Google Wallet adds parental controls for children's spending
UKPulse News Desk
Google announced that Google Wallet will now let parents set up secure balances for children under 18, with daily spending limits and transaction oversight. The feature is rolling out in the United States.
- Parents can set daily spending limits, review transaction history, and get notifications for purchases.
- The feature is available for children under 18 and works on Android and Wear OS devices.
- The update is rolling out in the United States; no other regions have been confirmed.
Google has announced that Google Wallet will now allow parents to set up a secure balance for children under 18. The company says the feature is designed to help parents teach healthy financial habits while keeping oversight of their child's spending through built-in safeguards.
Parents can set daily spending limits, review transaction history, and choose to receive notifications whenever a purchase is made. They can also lock or unlock the account if the child's device is lost, or activate a temporary 'spending timeout' to pause spending at any time.
Children can use their Android device or Wear OS device to tap and pay wherever Google Pay is accepted. The company says this lets kids manage their own money without needing a bank account.
The update is rolling out in the United States. It is unknown when or if Google plans to bring the feature to other regions.
Why this matters: The feature brings Google Wallet in line with competing tools like Apple Cash Family and startups such as FamZoo and Greenlight, which offer similar parental controls for children's spending.
What this means for you: If you are a parent in the United States with a child under 18, you can now set up a secure balance in Google Wallet with daily spending limits and transaction alerts.