How parents can use notifications to stay on top of approvals

Managing your child’s money shouldn’t mean checking the app every five minutes. KiddyCash notifications are designed to do the watching for you — alerting you the moment something needs your attention, so you can stay in control without the stress.

This article walks you through what notifications are, why they matter, and how to make them work for your family.

What are notifications in KiddyCash?

Notifications are real-time alerts the app sends you when something happens that involves your account or your child’s wallet. Think of them as a tap on the shoulder — whether your child in Nairobi has just requested extra allowance, a subscription is due to renew, or a transaction is waiting for your approval before it goes through.

There are three main types of notifications parents typically see:

  • Approval requests — your child has made a spending request or a transaction code has been generated that needs your sign-off before money moves.
  • Reminders — scheduled allowance payments, pending KYC verification, or actions you haven’t completed yet.
  • Activity alerts — confirmations that a wallet has been topped up, a badge has been earned, or an M-Pesa payment has landed.

Why approvals matter

KiddyCash uses a feature called Smart Approval, which puts you in the loop before money leaves your child’s wallet. Instead of finding out after the fact, you get a notification and can approve or decline directly from the app.

To understand how Smart Approval has evolved, take a look at what’s new in Smart Approval in KiddyCash. If you’d like a deeper understanding of how it works under the hood, A closer look at Smart Approval in KiddyCash is worth reading before you set anything up.

How to access your notifications

All your alerts live in one place — your notification inbox.

  1. Open the KiddyCash app on your phone.
  2. Tap the bell icon at the top right of your home screen.
  3. You’ll land on your notification inbox, where all alerts are listed in order of arrival.

You can also go directly to your notifications from a browser at https://kiddy.cash/notifications.

For a step-by-step walkthrough of finding this screen, see how to open your notification inbox.

Reading and acting on a notification

When you see a notification with a bold title or a coloured dot, that means it hasn’t been read yet. Unread notifications are the ones most likely to need action — especially approval requests that may be time-sensitive.

  1. Tap the notification to open it.
  2. Read the details — the alert will tell you which child is involved, the amount in KES, and what triggered the request.
  3. If it’s an approval request, you’ll see Approve and Decline buttons. Tap the one that applies.
  4. If it’s an activity alert or reminder, you can mark it as read and move on.

Learn more about handling alerts in how to read an unread notification.

Tips for staying on top of things

  • Turn on push notifications in your phone settings for KiddyCash so alerts reach you immediately — even when the app is closed.
  • Check your inbox daily, especially if your children are active on weekdays when school-related spending is more likely.
  • If you manage multiple children, notifications are labelled by child so you can see at a glance whose wallet the alert relates to.