Google Play Adds Payment Requests Feature for the Family

When your kids finally get their own phone or tablet and decide they want to buy all the games, you will make a decision over whether or not to add a family payment method that they can use. If you do add one, you can already manage that payment method by requiring approval before purchases go through, so that your kid isn’t just go wild on the family credit card. While that’s great, Google has added another option for those who don’t want to keep a family payment method handy.

Google is introducing purchase requests into Google Play. With this option, family members can try to buy something by asking for permission, which you can then review and approve or deny. You can see exactly how this process will flow in the images below that show both the child requesting and the parent approval.

When these requests are made, Google says that they’ll notify you in real time, but that you can also find them in an approval request queue, should you want to deal with them later. All of these requests will show up in your order history too.

Assuming this is rolling out shortly, this is pretty great timing as the Xmas holiday approaches and your family members get new devices or want to pick-up a new game or three.

For more on managing family payments in Google Play, check out this support guide. For more on purchase requests, Google published this guide.