Kids will soon be able to download the Google Wallet app on their Android phone, allowing them to buy things in the store through Google's tap-to-pay feature, reports 9to5Google. The news comes after Google first added the feature to its kid-focused Fitbit Ace LTE fitness tracker in August.
In a statement given to 9to5GoogleThe company said there will be ways for parents to monitor usage, with control over approving new cards, deleting them and viewing transaction history. Parents can monitor kids' accounts through the Google Family Link app, which lets them set content and screen time restrictions, and added the ability to see when kids leave school and arrive home in 2022.
Kids will be able to make tap-to-pay purchases using standard authentication options, including fingerprint, facial recognition, PIN or passwords. They can also use Google Wallet to store gift cards and event tickets, but they can't make online purchases or store health or ID cards. Google's Kids Payments feature will begin rolling out to Google Wallet users in the US and several other countries next year.
With this measure, Google is catching up with Apple, whose Apple Cash Family The service already allows children to use Apple Pay for in-store purchases. It also allows kids to buy things online and send and receive money through messages.
