How to create a family transaction

A family transaction is a real-money movement recorded at the family level in KiddyCash — for example, topping up your family wallet via M-Pesa, transferring KES to a child’s wallet, or settling a balance between family members. Unlike a child-initiated transaction (which a child triggers from their own wallet), a family transaction is always started by a parent or guardian.

If you’re curious about why building money habits matters early, the research behind chores and financial literacy for kids is a good place to start — and why chores still matter in modern family life gives you the bigger picture on raising financially aware children.

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

  • A verified KiddyCash parent account (KYC completed)
  • At least one child added to your family
  • A funded payment source — for example, an M-Pesa number linked to your account

Steps

1. Open your family dashboard. Log in to the KiddyCash app and tap Family in the bottom navigation bar. You will land on your family’s home screen, where you can see your family wallet balance, linked children, and recent activity.

2. Go to the transactions page. Tap Transactions, then tap New Transaction. You can also go directly to your family transactions screen at https://kiddy.cash/family/:family_id/transaction — replace :family_id with your actual family ID, which appears in Settings → Family Profile.

3. Select the transaction type. Choose from the available types:

  • Top-up — add real money to your family wallet (e.g., from M-Pesa)
  • Transfer to child — move funds from the family wallet into a specific child’s wallet
  • Withdrawal — move funds out of the family wallet back to your linked account

4. Enter the amount and details. Type the amount in KES. If the transaction involves a child, select the child’s name from the dropdown. Add an optional note — for example, “School lunch money, week of 14 July” — so the transaction is easy to identify later.

5. Review the transaction summary. KiddyCash will show you a summary screen before anything moves. Check the amount, the destination, and any applicable fees. This is your last chance to edit before confirming.

6. Confirm and authenticate. Tap Confirm. Depending on your security settings, you may be asked for your PIN or a one-time password sent to your phone. For M-Pesa top-ups, you will receive a separate M-Pesa prompt on your phone — approve it there to complete the funding step.

7. Check the transaction status. After confirmation, the transaction will appear in your family transaction list with a status of Pending or Completed. If it shows Pending, read how to review a pending family transaction to understand what happens next and when it will clear.

8. If a child needs to approve their side. Some transfer types require the child to acknowledge receipt in their own wallet. See how to approve a child transaction for a step-by-step guide you can walk through together.

Tips

  • Family transactions appear in both the family ledger and the child’s wallet history, so there is a full audit trail.
  • If a top-up from M-Pesa is taking longer than five minutes, check that the M-Pesa number on your account matches the number you sent from.
  • You can add a transaction code when transferring funds earmarked for a specific purpose, such as a school trip or a campaign goal.