidelines might change over time.

a. The skill must use the paid skills feature.
b. The skill description must enable customers to understand the content for sale before purchasing the skill. The description should make it clear that the skill requires an up-front payment to access the skill content.
c. The skill description and example phrases can't tell the customer how to purchase, or encourage them to purchase, the skill. The skill description can only describe what's included in the skill.
d. Entitlements purchased by a customer must be usable by that customer for as long as your Alexa skill is available. Subscriptions must be usable through the final subscription term purchased by the customer.
e. The list price for all paid skill purchases can't exceed, at any time, the lowest list price or actual price you set for that skill.
f. You can't use the paid skills feature to solicit donations from end users. If you're a charity and you would like to receive donations through Alexa, visit Amazon Pay (only available for US charities).
g. Paid skills can't duplicate another published skill.
h. The skill can't include upsell messages in notifications or reminders.
i. Child-directed skills can't be paid skills.
j. If the skill only works on a device with a screen, the skill must include the following disclaimer: "You can only access [insert skill description here] on a device with a screen."

  • Entitlements: include the disclaimer in the purchase prompt description
  • Subscriptions: include the disclaimer in the skill description.

At this time, paid skills are available only for Alexa skills in the US.

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Last updated: Mar 26, 2024