When you help your kids add payment cards to Google Wallet, they can tap to pay in stores with their phone or smartwatch.
Important:
- Google Wallet for kids is currently only available in the US, UK, Australia, Spain, and Poland.
- Your child won't be able to check out online or in-app with Google Pay or across Google until they manage their Google Account on their own. Learn more about what happens when your child turns age of consent.
Where your child can use tap to pay
Your child can tap to pay in stores wherever you find the contactless or Google Pay symbols. They’re located on the payment terminal screen or cash register at checkout.
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Google Pay symbol |
Contactless symbol |
Set up tap to pay
For your child to use tap to pay, they must have:
- A supervised Google Account. Learn more about supervised accounts.
- An NFC-enabled Android device or tethered Wear OS watch.
- Fitbit devices aren't supported.
- A payment method added to their Google Wallet. Learn how to add a payment card to your child’s Google Wallet.
- Google Wallet set as their default payment app.
- Screen lock set up on their phone.
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.
Screen lock on Wallet for kids
Important: If your child removes screen lock on their device, their payment cards are automatically removed from their Google Wallet on that device and need to be added again.
For your child to use their phone or smartwatch to make payments, screen lock is required.
Your child will be asked to use their screen lock authentication method to verify each transaction when they use tap to pay in physical stores.
Your child can verify that it's them in Google Wallet with different ways, such as:
- Device PIN
- Pattern
- Password
- Class 3 biometric unlock
Tip: Google Wallet doesn't work with Class 1 or Class 2 biometric unlocks or screen locks like Smart Unlock or Knock to Unlock.
How your child can tap to pay
Important: You can receive an email notification if your child’s payment is successful but you won't receive an email if the transaction fails. Learn more about how to check your child’s transactions.
Pay with phone- Wake up and unlock the phone. It’s not required to open the Google Wallet app.
- Tips:
- For users with a Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, Face Unlock is currently not supported for tap to pay transactions.
- To use tap to pay on Pixel Fold or another foldable device, fold the device.
- Tips:
- Hold the back of the phone to the payment reader.
- Tip: Your child may be asked to verify their payment with the phone's screenlock. This could be a PIN, pattern, password, or fingerprint biometrics.
- If the payment is successful, a blue check mark appears on the screen.
Tips:
- If there are any issues, learn how to fix problems with tap to pay for kids.
- If the card continues to not work, try to pay with a different card and change the default payment method.
- On their smartwatch, open the Google Wallet app.
- Hold the watch over the contactless payment reader.
- Wait until you hear a sound or feel vibration from the smartwatch.
Fix common issues
The blue checkmark didn't appear on the phone screen- Try to hold the phone in a different way. The NFC antenna could be near the top or bottom of your device.
- Hold the phone closer to the payment reader.
- Hold the phone to the payment reader for a few extra seconds.
- Double check if the store accepts mobile payments.
- Contact the bank. There may be an issue with the card and the bank may have declined the transaction. If the transaction is declined, the charge will not go through.