Kids can use Google Wallet soon too but there's a catch (edited)

Key Takeaways

Google Wallet for Kids will be available next year and will require parental consent.
Parents will use the Family Link app to view transaction history and remotely approve or remove cards.
Payment approval will require a pin, password, or biometric authentication for security.

Paying for things with our phones has become part of our daily lives. I don’t remember the last time I physically pulled out my wallet to pay for something, I just tap with my phone and away I go. It just makes things so much easier and quicker. Now, Google wants to make that same experience easier for parents, and their kids.

Speaking to 9to5Google, Google confirmed that Google Wallet for kids will be available in 2025. The feature will require parental consent, and Google has added safeguards with this new feature that makes it easy for parents to track and manage. Parents will need to approve every credit or debit card added to their child’s phone.

Showing off a scanned library card in Google Wallet.

The easiest way to add your ID and other cards to Google Wallet

Google Wallet can hold credit cards and concert tickets, and now just by taking a picture you can add a digital representation of everything else.

Google Wallet for kids requires the Google Family Link app

Parents will be able to view recent transaction history and remotely remove a card if needed

For the feature to work, a parent or guardian has to add their child to Google’s Family Link System. The child can then use a parent or guardian’s approved debit or credit card to make tap-to-pay purchases.

Payments will require a device pin, password, or biometric authentication in order to be approved. Using the Family Link app, parents or guardians will be able to view recent transactions, and approve and remove cards remotely. Google Wallet for Kkds also supports gift cards and event tickets, but cannot be used online.

The feature first made its debut on the Fitbit Ace LTE, which launched earlier this year. Following positive feedback on the kid’s smartwatch, Google has decided to roll the feature out to Family Link-managed Android devices next year. Google is being cautious with its rollout, with the U.S. being one of the first countries to get access to the feature, so Google can receive feedback and tune any safety features before a wider global rollout.

Google Wallet has had quite a year of updates. The app now supports passports, driver’s licenses, health insurance information, student IDs, and many more.