Guidance on Establishing Google Payment Accounts for Children
Unleashing Kid-Friendly Tap-to-Pay with Google Wallet
Ever fret about handing over your credit card or stashing cash for your little one's purchases? Fear not! Google Wallet's tap-to-pay feature is here to give you peace of mind, offering a touch of financial freedom for your child — along with a dash of parental control, of course!
Google initially teased this nifty feature last autumn and officially announced its inclusion in an upcoming Google Family Link update back in February. As of now, the feature is live and ready for families in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, and Poland. 🇨🇿🇬🇧🇦🇺🇪🇸🇵🇱
Google Wallet 101 for Kids
Your tiny treasure can use tap-to-pay at stores that accept Google Pay or contactless payments. To get started, they'll need a supervised Google Account, an NFC-enabled Android device (or a smartwatch), the Google Wallet app, and a screen lock enabled.
Important note: Google Wallet is exclusively designed for in-store purchases, steering clear of online or in-app transactions or Google services like Play and YouTube. While there are no extra spending controls, you'll get an email each time a successful transaction takes place, so you can keep a watchful eye on their spending. 💸🔍
Speaking of which, your child can also keep passes like loyalty cards, gift cards, boarding passes, and event tickets in Google Wallet. These can be added without your express permission, and you won't be notified if and when they're used.
Mastering Google Wallet Setup for Your Little One
To add a payment card to your child's Google Wallet, open the Wallet app on their phone and tap "Add to Wallet > New credit or debit card," then hit "More > Next" after reading the prompts. You'll need to sign in to your Google account, snap a picture of the card or enter the information manually. You'll also need to agree to both Google's and the card issuer's terms to proceed. You may be prompted to verify the payment method with a code sent via email or text or by calling or logging into your bank app. 🌟
Parents can remove cards from Google Wallet, either from a specific device or via Family Link. Open Family Link, select your child's account, and go to "Controls > Wallet > Payment methods and transactions." Then select the card and tap "Remove > Remove." You can't remove other types of passes from their wallet unless you block access to passes entirely in your Family Link settings.
Be aware that your child must be the cardholder or an authorized user for cards added to Google Wallet. 💳👦🏻👧🏻
Setting Up Google Wallet for Kids
- Download Family Link App: Install the Google Family Link app on your device. Don't forget, this app is essential for parental controls and supervision! 📱
- Establish a Supervised Google Account: Ensure your child has a supervised Google Account managed by you via Family Link. This is vital for little ones aged under 13 (or the applicable age in your country). 🎓
- Access Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls: On your child’s Android device, navigate to "Settings > Digital Wellbeing and parental controls." 💻
- Link Accounts: Connect your Google account to your child’s device via the Family Link app. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup! 🔗
- Add Payment Cards: Open Google Wallet on your little one’s device, tap "Add to Wallet," and select "Add a payment card" (debit or credit). Log in to your Google account and enter the card details. 💳
Managing Tap-to-Pay Transactions
💡Parental Controls- Monitor Transactions: Utilize Family Link to check recent transactions and receive email notifications for each purchase. 💰🔍- Remove Payment Cards: Easily remove cards or disable Google Wallet access via Family Link whenever needed. 🗑️- Add Passes: Add and remove passes like library cards, gift cards, and event tickets as needed. 🎫📚
📝Important Notes- Spending Limits: No predefined spending limits are set within Google Wallet or Family Link. However, some card issuers may offer spending controls, so contact them for specifics. 💰- Transaction Notifications: Parents will receive email notifications for transactions, aiding in monitoring and managing spending. 🔔
🥳Additional Features- Digital Passes: Besides payment cards, kids can store digital passes like event tickets and library cards. 🎟️📚- Security: Only in-store purchases are supported; online transactions are not allowed for kids using this feature. 🛍️🛒
- Tech-savvy families in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, and Poland can now use Google Wallet's kids-friendly tap-to-pay feature, allowing their children to make purchases at stores that accept Google Pay or contactless payments, as long as they have a supervised Google Account, an NFC-enabled Android device, the Google Wallet app, and a screen lock enabled.
- Unless parents block access to passes entirely in their Family Link settings, kids can also keep passes like loyalty cards, gift cards, boarding passes, and event tickets in Google Wallet without requiring parental permission for their use.
- To set up Google Wallet, parents need to download the Google Family Link app, establish a supervised Google Account for their child, access digital wellbeing and parental controls on their child’s Android device, link their Google account to their child’s device via the Family Link app, and then add payment cards to their little one’s Wallet within the app. Parents can easily remove cards or disable Google Wallet access via Family Link whenever needed, making it simple to manage tap-to-pay transactions and add or remove passes as needed.
