There's no single 'correct' amount - it depends on family budget and what you expect the money to cover. Common Australian approaches by age:

• Ages 4–6: $2–$4/week. At this age, the goal is handling physical money, understanding that things cost money, and developing the habit of saving. Small amounts are sufficient - the learning is in the practice, not the amount.
• Ages 7–10: $5–$10/week. Children this age can begin understanding the difference between spending, saving, and giving. Three-jar or three-envelope systems (spend, save, give) work well at this stage.
• Ages 11–13: $10–$20/week. Old enough to manage a basic budget, make purchasing decisions, and experience saving for something they want. Consider moving to a prepaid card (like Spriggy or Kiddipay) for digital money experience.
• Ages 14–17: $20–$50/week, or negotiated based on what they're expected to cover (bus fares, school lunches, entertainment). At this age, pocket money can transition toward a real budget for specific categories.

Two schools of thought exist among financial educators: unconditional pocket money (given as a teaching tool, separate from household contribution) versus earned pocket money tied to chores. Both approaches have merit - and most Australian families end up with a hybrid.

The unconditional approach argues that contributing to the household is a family responsibility, not a commercial transaction - children shouldn't be 'paid' for cleaning their own room. The earned approach teaches the link between work and income from an early age, which is a foundational financial lesson. A workable middle ground: core household responsibilities (cleaning their room, putting clothes away) are unpaid expectations; extra tasks (washing the car, mowing, extra cleaning) earn additional money.

Pocket money is most effective when it teaches three habits simultaneously:

• Saving: Introduce a savings goal early - something specific the child wants that costs more than one week's pocket money. The experience of saving toward a goal and achieving it is the core lesson. Match their savings (dollar-for-dollar or 50c per dollar saved) to supercharge the incentive and model interest/employer matching.
• Spending: Let children make their own spending decisions - including the ones you'd make differently. Spending their money on something they later regret is a far more powerful lesson than being told not to. Resist the urge to override their choices.
• Giving: Including a 'giving' component from an early age - even $0.50/week toward a charity they choose - builds the habit of generosity and teaches that money has social purpose beyond personal consumption.

Digital tools make pocket money management easier and build useful financial skills:

• Spriggy: Australia's most popular pocket money app. Parents load a prepaid Visa card for children, set chores, track spending, and set savings goals. Costs $2.99/child/month (or family plan). Excellent for ages 8–16.
• Kiddipay: Similar to Spriggy - prepaid debit card with parental oversight, chore tracking, and savings goal features. No monthly fee (revenue from card transactions). Alternative for families wanting a lower-cost option.
• Commonwealth Bank's Youth Accounts: CommBank offers Smart Access accounts for under-18s with the Dollarmites program for younger children. Physical bank accounts with real savings functionality.
• Cash and physical jars: For younger children (4–8), physical cash and visible jars (spend/save/give) are more tangible and educational than digital tools. Children need to physically handle money before the abstract digital version makes sense.

By age 13–14, pocket money conversations can naturally expand to introduce concepts like interest (show how a savings account grows), opportunity cost (choosing this means not having that), and the difference between needs and wants. Australian teenagers can open their first bank account independently from age 14 with parental consent.

From age 16, the conversation can extend to how taxes work on part-time income, what superannuation is and why their first job will include a super contribution, and what the long-term cost of lifestyle inflation looks like. Parents who have consistent money conversations throughout childhood produce adults who handle money significantly better.

Children learn financial habits by watching how adults manage money. Roopon membership models smart spending - using partner discounts, tracking subscriptions to eliminate waste, and entering the weekly cash prizes (per campaign terms) giveaway as part of a deliberate approach to household finances. At $4.99/week, Roopon is built to return more than it costs. ABN: 89 656 278 830 | 88 Anzac Parade, Kensington NSW 2033