Google Wallet now lets parents set up secure balances for their kids

🚨 Flash Sale 🚨 Get $100 off your Disrupt 2026 ticket Get $400 off your Disrupt 2026 ticket: REGISTER NOW. Close TechCrunch Desktop Logo TechCrunch Mobile Logo LatestStartupsVentureAppleSecurityAIAppsDisrupt 2026 EventsPodcastsNewsletters SearchSubmit Site Search Toggle Mega Menu Toggle Topics Latest AI Amazon Apps Biotech & Health Climate Cloud Computing Commerce Crypto Enterprise EVs Fintech Fundraising Gadgets Gaming Google Government & Policy Hardware Instagram Layoffs Media & Entertainment Meta Microsoft Privacy Robotics Security Social Space Startups TikTok Transportation Venture More from TechCrunch Staff Events Startup Battlefield StrictlyVC Newsletters Podcasts Videos Partner Content TechCrunch Brand Studio Crunchboard Contact Us Image Credits:Jaque Silva/NurPhoto / Apps Google Wallet now lets parents set up secure balances for their kids Aisha Malik 9:00 AM PDT · August 6, 2026 Google announced on Thursday that Google Wallet will now allow parents to set up a secure balance for children under 18. The tech giant says the new feature is designed to help parents teach healthy financial habits while maintaining oversight of their child’s spending through built-in safeguards.

Parents can set daily spending limits, review their child’s transaction history, and choose to receive notifications whenever a purchase is made. Parents 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. The new feature brings Google Wallet more in line with competing financial tools, including Apple Cash Family, which lets parents send money to their children while monitoring transactions and managing spending controls.

Additionally, the company is positioning itself against startups like FamZoo and Greenlight, which allow parents to teach their children financial literacy through prepaid debit card systems. Image Credits:Google / Kids can use their Android device or Wear OS devices to tap and pay wherever Google Pay is accepted. The tech giant sees the new feature as a way for kids to manage their own money without the need for an actual bank account.

The update is rolling out in the United States. It’s unknown when, or if, Google plans to bring the new capability to additional regions. The new feature builds on Google’s announcement last year that parents and guardians in select countries can allow their children to use digital payments on Android devices under parental supervision.

A payment card can only be added with parental consent, and parents receive an email whenever their child makes a transaction. var playerInstance_jwplayer_6a752e28f100a = jwplayer( "jwplayer_6a752e28f100a" ); playerInstance_jwplayer_6a752e28f100a.setup(); With last year’s update, kids also gained the ability to use Google Wallet to access supported passes, like event tickets, library cards, and gift cards. Topics Apps, google wallet When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Aisha Malik Consumer News Reporter Aisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University.