Pixel 9a gets Google Wallet for kids to help ease your anxiety over your child's spending

Family Link gives parents the ability to manage their child’s phone usage. This can include everything from setting a daily limit for how long the phone can be used to filtering what they see on YouTube, Search, Chrome, and so on. While there are plenty of ways to supervise how your kid uses their phone, management of on-device payments has sorely been missing. Not anymore, as Google is rolling out Wallet for kids on the Pixel 9a and other Android devices.

After launching Google Wallet for kids on the Fitbit Ace LTE last year, the Mountain View-based tech giant is now bringing parental controls for Wallet on smartphones. This means that those who have a Pixel 9a with Family Link set up can now download the Google Wallet app to make payments.

Google Wallet will act just like it always does, but there are a few differences. Just like the full experience, kids will be able to make payments in stores through Google Pay, and there’s support for gift cards. Passes can also be stored, including movie tickets, library cards, and loyalty cards. And they’ll need to use their PIN, password, fingerprint, or facial recognition to authorize NFC payments.

Unlike the regular version of Wallet, however, your child won’t be able to use saved cards for online purchases. Parents will also need to approve credit and debit cards before they are added. Additionally, parents will be able to view recent transactions, turn off access to passes, and remove cards remotely.

Google Wallet for kids will debut on the Pixel 9a and will arrive first in the US, UK, Australia, Spain, and Poland. The update will roll out to these select regions over the next few weeks.