Kids Will Soon Be Able to Make One-Tap Payments on Android
You used to want to hide your credit card from your kids, but thanks to the advent of tap-to-pay and parental controls, you can now let them borrow your card details without worrying (as much) about them going on an unauthorized shopping trip. According to information shared by Google with 9to5Google , children supervised throughFamily Link will soon be able to download and use the Google Wallet app for personal payments on Android phones.
The feature is similar to a similar feature that was previously exclusive to the kid-focused Fitbit Ace LTE fitness tracker and will require a child to enter a PIN, password, fingerprint or use facial recognition before they can make a payment.
Notably, this feature doesn’t work for online payments, so there’s no need to worry about your child suddenly going crazy buying V-Bucks with your money (unless they’re buying gift cards at the local Walgreens). It’s more meant to help them pay for lunch at school and things like that. Kids will also be able to store gift cards or event tickets in their Google Wallet, although ID cards or health cards won’t work at launch.
Details on exactly how enabling or restricting this feature will work are a bit fuzzy (I’ve reached out to Google for more information), but in a statement provided to 9to5Google, the company said parents will be able to use the Family Link app to monitor their children’s usage tap payment systems where they can approve new cards, delete cards and view transaction history.
Ideally, I’d like to be able to approve every transaction before it’s completed, although given how tap-to-pay works on the Fitbit Ace LTE , it’s unlikely that will be on the list. The device also did not allow parents to set spending limits for tap pay, instead directing them to debit card providers, but it also limited tap pay for children to debit cards from Greenlight or GoHenry. Instead, Google Wallet for kids on Android phones will allow them to use any payment card approved by their parents, so it’s possible that it could offer additional features as well.
Google Wallet for Kids on Android phones will launch in the US (and other as-yet-unnamed countries next year) and then expand. Meanwhile, Apple already allows kids to use tap-to-pay throughApple Cash Family , although the feature is limited to Apple Cash accounts, rather than allowing parents to add any payment cards they want to their kids’ tap-to-pay wallet.