Google Wallet has introduced a new feature aimed at giving parents and guardians more 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 providing parents with tools to supervise their digital wallet experience.
The new feature empowers parents to oversee their children’s transactions, ensuring transparency and security in financial activities.
Parents can approve or deny the addition of payment cards to their child’s Google Wallet, receive email notifications for each transaction, monitor recent purchases, and even remove payment cards or disable access to certain passes if necessary.
These controls are accessible through Google Family Link, an app offering a range of parental management tools such as setting screen time limits, approving or blocking app downloads, managing children’s accounts, and tracking their location.
With these new parental controls, children can securely use Google Wallet to pay in stores and store digital passes such as event tickets, library cards, and gift cards in one convenient place.
The feature is gradually rolling out over the next few weeks in five regions: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, and Poland.
It also launched alongside the new Pixel 9a smartphone. The update ensures that, as with all NFC payments, a device PIN, password, fingerprint, or facial recognition will still be required to authenticate transactions, adding an extra layer of security for every purchase.
This update coincides with the growing popularity of mobile wallets like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal, which are becoming essential tools for both online and in-store transactions. The feature also reflects Google’s ongoing efforts to provide secure, family-friendly digital tools.
In addition, Apple and PayPal have also introduced family-focused features in their digital wallets. Apple Cash Family allows parents to set up accounts for their children and restrict who they can send money to, while Venmo’s Teen Account enables teenagers aged 13 to 17 to send and receive money under parental oversight.
