Sberbank has expanded the functionality of its SberPay payment ecosystem, allowing children aged 6 to 13 to independently pay for purchases in online stores. This was announced by the bank's press service on November 11, 2026. The new feature enables a child to perform online transactions without entering bank card details, while parents retain full control over expenses through the SberBank Online application. According to Sber, the goal of this feature is to help children learn how to shop independently in the digital environment under conditions of limited and transparent access.
Payment Mechanics: Child Sber ID instead of a card
To make a payment, the child must select SberPay when checking out in an online store and log in using their child Sber ID — via phone number directly in the store's app or through the SberKids application. There is no need to enter bank card data at each step: the system automatically pulls the linked payment instrument. Before the final confirmation of the transaction, the screen displays the store name, the amount to be charged, and the card from which funds will be deducted. If several cards are linked to the child's account, the child can choose a specific one for the transaction.
Parental Control and Age Restrictions
A key element of the new feature is the parental control mechanism. All operations performed by a child via SberPay are visible in the parent's SberBank Online application, which allows tracking every expense in real-time. The child Sber ID provides access to digital services based on the user's age, which, according to the bank, eliminates the possibility of performing transactions that do not match the age profile. Thus, the child gains practical experience with digital payments without going beyond the limits defined by adults.
Spasibo Bonuses and Saving Payment Data
When paying via SberPay, children can also earn Spasibo loyalty program bonuses: they can be accumulated with every purchase and subsequently used to reduce the cost of new orders. Furthermore, in a number of online stores, it is sufficient to log in once — for subsequent purchases, the application automatically uses the saved card, simplifying the process for the young user. Previously, Sber had already added the ability to pay for purchases via QR code through SberPay directly in the SberKids app, making the new feature a logical continuation of the development of the ecosystem's children's segment.
Context: Digitalization of Children's Financial Services
The introduction of payment tools for elementary and middle school children fits into a broader trend of developing financial literacy from an early age. Sberbank positions SberPay for children not as a full-fledged banking product, but as a functionally limited tool integrated into an ecosystem with strict age boundaries and parental supervision. At the time of publication, the bank did not disclose specific limits on the amount of a single transaction or daily spending limits, nor did it specify exactly which online stores already support the feature for activation. These details will likely be communicated to users through updates in SberKids and SberBank Online.
