How to create a family account

Before your children can receive allowances, earn badges, or build saving habits, you need a family account — the central money container that holds your household’s shared funds in KiddyCash. Think of it as your family’s digital wallet: you deposit money into it, and from there you control how it flows to each child.

If you’re new to KiddyCash, it helps to understand how allowances fit into a child’s financial growth. The KiddyCash blog explains why allowances matter for modern families, and if you want a deeper look at the mechanics, this guide covers how allowances work as a family financial tool.

Before you start

Make sure you have:

  • A verified KiddyCash parent account (KYC completed)
  • A valid phone number — this is used to link deposits, including mobile money payments via M-Pesa
  • At least one funding source ready (you can deposit later, but it’s useful to have it on hand)

Steps to create your family account

  1. Open the KiddyCash app and sign in with your parent account credentials.

  2. Go to the Family section. Tap the Family tab in the bottom navigation bar. If this is your first time, you will see a prompt that reads “You don’t have a family account yet.”

  3. Tap “Create Family Account.” This opens the family setup form. You can also go directly to the creation page at kiddy.cash/family/create from any browser.

  4. Enter your family name. This is the display name for your household — for example, “The Kamaus” or “Okonkwo Family.” Your children will see this name when they log into their own wallets.

  5. Set your family’s base currency. For families in Kenya, this will typically be KES (Kenyan Shilling). KiddyCash supports multiple African currencies, so select the one that matches where you primarily transact.

  6. Review the family account summary. You will see a confirmation screen showing your family name, currency, and the account holder (you). Read this carefully before proceeding.

  7. Tap “Confirm and Create.” KiddyCash will generate your family account and assign it a unique account ID. This process takes a few seconds.

  8. Your family account is now active. You will land on the family dashboard, where you can see your account balance, add children, and configure shared settings.

What happens next

Your family account starts with a zero balance. To start sending allowances or funding your children’s wallets, you’ll need to add money to the account. Learn how in How to deposit money into a family account — the article covers M-Pesa deposits, bank transfers, and other supported methods.

Once funds are in, you can track everything in one place. See How to view your family account balance for a walkthrough of the balance dashboard and what each figure means.

Troubleshooting

  • The “Create Family Account” button is greyed out. This usually means your KYC verification is incomplete. Go to Profile → Verification to check your status.
  • I don’t see the Family tab. Make sure you are logged in as a parent account, not a child account. Child accounts do not have access to family management features.
  • My currency is not listed. KiddyCash is expanding currency support across Africa. Contact support if your local currency — for example, UGX, GHS, or NGN — is not yet available in your region.