Google Wallet has unveiled a new feature designed to give parents and guardians greater control over their children’s use of Android devices for managing payments and storing digital passes.
This update allows children to securely tap to pay in stores while maintaining a supervised digital wallet experience.
The feature empowers parents to oversee their children’s transactions with a variety of tools, ensuring that financial activities remain transparent and secure.
New control features
According to Google’s announcement, parents can:
- Approve or deny the addition of payment cards to their child’s Google Wallet.
- Receive email notifications for every transaction their child completes.
- Monitor and track recent purchases to ensure spending is within expectations.
- Remove payment cards from the wallet and disable access to certain passes, if necessary.
These controls are accessible via Google Family Link, an app that offers a wide range of parental tools, including the ability to set screen time limits, approve or block app downloads, manage and secure children’s accounts, monitor their location, and receive alerts when they arrive at or leave specific places.
Family Link makes it seamless for parents to manage their children’s digital experiences while maintaining oversight of their safety and financial activities.
With these new parental controls in place, Dong Min Kim, Director of Product Management for Google Wallet, stated: “Kids can use Google Wallet to securely tap to pay in stores and keep supported passes like event tickets, library cards and gift cards in one convenient place.”
The rollout of this feature is set to expand gradually over the next few weeks across five regions: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, and Poland. In these regions, parents and guardians will be able to access these new tools immediately. Additionally, the feature launched with the new Pixel 9a smartphone, which became available today.
Google highlighted that, as with all NFC payments, a device PIN, password, fingerprint, or facial recognition will still be required to authenticate transactions, ensuring an extra layer of security for every purchase.
Broader Digital Wallet Adoption and Industry Trends
This update comes at a time when digital wallets like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal are becoming essential tools for both online and in-store transactions. According to a PYMNTS Intelligence report, titled “How People Pay: Consumer Preference for Connected Technology,” mobile wallets are increasingly favored for their seamless and frictionless transactions.
The report reveals that 26% of “mainstream tech consumers” used mobile devices for one of their most recent purchases, reflecting growing adoption of these technologies in day-to-day payments.
Google has been expanding its portfolio of features aimed at creating secure and family-friendly digital tools. For instance, the Fitbit Ace LTE became the first kids’ device to offer Google Wallet integration in 2022, enabling younger users to make supervised payments.
What you should know
In February, Google redesigned its Family Link app, enhancing features like School Time on Android devices. These updates allow parents to enforce specific usage limits during school hours, ensuring that children remain focused on their studies.
- Other major players in the digital wallet market are also introducing family-focused features. For example, Apple Cash Family allows users to set up Apple Cash accounts for children and teens within a Family Sharing group.
- Parents can restrict who their children send money to, receive notifications for every transaction, and lock their child’s account if needed.
Similarly, Venmo, a payment platform owned by PayPal, introduced the Venmo Teen Account in May 2023. This feature enables parents or guardians to create accounts for teenagers aged 13 to 17, allowing them to send and receive money while maintaining parental oversight.
Google’s latest update aligns with these industry trends by offering enhanced control and security for families, ensuring that children can engage with financial tools in a safe and supervised manner.
