WALO review

The WALO app teaches your child how to develop good financial habits from a young age. Parents can assign paid and unpaid tasks and set up a regular allowance. Children can use the app to develop money management skills and learn financial literacy through play. They’ll also get a prepaid card to use when buying things.

30-second take

• Think about this app if you want your child to develop effective money management skills through a gamified financial learning experience.

• Choose something else if you aren’t very tech savvy or you don’t want to pay a monthly fee.

How WALO works

As a parent, WALO requires you to sign up for an account through its mobile app. You can then send your child an invite to link their account to yours as soon as you register.

• Parent account. Your parent account lets you assign paid/unpaid tasks and send your child cash or a regular allowance through a linked bank account.
• Kids account. Your child’s account lets them complete tasks, set savings goals and complete financial literacy courses. Any money you transfer to them will be deposited into their regular bank account.

Walo app basics

You can enjoy the following benefits when you sign up for WALO:

• Effective teaching tool. You can use the app to teach your child about money basics, including how to set financial goals and manage a budget.
• Easy to use. It’s easy to assign tasks to your child and send them impromptu cash or a regular allowance.
• Playful lessons. Your child can earn rewards and complete courses and quizzes with friends to learn about money concepts such as compound interest and debt.
• Prepaid card linked to app.
• Promotional offer. You may be able to take advantage of a free promotional offer based on the time of year.

How much does WALO cost?

WALO is a subscription service that costs $9.99 per month, per family up to 4 kids. WALO also provides the option to purchase an annual subscription upfront that works out to $7.99 per month.

5 things you might like about WALO

1. Flexible payments. You can choose to send your child money when they complete a task or as a regular allowance.
2. Add several children for free. You can add up to 4 children on your plan without paying an additional monthly fee.
3. Easy to load mobile wallet. You can load cash onto your child’s WALO card using a credit card, Visa Debit or bank transfer.
4. No minimum age to sign up. It’s up to you when you want to start teaching your child about finances through WALO.
5. Safe app. WALO does regular security checks and uses bank-level SSL certificates and 256-bit encryption to protect your personal data.

5 things to watch out for

1. Monthly fee. You’ll have to pay a fee of $9.99 per month for your family to keep their account active (or $7.99 per month paid upfront for a yearly subscription).
2. No option to add a second parent.
3. Fee to load your wallet with a credit card. WALO charges a fee to cover its processing costs when you load your Wallet with a credit card.
4. ATM fees. It costs $1.95 for domestic withdrawals and $4.95 for international withdrawals.
5. No in-app cancellation. There’s no way to cancel your subscription without contacting the company directly through chat or phone.

What should I know before I apply?

Eligibility requirements

You may need to meet the following requirements to sign up for WALO.

• Be a Canadian citizen, or a resident of Canada
• Be over the age of majority in your province; there are no age restrictions for your child
• Have a bank account and access to a mobile phone or iPad or tablet

Required documents and information

To sign up for a WALO account, you’ll need to provide the following:

• Name, date of birth and contact information for you and your child
• Your email address and phone number

How to apply for WALO

1. Visit the WALO website and click the blue “Register” button in the top right-hand corner.
2. Input your contact details including phone number and email (and validate your email through a link WALO sends out).
3. Fill out an application, and input information about each child you want to add to your account.
4. Verify your identity using government-issued ID such as your passport or driver’s licence.
5. Download the WALO app from the Google Play or App Store. Log in and set up your wallet.
6. Once you’re approved, add money to your WALO Wallet using a credit card, Visa Debit or bank transfer.
7. Send an invite to your child to download the app.
8. Once you receive your child’s card, activate it by opening the app and clicking on the “Activate” button under your child’s name.

How do I fund my WALO account?

In order to send money to your child’s account, you have to put money in your own WALO wallet. You can add funds in three different ways:

• Visa Debit. Get free instant transfers but you’re only able to send money once a week.
• Bank transfer. Get free transfers but it takes up to two business days to process.
• Credit card. Transfers come with a fee but they are instant and unlimited.

Is WALO safe for my child?

How can I contact WALO?

Right now, you can contact WALO through email at hello@walo.app or by filling out an online form on the website. There’s currently no phone number on file for the company.

Bottom line

The WALO app lets you set tasks and allowances for your child to help them develop good money habits. Your child will also get a customized prepaid card so they can start earning and spending right away. The service comes with a monthly fee, but you may get a free trial depending on the time of year. but you may get a free trial for signing up, depending on the time of year.

WALO FAQs