How to issue a payment card for a child

A payment card in KiddyCash is a physical or virtual card linked directly to your child’s wallet. It lets your child spend their allowance at shops, online, or at M-Pesa agents — within limits you control. This guide walks you through issuing one for the first time.

Before you begin, make sure your family profile is set up and your child has an active wallet in the app. If you are new to onboarding, read what’s new in onboarding in KiddyCash to get familiar with how accounts are structured.

Before you start

  • You must be the family admin (the parent or guardian who created the family on KiddyCash).
  • Your KYC (Know Your Customer) verification must be complete. KYC is an identity check required by regulators — it typically involves uploading a national ID or passport.
  • Your child must already have a wallet under your family account.

Steps to issue a payment card

  1. Open the card creation page. Go directly to https://kiddy.cash/family/kiddy/account/payment-card/create in your browser or tap Payment Cards inside the KiddyCash app, then tap Issue new card.

  2. Select the child. A dropdown will show all children linked to your family. Tap the name of the child who will receive this card. Each child can hold one active card at a time.

  3. Choose the card type. KiddyCash currently offers:

    • Virtual card — delivered instantly to the app, usable for online purchases and tap-to-pay.
    • Physical card — mailed to your address (available in select cities including Nairobi, Lagos, and Accra). Delivery typically takes 5–7 business days.

  4. Set a spending limit. Enter the maximum amount (in KES, NGN, GHS, or your account currency) your child can spend per day. You can always adjust this later — see how to update a child payment card for instructions.

  5. Review the card details. Confirm the child’s name, wallet balance, and the spending limit you entered. This screen also shows any applicable card issuance fee. Check everything carefully before proceeding.

  6. Confirm and issue. Tap Issue card. You may be asked to enter your KiddyCash PIN or approve via biometric (fingerprint or face ID) to authorise the action.

  7. Card issued — what happens next.

    • If you chose a virtual card, it appears immediately under your child’s profile. Your child can view their card details in the app.
    • If you chose a physical card, you will receive a tracking notification once the card is dispatched.

After issuing the card

Once the card is live, you can view a child payment card to check its status, transaction history, and current balance at any time.

KiddyCash has also updated the overall onboarding experience to make first-time card setup smoother — for background on those improvements, see a closer look at onboarding in KiddyCash.

If your child loses the card, exceeds a limit, or you need to change the currency or cap, visit how to update a child payment card.

Troubleshooting

ProblemWhat to do
”KYC not verified” errorComplete identity verification under Account → Verification
Child not showing in dropdownConfirm the child’s wallet is active under Family → Children
Card issuance fee not expectedCheck your current subscription plan under Account → Subscription