Google Wallet rolls out parent-funded balances for minors in the U.S.
Google Wallet has added a new family payments feature in the United States, allowing parents to send money directly to children under 18. The child does not need to open a bank account to receive or spend the funds.
The money is stored in a dedicated Wallet balance for the child. Using a compatible Android phone or Wear OS smartwatch, the child can tap to pay at any store that accepts Visa contactless payments.
Google said in an official blog post that the update builds on Wallet’s existing support for minors. Previously, children could only add their own card under a parent’s Google account and have it managed through Family Link. With the new setup, parents can create a dedicated balance for the child directly, removing the need for the child to have a bank account first.
The feature is available only to U.S. users for now. Parents can manage account settings through Family Link or the Google Wallet web version, with no extra app download required.
Parents keep the controls
Google is keeping control of the balance in the parent’s hands. Parents can set daily spending limits, track each transaction through spending records or push alerts, and remotely lock or unlock the account at any time.
The company also said scheduled automatic funding is on the way, which would let parents set up weekly allowance deposits. That feature has not launched yet, according to Google’s announcement, so transfers still need to be made manually.
What the feature still does not allow
A Google spokesperson told Bloomberg that minors cannot yet use the balance for online purchases or in-app purchases. Person-to-person transfers are also unavailable. In practice, that means users under 18 can receive money only from parents, not from friends or other relatives.
Google has also blocked the balance from being used with merchant categories tied to adult-oriented spending, including alcohol, tobacco, gambling, dating apps, car rentals, lodging, and firearms.
Google joins Apple, PayPal, and Block in family payments
The report said Google’s approach closely mirrors Apple’s. Apple Cash Family lets parents open accounts for Family Sharing members under 18, restrict who a child can send money to, turn on notifications for every transaction, and remotely lock the card.
PayPal’s Venmo and Block’s Cash App already offer similar teen account products. Venmo targets users aged 13 to 17 and requires parental approval and ongoing oversight. Cash App offers sponsored accounts for the same age group, with guardians managing spending records and limits.
According to the report, Google, Apple, PayPal, and Block have all moved at roughly the same time to add supervised accounts to their payment product lines.
Supervision usually ends at age 18
The article also noted that parental monitoring tools at these companies are generally switched off when the child turns 18, rather than being loosened step by step. On that basis, the report said the competition is not only about teen payments, but also about controlling payment habits and spending data from childhood through the years before adulthood.