Google Pay Introduces “Pocket Money” Feature Through UPI Circle

In a major move towards making digital payments more inclusive and family-friendly, Google Pay has launched a new feature called “Pocket Money” through the UPI Circle framework. The feature is designed to help parents, guardians, and family members give controlled payment access to children and dependents without requiring them to have a separate bank account.

With the new system, a primary Google Pay user can add up to five trusted secondary users and allow them to make UPI payments directly from the primary user’s linked bank account. The feature is especially useful for children, students, elderly parents, and others who may need supervised access to digital payments.

Google Pay offers two flexible control options under the Pocket Money feature. In the “Full Delegation” mode, the primary user can set a monthly spending limit of up to ₹15,000, allowing the secondary user to make payments independently within that limit. In the “Partial Delegation” mode, every payment request must be approved by the primary user before the transaction is completed, giving users more control and security.

Setting up the feature is simple. Users can open the Google Pay app, go to the “UPI Circle” section, add a trusted contact, and choose the preferred control option. All payments are directly debited from the primary user’s bank account, while every transaction remains visible in real time for better transparency and monitoring.

Industry experts believe the feature could help introduce younger users to digital payments in a safe and controlled manner, while also supporting elderly family members who may not be comfortable managing online banking independently.

UPI Circle, introduced by NPCI, aims to make digital payments more accessible and manageable for families and trusted groups. With the launch of Pocket Money, Google Pay is further strengthening India’s rapidly growing digital payment ecosystem.