You have parents or grandparents in China. You want to know they're looked after every month, whether or not you get around to thinking about it that week. You want the send to happen the same way, on the same day, without you needing to remember what wallet, what mobile number, what amount. You want it to be one of those things in your life that just works.
Setting up a monthly support routine with Mama Money takes a few minutes the first time, and then it repeats itself for as long as you need it to. This guide walks through how to set it up cleanly, how to plan around your cashflow and the Chinese cultural calendar, and what to do when life shifts and the plan needs to bend.
Sending money whenever you remember, whenever guilt catches up with you, whenever a parent asks: it works, but it's stressful. It also means the money arrives in an unpredictable pattern for your family, which makes it harder for them to plan their month around what you send.
Peace of mind
For both sides
You know your parents got what they needed this month. Your parents know when to expect it. Nobody's waiting, nobody's guessing, nobody feels awkward asking.
Easier planning
Money that arrives on schedule
Your family can plan around a fixed monthly amount arriving on a fixed date. Bills, groceries, medical costs, savings: all become predictable in a way one-off transfers never allow.
The first time you send to a family member in China takes a few minutes, because you're entering their wallet details and confirming the account. Every send after that is faster, because Mama Money remembers the recipient. You just tap in, enter the amount, and confirm.
Get your parent's or grandparent's full name (as it appears on their wallet account) and their mobile number linked to that wallet. Copy the mobile number from a message they sent you rather than retyping. Confirm which wallet they use most.
Open the Mama Money app, select China, enter the details, review the rate and fee, and confirm. If you're new to sending to China, our complete guide to sending money to China walks through the full flow.
After your first successful send, the recipient is saved. Next month, they appear on your list and you can send to them with a few taps instead of retyping everything.
Add a repeating reminder on your phone for the day you want to send (payday, first of the month, whichever suits). Two-minute effort, twelve months of coverage.
There is no single right day of the month to send. There are only rhythms that suit your cashflow and your family's needs. A few common patterns:
| Rhythm | Who it suits | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Send on payday | Salaried employees | You send the moment the money hits your account, so it doesn't get spent on other things first. |
| Send on the 1st | Families whose parents pay bills at month-start | Money arrives just as parents are working out their monthly budget in China. |
| Send mid-month | Freelancers, small business owners with irregular income | Mid-month gives you time to see how the month is running and adjust the amount if needed. |
| Send weekly | Very tight cashflow, or supporting an elderly parent with daily care costs | Smaller, more frequent sends can feel more manageable than one large monthly transfer. |
Ask your family too
Ask your parents when they'd find it most useful to receive the money. If they pay their utility bills at month-start, sending on the 1st matters more than sending on the 15th. If they're saving your monthly amount rather than spending it, the exact date matters less. A one-minute conversation makes the whole year smoother.
A monthly routine is the base. On top of that, most families send extra amounts around specific occasions during the year. Building these into your annual plan means you're not caught by surprise, and your parents get the acknowledgment that comes with the moment.
The Standard Mama Money limit is R25,000 per order and R25,000 per month. For most monthly support sends to parents in China, that's comfortably enough.
You may want to think about upgrading to the Higher Limit if:
| Limit tier | Per order | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | R25,000 | R25,000 |
| Higher Limit | R50,000 | R100,000 |
To upgrade, tap "Increase Limits" in the Mama Money app and follow the prompts. You will need to upload a couple of extra documents depending on your ID type. See the Mama Money limits page for what's required.
A monthly routine is a base, not a promise carved in stone. Things happen. The routine should serve you, not the other way around.
The one thing that matters most
Life will interrupt any routine eventually. What holds up over time is talking to your parents about what you're sending, why, and when. The Mama Money app tells you and them exactly what arrived and when. Use that as a starting point, not a substitute, for the conversation.
Set up your recipient once. Send in a few taps every month. Your parents looked after, without you having to think about it every time.