I tried Google Wallet's new allowance feature, and my kid's already ditched their debit card
The new feature lets you send money to your children without them needing a card or separate account.
Google Wallet has introduced a new feature that allows parents to securely send money to their children's Google Wallet accounts, enabling them to make tap-to-pay purchases using their Android devices. As a parent, this eliminates the need to keep cash on hand or provide a physical card, while ensuring their children can spend money safely.
The feature functions like CashApp, offering quick transfers, transaction limits, real-time tracking, and the ability to lock the balance. However, there are limitations: the money can only be spent through tap-to-pay at NFC-compatible locations, and online purchases are not supported. The app is only functional for in-store transactions, making it less versatile than CashApp, which is expected to add a blocking feature for specific merchants or categories soon.
If a parent is already using CashApp, the Google Wallet version might not be significantly different unless the child prefers not to carry a card. For parents setting up their kids with their own money for the first time and already using Google Wallet or Family Link, this is a practical and secure way to provide their children with their own funds.
To set up Google Wallet for kids, the child must be under 18 and under parental supervision through Google's Family Link, the child's device must support NFC and have the Google Wallet app, and the feature can be set up through the Family Link app.
Written by urgent.news from ZDNet's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
