Will American Express’s ‘Serve’ Replace Kiddy Allowances?

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Imagine if American Express and PayPal had a baby. That’s what American Express’s online payment system, Serve, basically is. Well, sort of.

Like PayPal, users can link their banks or credit cards to Serve, and receive funds from a linked account or a Serve user with just a few pieces of information. Riding on the trend of everything mobile, Serve has also launched a corresponding iOS and Android app. The apps basically, for now, let you manage your account.

What could distinguish Serve from PayPal is the ability to integrate NFC technology, or a mobile payment system with the apps. While American Express has no plans right now to kick off such a feature, Windows, Google and Apple are all thinking about enabling something similar. Does American Express plan to ride the train so many others are hopping on now? For now, they’ve said they plan to wait and see.

If the feature ever kicks off, though, it could be really useful. For starters, Serve users can also create sub-accounts for family and friends. They’re linked to the main account, and spending profiles can be set for sub-accounts… great for setting up allowances.

And if American Express was to launch a NFC-enabled feature? Now there’s an account for your kid on Serve, and now there your kid is checking out at the counter with his phone. Cha-ching.

More on TIME.com:

American Express ‘Serve’ Versus PayPal: What’s the Difference?

Google Plans to Turn Your Android Phone into an Electronic Wallet

Apple Prepping Pay-By-Phone Chip For New iPhone This Year?