Manage Google Wallet for children

Important: Google Wallet for children is currently only available in the US, UK, Australia, Spain and Poland.

Get your child started with Wallet

To use Google Wallet for children, your child must have:

Tip: For an easier setup, it's recommended to have the Google Wallet app installed on your child's phone first before you add a payment method.

To manage a child's account, parents will use Family Link. To do so, you can download the app from the Google Play Store (for parents on Android or Chromebook), App Store (for parents on iPhones or iPads) or go to familylink.google.com.

Important:

  • When your child opens Google Wallet for the first time, you'll receive an email. Your child can continue to use the Google Wallet app on their own, but can't add payment cards on their own.
  • Your child's account will be a supervised account. Only the family manager or someone with parent permissions in your family group on Family Link can manage your child's Google Wallet. Learn more about managing a family group.
  • Spending controls for your child's payment cards added to Wallet aren't available in Family Link or Google Wallet. Payment card spending controls may be available through your card issuer. Contact the card issuer to confirm.
  • When your child turns 13 (or the applicable age in your country), they'll have the option to manage their own account. You and your child will receive a series of email reminders before this occurs, so you'll know what to expect. Learn more about what happens when your child reaches the age of consent.

Add a payment card to your child's Wallet

Important:

  • Adding a payment card to your child's Wallet requires approval and assistance from the family manager or someone with parent permissions in your family group on Family Link. Learn more about managing a family group.
  • To add a new card to a child's Wallet, a parent must be physically present to complete the setup on their child's device. A parent will be required to sign in to their own Google Account and provide parental consent to add a card.
  • Parents may only add a card for which their child is the cardholder or an authorised user. Only cards that are supported by Google Wallet can be added. Learn more about supported payment methods.
  • When you save a card to your child's Google Wallet, it's also saved to their Google Account. Cards saved to your child's supervised Google Account can't be used for payments online, in-app or across Google. This also includes Play and YouTube, unless and until your child turns off supervision.
  • When you remove a card from your child's Wallet, it may be removed from their Google Account. Learn more about how to remove a payment card from your child's Wallet.
  • You'll receive an email notification when a new card is added to or removed from your child's Wallet.
  • Spending controls for your child's payment cards aren't available in Family Link or Google Wallet. Payment card spending controls may be available through your card issuer. Contact the card issuer to confirm whether they offer spending controls.
Add a payment card with your child's phone
  1. On your child's phone, open the Google Wallet app .
  2. At the bottom, tap Add to Wallet .
  3. Tap New credit or debit card.
  4. Read the information, tap More and then Next.
  5. To verify that you're the child's parent, enter your own Google Account password.
    • Tip: If there's more than one parent with a Google Account, select which account to use from the drop-down.
  6. To add a new card, you can either:
    • Use your camera.
    • Tap Enter details manually.
  7. Review Google's terms.
  8. At the bottom, tap Agree.
  9. Review the issuer terms.
  10. Tap Accept.
  11. If you're asked to verify your payment method, select an option from the list.
Add a payment card with their banking app
  1. Open the mobile banking app on your child's phone or go to the bank's website.
  2. Log in to your child's account.
  3. Find 'Add to GPay'.
  4. Tap Add to GPay.
  5. Tap Add.
  6. Tap More and then Next.
  7. To verify that you're the child's parent, enter your own Google Account password.
    • Tip: If there's more than one parent with a Google Account, select which account to use from the drop-down.
  8. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Tip: If 'Add to Google Wallet' or 'Add to GPay' aren't there, the card or financial institution may not support this feature. For more info, contact the bank.

Add a payment card with your child's smartwatch

Important: For your child to be able to pay contactless using their smartwatch, you must add the card to Google Wallet on their smartwatch. Learn more about pay contactless for children.

  1. On your child's smartwatch, open the Google Wallet app .
  2. To add a card, tap Add to Wallet .
  3. On your child's phone, follow the instructions:
    • To add a new card, tap Add a new card and then enter your card details.
    • If your child has an existing card saved to their Google Account, tap the saved card.
  4. Tap More and then Next.
  5. To verify that you're the child's parent, enter your Google Account info.
    • Tip: If there's more than one parent with a Google Account, select which account to use from the drop-down.
  6. Review Google's terms.
  7. At the bottom, tap Agree.
  8. Review the issuer terms.
  9. Tap Accept.
  10. Tap Got it.

Add a pass to your child's Wallet

Important:

  • Your child can add and use certain passes with Google Wallet without your assistance. Parents can't remove passes from their child's Wallet. If you don't want your child to use passes with Google Wallet, you can block their access to Wallet passes features from Family Link. Learn how to block all passes.
  • Unlike payment cards, parents won't be notified when their child adds a pass to or uses a pass on their Google Wallet.
  • To find your child's passes, you can go through the Google Wallet app on your child's device. Your child's passes aren't visible in Family Link.

The following passes are supported for your child:

  • Loyalty cards
  • Gift cards
  • Boarding passes
  • Event tickets

The following passes are currently not supported for your child:

  • Local travel cards
  • Digital car keys
  • Hotel keys
  • Student IDs
  • Driving licences
  • ID passes
  • Insurance and vaccination cards
Add a pass with your child's phone
  1. On your child's phone, open the Google Wallet app .
  2. At the bottom, tap Add to Wallet .
  3. Select the pass type.
  4. To add the item to Google Wallet, follow the on-screen instructions.
Use the 'Add to Google Wallet' option

If your child is signed in to their Google Account on their phone, they may find the 'Add to Google Wallet' option on some third-party websites or apps. This option lets them add a pass directly to Google Wallet.

  1. Open the pass on a website or app.
  2. Tap Add to Google Wallet.
  3. Tap Add.
  4. Tap View in Wallet.

Remove a payment card from your child's Wallet

Important:

  • When a payment card is removed from your child's Wallet, the child can no longer pay contactless on their device with that card, and both parents and the child will receive email notifications.
  • If your child removes the screen lock function on their phone, their payment cards will be automatically removed from that device and will need to be added again with a parent's assistance. Learn more about screen lock for pay contactless for your children.

If you remove a payment card from your child's Wallet, bear in mind that:

  • If a parent removes the child's card on Family Link, the card will be removed from all of the child's devices and their Google Account.
  • If your child has a payment card added to only one device and removes it, the card will be removed from that device and their Google Account.
  • If your child has a payment card added to multiple devices and removes it, the card will only be removed from that specific device. It won't be removed from any other devices or from their Google Account.

Tip: When your child's card is removed from a device, only the contactless transaction history from that device will be removed. If your child has the same card on a different device, contactless transactions from the second device will still appear in Family Link.

Remove a card with your child's phone

Important: Removing a payment card on your child's device removes it from that device. If you've added the payment card to another of the child's devices, it'll still be there for your child to pay contactless.

  1. On your child's phone, open the Google Wallet app .
  2. Find the payment method that you want to remove.
    • If it isn't the first card, swipe left or right until you find it.
  3. Tap the card.
  4. At the bottom, tap Remove payment method.
  5. Tap Remove.
Remove a card with Family Link for parents

Important: Removing a payment card from your child's Google Account in Family Link removes the card from all of your child's devices.

  1. Open Family Link.
  2. Select your child.
  3. Tap Controls and then Wallet.
    • Tip: The parent may need to verify it's them through biometric or device PIN.
  4. Tap Payment methods and transactions.
  5. Tap the card that you want to delete from your child's Google Account.
  6. Tap Remove.
  7. To confirm, tap Remove.

Block all passes

When this setting is turned on, your child won't be able to add new or use existing passes in their Google Wallet across any of their devices until they manage their account on their own.

Important: This setting is turned off by default. If you turn on this setting to block all passes, your child will receive an email notification.

To block all passes for your child:

  1. Open Family Link.
  2. Select your child.
  3. Tap Controls and then Wallet.
  4. Tap your child's Wallet.
    • Tip: If your child doesn't have a card added yet, at the bottom of the screen, tap Block all passes and then Block.
  5. Turn on Block all passes.

Tip: To give your child access to passes again, you can keep this setting off.

Review transactions

Important:

  • You and your child can both review their recent contactless transactions in Family Link and Google Wallet.
  • Not all transactions may appear in Google Wallet. For a full history of your child's transactions and details, open your card issuer's app.
  • You'll receive an email when your child makes a transaction.
  • When you remove a payment card from your child's Wallet, transaction history may be removed from their device or Google Account. Learn more about how to remove a payment card from your child's Wallet.
Review transactions with your child's phone
  1. On your child's phone, open the Google Wallet app .
  2. Tap the card.
  3. Your child's recent contactless transactions will be shown below the card.
    1. To show all recent contactless transactions, tap View more activity.
    2. To show more details, tap the transaction.
Review transactions with Family Link for parents
  1. Open Family Link.
  2. Select your child.
  3. Tap Controls and then Wallet.
  4. Tap Payment methods and transactions.
  5. Tap the card.
  6. Your child's recent contactless transactions are displayed under 'Recent transactions'.
    1. To show all recent contactless transactions, tap View more activity.
    2. To show more details, tap the transaction.

Manage your child's Wallet settings

Important: Your child can manage certain settings themselves in their Google Wallet app. Some data and privacy settings don't apply to your child and are only available when they start to manage their own account. Learn more about what happens when your child reaches the age of consent.

Your child can manage certain Wallet settings, such as their app notifications.

Tip: Parent notifications aren't affected by this setting.

Fix common issues

Why can't I connect my PayPal account to my child's Google Wallet?

PayPal isn't supported for supervised accounts. Once your child turns 13 (or the applicable age in your country), they can add their own PayPal account, if supported in their country. Learn more about what happens when your child reaches the age of consent.

Why can't I add a card or a pass to my child's Google Wallet?

If you can't add a card or pass for your child, check the following:

Why do I get an error saying that my child can't use Google Wallet yet?

Google Wallet isn't available for your account in your country.

Someone removed my child's card, but it wasn't them

If your child didn't remove the card intentionally, it can be automatically removed if they turn off the device screen lock, a required safety feature. If fraud is suspected, the card issuer can also remove the card. To restore this card to your child's Wallet, you must help them add it to their device.

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