Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Pocket change: Say goodbye to cash as children ask for extra screen time, sweet treats, and in-game purchases in new pocket money trend

15/11/2022

The great rewards swap: 84% of British parents are turning to different types of pocket money to reward their children

Modern kids, modern rewards: While 1 in 5 mums and dads still favour pocket money (23%), extra screen-time (18%) and in-game purchases (13%) are among the most popular alternatives

Data sharing: 43% of parents wish that their mobile network offered data sharing to reward their kids with data' pocket money

Data pocket money: For parents looking to change-up pocket money, Sky Mobile is making it easier for them to share their spare data as a reward for children instead of cash

New research from Sky Mobile has revealed that traditional pocket money is no longer king, with 4 in 5 parents (84%) now turning to alternative payments' with extra screentime on devices (18%), sweet treats (13%) and in-game purchases (13%) coming out on top.

The study found that half of parents surveyed have completely replaced traditional cash as a reward, with 56% choosing to give other treats to stop their kids spending their money all in one go, and 44% preferring alternative methods as it is cheaper.

While some parents are still giving money, over a third (36%) would consider switching to other rewards as a savvy alternative.

Top ten alternative pocket money rewards:

Extra screentime (i.e., mobile phone, tablet, laptop)

Chocolate/sweets

In-game purchases e.g., Fortnite

Being allowed friends round

A shopping trip

A later bedtime

New clothes

A takeaway

Mobile data for their phone

A trip out e.g., to the beach

While 1 in 10 (10%) parents already share extra data as a thank you, 43% wish that their mobile network offered data sharing to reward their kids with data pocket money.' In fact, it's been revealed children ask for extra mobile phone data three times a month, and of those who can share data on their mobile network, the going rate per chore is 3GBs - helping to keep youngsters connected and entertained.

To dig into the nation's pocket money experiences further, Sky Mobile has teamed up with Louise Redknapp to share some of her own family anecdotes.

Like lots of parents, I've also been asked by my kids for a variety of alternative ways for them to receive their pocket money,'' said Louise Redknapp. Mixing it up by purchasing extra mobile data, mobile gaming credits, or a bit more screen time is great way to encourage children to help around the house and reward good behaviour - it's a successful tried and tested method in our house. And to help us parents, Sky Mobile lets you share your spare data - a fab alternative to say thanks.

Also commenting on the findings, Paul Sweeney, Managing Director of Sky Mobile said: Rewards for children helping around the house can come in all shapes and sizes, and for the modern-day kid, money isn't always top of the list. So, to help make it easier, parents on Sky Mobile can share spare data with other SIMs on their account, including their kids, as a thank you.

Pocket Money Rewards

Looking around the country, parents from London are found to be replacing pocket money with extra screen time (39%) and mobile data (25%) the most.

And almost a third of families living near the West Midlands are indulging their child's sweet tooth, seeing sweet treats and chocolates (30%) as the biggest incentive for getting a helping hand.

While children may need some encouragement, their helpfulness isn't going ignored with them earning £15 on average every month - reaping the rewards from their parents on a weekly basis (39%).

Chore Charts

With a total of 4 chores being completed each week, the tasks that kids are most willing to help with include setting or clearing the table (48%), washing up (37%) and unloading or loading the dishwasher (36%).

But when it comes to the chores parents feel deserve a reward most, cleaning the bathroom and helping to put the food shop away top the poll (12% respectively).

And looking at the benefits parents see when offering treats in return for help around the house, over a third (37%) believe that it will show their kids that hard work gets rewarded, alongside learning positive financial behaviours (30%).

Data Giveaway

Sky Mobile is making it easier for parents to reward their children with spare data. On the award-winning network, any spare data is rolled over into a customers' Sky Piggybank at the end of every month, meaning parents can share with their children - helping them to stay connected with friends and family, and keep them entertained with their favourite shows, movies, and apps.

For more details on Sky Mobile, please visit https://www.sky.com/shop/mobile

Note to editors:

Research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Sky Mobile.

Total sample size was 500 UK parents of children aged 12 - 16.

Survey conducted online between 19th and 21st October 2022.

Sky Mobile benefits at a glance:

Roll - Every month your spare data rolls into your Sky Piggybank ready for you to use later or even share with your family.

Watch - Stream Sky apps like Sky News, Sky Sports, Sky Go and more without using your data.

Text to Switch - Simply text PAC to 65075 to get your switching code. We'll take care of the rest.

Swap - Swap to a shiny new phone anytime you like and save money when you swap your old one.

Mix - Change your plan whenever you like to suit your needs.

Piggybank - Share spare data in your Sky Piggybank with up to 7 SIMs on your account or exchange it for rewards.

About Sky

Sky is one of Europe's leading media and entertainment companies and is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company that connects people to moments and experiences that matter. At Sky we Believe in Better. It's in our DNA.

We're famous for innovation. We offer streaming services NOW and WOW; the world's smartest TV, Sky Glass; Sky S
LINK: https://www.skygroup.sky/en-gb/article/-pocket-change-say-goodbye-to-c...
See more stories from sky

Most recent headlines

01/12/2025

L3Harris and PentenAmio Formalise Agreement to Advance Key Management and Secure Communications Technology

L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...

01/12/2025

Artemis II: A Mission of Veterans, Firsts and Lunar Dreams

Artemis II is NASA's first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The crew, from left: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Vic...

01/12/2025

Wooden Camera Releases Accessory Collection for Canon EOS C50

IRVINE, Calif. Wooden Camera has introduced its new Accessory Collection for the Canon EOS C50. The new lineup includes a low-profile, gimbal-ready cage, expand...

01/12/2025

FCC to Vote on LPTV Rules at December Public Meeting

WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for its Dec. 18 Open Commission Meeting that will include a vote on a report an...

01/12/2025

2026 Local TV Ad Forecasts Offer Growth and Uncertainties

In most years, a graph of annual local TV ad spending is about as predictable as an electrocardiogram of a reasonably healthy patient in a doctor's office. ...

01/12/2025

Increasingly Software-Centric Switchers Occupy Hybrid Space

Many industries have seen big-ticket hardware turn into software. Switchers, though, demand a combination of real-time performance and sheer bandwidth that has ...

01/12/2025

China to Host ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2027

GENEVA Shanghai will host the next quadrennial Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-27) and World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27), Oct. 11-Nov. 12, 2027. This...

01/12/2025

Broadcasters Foundation Seeks Donations for Giving Tuesday

NEW YORK Just in time for Giving Tuesday tomorrow (Dec. 2), the Broadcasters Foundation of America is seeking out donations to help television and radio industr...

01/12/2025

Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson Sets 2026 Retirement

STOCKHOLM, Sweden Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson has informed the company's board that he will retire from the video transport and media cloud technology ...

01/12/2025

Kyivstar and Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation Select Google Gemma as the Foundation for Ukraine's National LLM

01 Dec 2025 Kyivstar and Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation Select Go...

01/12/2025

Sky unveils official trailer for highly anticipated prequel Gomorrah The Origins coming to Sky and NOW early 2026

The prequel to the global hit Sky Original mob crime saga, Gomorrah' is a s...

01/12/2025

Step inside Nick Caves Veiled World a one-off special featuring Florence Welch, Flea and more, premiering 6 December on Sky and NOW

Featuring Florence Welch, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea, designer Bella Freud...

01/12/2025

A DowntoEarth, AllTooRelatable Hero: Cashero' Teaser Trailer Unveiled, Premieres December 26

Back to All News A Down to Earth, All Too Relatable Hero: Cashero' Teaser ...

01/12/2025

The Hidden Impact of Bad Conversion

In the rush to deliver content to every screen, many broadcasters overlook one of the most crucial steps in the workflow: format and frame rate conversion. Get ...

01/12/2025

Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in Upcoming UBS Global Media and Communications Conference 2025

Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in Upcoming ...

01/12/2025

Arvato Systems' Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Receives BSI C5 Certification (Type 2) Following Audit by HLB Stckmann

Arvato Systems' Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Receives BSI C5 Certification (T...

01/12/2025

Consumer Magazines Returns System - 2025 Update

Summary This short video gives you an summary of the changes in under two minutes. --...

01/12/2025

From Ballet to Books: RT is Supporting 12 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this December

As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...

01/12/2025

At NeurIPS, NVIDIA Advances Open Model Development for Digital and Physical AI

Researchers worldwide rely on open-source technologies as the foundation of their work. To equip the community with the latest advancements in digital and physi...

01/12/2025

Lights, Camera, Christmas: RT rings in the Season S an Nollaig

Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life Ring in the New Year with ...

01/12/2025

Architect and presenter Hugh Wallace dies aged 68

Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68. In a state...

28/11/2025

Brides Asks for Compassion for Our Youths

Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...

28/11/2025

4 Reasons Why Keeping Your Spotify App Updated Matters and What You Might Be Missing

It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...

28/11/2025

FCC to Vote on LPTV Rules at Dec. Public Meeting

WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...

28/11/2025

Professional Fighters League Packs a Domestic, International MMA Punch (TV Sportsplay)

The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...

28/11/2025

Fubo Launches Multiview Beta on Roku

Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....

28/11/2025

WNBA Playoffs Continue: What's On This Weekend in TV Sports (Sept. 28-29)

The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....

28/11/2025

Freeze Frame: B+C Hall of Fame 2024

The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...

28/11/2025

Next Text: As DirecTV and Dish Try to Seize the Remains of the Day, Does It Even Matter?

We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...

28/11/2025

DirecTV Acquires Dish, Unifying Struggling Satellite Business

DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...

28/11/2025

B+C Hall of Fame Announces Its Class of 2025

The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...

28/11/2025

Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey that unlocks a month of free content from the home of sport

Friday 28 November 2025 Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...

28/11/2025

Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds three billion euros for the first time

Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...

28/11/2025

Changing children's lives for good: Donations for the RT Toy Show Appeal 2025 open tonight

Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...

27/11/2025

Vizrt Launches Viz One 8.1 With AI-Powered Features

LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...

27/11/2025

Prime Video Debuts AI-Powered Video Recaps

Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...

27/11/2025

Netflix's 'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders' Marks a Grand World Premiere at IFFI Ahead of Its Global Release on 19th December

Back to All News Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...

27/11/2025

Sky unveils first look image from high-stakes action thriller Prisoner, coming 2026

Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...

27/11/2025

Sky Arts Reveals the Nations Greatest Basslines and Queen Reign Supreme

Thursday 27 November 2025 Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...

27/11/2025

Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With Our Final Season Coverage Guide

Back to All News Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...

27/11/2025

Elastic Compute for a Sustainable Media Industry

The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...

27/11/2025

Arqiva Achieves Five-Star GRESB Rating

Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...

27/11/2025

Retail Media Audits Explained: What Networks Need to Know

What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...

27/11/2025

Katie Taylor, Rachael Blackmore and Arthur Gourounlian among the guests on this week's Late Late Show

World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...

27/11/2025

Tonight on RT Prime Time, serious child protection concerns emerge over online gaming platform, Roblox

Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...

27/11/2025

The Ultimate Black Friday Deal Is Here

Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...

26/11/2025

SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Featuring NFL, NBA, and Golf

SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...