Turn off Alexa voice purchasing in a shared home

Alexa can place orders through voice when purchasing is enabled on the account. In a home with children, guests or devices near an open window, a purchase prompt may be overheard or deliberately triggered. Amazon's Alexa help says you can require a spoken confirmation code or turn off voice purchasing. A code spoken aloud may be overheard, so turning the feature off is the clearer option when no one needs it. Also review third-party skills, whose transactions may have separate terms.

Before you start​

Use the Alexa app signed into the Amazon account that owns the relevant Echo devices. Inventory the devices and users in the household; another adult's separate account may have its own settings. Decide whether anyone actually needs voice ordering, and discuss the change with household members who rely on it. Check pending orders first if there was a suspected accidental purchase.

Do it step by step​

1. Open Alexa app, More, Settings, Account Settings, Voice Purchasing. Amazon's help describes this path; labels can vary by device and app version.
2. Review whether voice purchasing is on and what confirmation option is selected. If the feature is unnecessary, turn it off. If you keep it, set a confirmation code and recognize that it must be spoken aloud.
3. Review kid-skill purchasing separately. Amazon says approval is required by default for certain purchases through kid skills and that Amazon Kids voice purchasing is off; verify your actual settings rather than assuming one master switch covers every skill.
4. Check enabled third-party skills that can sell products or subscriptions. Amazon warns its voice-purchase settings may not control purchases processed directly by a third-party skill provider.
5. Test the setting with a harmless request that does not complete a purchase. Confirm Alexa refuses to place an order or asks for the expected confirmation. Do not complete a real transaction merely to test the guardrail.
6. Review recent orders and subscriptions in the Amazon account. If an unrecognized purchase exists, use its official order-help path promptly; a changed setting prevents future orders but does not cancel one already placed.

Check the result​

Voice ordering behaves as intended on the shared device, kid-skill and third-party routes are understood, and existing orders have been checked. Household members know whether voice purchasing is available.

If something goes wrong​

If the menu is missing, confirm the app account and regional availability. If a purchase still occurs, identify whether it came from another household account or a third-party skill rather than repeatedly toggling the same setting. Use Amazon Customer Service for a real disputed order.

Know the limit​

A spoken PIN can be heard by someone nearby and is not equivalent to an individual login. Turning off Amazon-processed voice purchases may not disable a skill provider's own billing relationship. Device microphone controls affect listening, not the account's saved purchasing agreements. Alexa purchasing controls