SberKids adds phone top-ups for children

Sber has added a long-missing feature to SberKids: children can now pay for mobile service on their own. The feature arrived in version 5.12 for iOS and Android, and works with numbers from any Russian operator.

The change moves a common task into the app’s main screen. Previously, a child had to ask a parent for help or go to an operator’s website, sign in separately, and only then top up the account. Now the flow is shorter: open SberKids, enter a phone number, choose an amount, and complete the payment inside the app.

Sber says phone top-ups are one of the most frequent use cases among younger users. Kirill Bessonov, managing director and head of SberKids, said the new feature helps children handle routine spending on their own, while parents keep control through limits set on the child’s card.

That balance between independence and oversight is central to the product. Children can act on their own, but only within boundaries set in advance by adults.

The broader Russian market has been moving in the same direction for some time. T-Bank offers Tinkoff Junior, Alfa-Bank continues to expand its children’s card, and large banks are increasingly turning children’s apps from simple balance screens into standalone services with payments, tasks, and financial habit-building features.

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Against that backdrop, mobile top-ups are a natural next step: a regular, easy-to-understand payment that children can manage without much confusion. Sber has already said more in-demand features are coming to SberKids, as the app gradually moves toward an everyday wallet for children aged 6–14.