Recently, news about “an elderly person making huge short-drama top-ups” made many adult children’s hearts tighten. According to reports by IT Times and other media, and as told by the family members involved: an elder nearly 70 years old made 4,887 short-drama top-ups over more than two years, totaling about RMB 225,800, involving 365 short-drama venues, of which 1,857 payments occurred between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. the next morning; separately reported, in Hebei another “post-1950s” elder topped up more than RMB 50,000 in a year and a half.

A note upfront: these figures come from the bill tallies of the parties and their families—individual cases, not official statistics. But deductions of the “auto-renewal, auto-unlock” kind really do deserve a careful check in every household. Today, no scare tactics and no blame—just a checklist you can follow step by step.

First, understand how the money “quietly slips away”

According to investigations by multiple media outlets, short-drama mini-programs and apps commonly use several payment models: a free trial first, with a “cliff-hanger charge” at the critical moment; payment methods divided into “per-episode payment” and “membership”; some default to checking “auto-unlock the next episode” or “auto-renew”; and concepts like per-episode, full-drama, and full-site can easily be mixed together. This is not to say all platforms do this—in fact, some platforms’ publicly released Operating Norms for Short-Drama Mini-Programs explicitly state that “auto-renewal and auto-unlocking of paid episodes must not be set without user consent, and boxes must not be pre-checked.”

What the regulations say (these clauses are safe to remember)

  • Article 10, paragraph 2, of the Regulations for the Implementation of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests: When business operators provide services through automatic renewal or auto-renewal arrangements, they shall, before the consumer accepts the service and before the automatic renewal dates, draw the consumer’s attention to this in a prominent manner. (State Council Order No. 778, effective July 1, 2024)
  • Article 18 of the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Online Trading: For automatic renewal and auto-renewal arrangements, consumers shall be alerted in a prominent manner before accepting the service and within five days prior to the renewal date, with the choice left to the consumer; during the service period, prominent and convenient options to cancel or change at any time must be provided, and no unreasonable fees may be charged. (Effective May 1, 2021)
  • Clause (2) 7 of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Letter Xin Guan Han [2023] No. 26: Auto-renewal and auto-renewal charges require the user’s consent; boxes must not be pre-checked by default or bundled compulsorily; reminders must be sent by prominent means such as text messages or push notifications 5 days before renewal; and convenient unsubscribe and cancellation options must be available at any time during the service period.
  • Article 20 of the Rules on Price Conduct of Internet Platforms: Where password-free payment, tied selling, automatic renewal, or automatic deduction is offered, the options must be displayed prominently with convenient cancellation channels, and each automatic deduction must be preceded by a reminder of the deduction time, amount, and cancellation channels. Note that these rules will come into effect on April 10, 2026 and are not yet in force, but the direction is clear.

Remember the gist in one sentence: renewals must be prominently reminded, require your consent, and be cancellable with one tap.

Step by step: turning off “auto-renewals” for your parents

The following paths are compiled from WeChat’s official help, Alipay, Apple’s official support, and tips from the China Consumers Association; refer to the current version of each app:

  1. WeChat: Me → Services → Wallet → Payment Settings → Auto-Renewal (or Password-Free Payments) → Turn off the billing service
  2. Alipay: My → Settings → Payment Settings → Password-Free Payments / Automatic Deductions
  3. iPhone: Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions → Cancel Subscription
  4. Android (using Huawei as an example): Settings → Huawei Account → Payments & Bills → Auto-Renewal → Unsubscribe

We also suggest doing three more things while you’re at it:

  • Set a small-amount limit or verification (such as fingerprint/password) on payments, so every sum stays “visible”;
  • Check your parents’ bills and deduction records once a month, handling any unfamiliar charges promptly;
  • If elders have been pulled into dubious “drama benefit groups” or “red-packet groups,” help them leave the group chats and remind them not to click links posted in the groups.

If the money is already spent, here’s how to pursue a refund

According to public information, the official channel for consumer disputes is the “National 12315 Platform” (run by the State Administration for Market Regulation, at www.12315.cn, also available as a mini-program, an app, and the 12315 hotline). A clarification: 12315 is not an agency that can force refunds; in most cases it mediates between the parties.

You can proceed in this order:

  1. Keep the evidence first: deduction records, bill screenshots, order numbers, chat records, and the name of the other party;
  2. File a complaint and negotiate a refund within the app or platform where you paid;
  3. If negotiation fails, file a complaint through the 12315 platform;
  4. For large amounts with no resolution through negotiation, you may, if necessary, pursue judicial channels.

A word from the heart

In this matter, the last people to blame are the elders. Some deduction steps come pre-checked or auto-unlocked, which is genuinely hard to notice at first (per multiple media investigations); added to that, elders are unfamiliar with phones, making it easy for them to fall into the trap. What we can do is be patient: instead of scolding “how could you be so careless,” sit with them and sort through their phone settings item by item.

Background data also shows this is no small matter: according to the 55th CNNIC report, as of December 2024, micro-short drama users had reached 662 million, a usage rate of 59.7%; iResearch data shows that among micro-short drama users in 2024, those aged 40-59 accounted for 37.3% and those over 60 for 12.1%; Ministry of Civil Affairs data shows that by the end of 2023, China’s population aged 60 and above was about 297 million. The China Consumers Association has also repeatedly flagged issues with micro-short dramas—unclear charging rules, auto-renewals, and difficult refunds—in its annual reports and consumer alerts.

If you have a moment, go check the “auto-renewal” settings on your parents’ phone today. You’re also welcome to share in the comments what “quiet deductions” you’ve helped your elders sort out.