Google Pay introduces ‘Pocket Money’ feature for children with parental control via UPI Circle
Article by: Manish Methani
Last Updated: December 21, 2025 at 11:57am IST
Google Pay has introduced a new feature called ‘Pocket Money’ that allows parents to give their children access to UPI payments with full parental control, even without the child having their own bank account.
The feature is powered by UPI Circle, a system that lets one person make UPI payments on behalf of another in a safe and controlled way. It is designed to help children and teenagers learn digital payments while parents stay in charge.
How Pocket Money on Google Pay works?
Under UPI Circle, parents become Primary users, while children or family members act as Secondary users.
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The Primary user’s bank account is used for payments
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The Secondary user can make UPI payments using Google Pay
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Parents can control how much and how often money is spent
Google Pay offers two control options for parents:
Two ways parents can control spending
1. Monthly limit mode (Full delegation)
Parents can set a monthly spending limit of up to ₹15,000.
Children can make payments freely within this limit, without approval for every transaction.
2. Approval mode (Partial delegation)
Every payment made by the child needs real-time approval from the parent before it is completed.
In both cases, parents receive instant notifications and can track all transactions.
No bank account needed for children
One of the key highlights of the Pocket Money feature is that children do not need their own bank account to use UPI.
To use Pocket Money:
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The child must have a Google Pay account
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The child must have a UPI ID
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The parent must already be an active Google Pay user
Parents can add up to 5 Secondary users under one account.
Why Google Pay launched this feature
As UPI becomes the default payment method in India, Google Pay says the goal is to help the next generation build financial confidence safely.
The feature allows children to:
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Learn responsible spending
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Use digital payments in daily life
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Stay protected from overspending and fraud
At the same time, parents retain complete visibility and control.
Why this matters?
India is one of the world’s fastest-growing digital payments markets. With Pocket Money via UPI Circle, Google Pay is extending UPI usage to families, students, and young users, while maintaining safety and trust.
The feature is now rolling out to users across India.
