diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/WalletBalanceController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/WalletBalanceController.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29d4267
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/WalletBalanceController.php
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Http\Controllers;
+
+use App\Services\Billing\BillingClient;
+use Illuminate\Http\JsonResponse;
+use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Cache;
+
+/**
+ * Lightweight wallet balance for the avatar dropdown widget.
+ */
+class WalletBalanceController extends Controller
+{
+    public function balance(Request $request, BillingClient $billing): JsonResponse
+    {
+        $publicId = (string) $request->user()->public_id;
+
+        $minor = Cache::remember("wallet_balance:{$publicId}", now()->addSeconds(30), function () use ($billing, $publicId) {
+            try {
+                return $billing->balanceMinor($publicId);
+            } catch (\Throwable) {
+                return null;
+            }
+        });
+
+        if ($minor === null) {
+            return response()->json(['available' => false]);
+        }
+
+        $currency = (string) config('billing.currency', 'GHS');
+
+        return response()->json([
+            'available' => true,
+            'balance_minor' => $minor,
+            'currency' => $currency,
+            'formatted' => $currency.' '.number_format($minor / 100, 2),
+        ]);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/config/billing.php b/config/billing.php
index d3290ad..48be649 100644
--- a/config/billing.php
+++ b/config/billing.php
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@ return [
     'api_url' => env('BILLING_API_URL', 'https://ladill.com/api/billing'),
     'api_key' => env('BILLING_API_KEY_CARE'),
     'service' => 'care',
-    'wallet_balance_route' => 'care.wallet',
+    'wallet_balance_route' => 'wallet.balance',
     'currency' => 'GHS',
 ];
diff --git a/resources/js/app.js b/resources/js/app.js
index 4ae877d..384888f 100644
--- a/resources/js/app.js
+++ b/resources/js/app.js
@@ -129,6 +129,11 @@ Alpine.data('afia', (config = {}) => ({
 Alpine.data('walletWidget', (config = {}) => ({
     display: '…',
     async load() {
+        if (! config.url) {
+            this.display = 'View wallet';
+
+            return;
+        }
         try {
             const res = await fetch(config.url, { headers: { Accept: 'application/json', 'X-Requested-With': 'XMLHttpRequest' } });
             const data = await res.json();
diff --git a/routes/web.php b/routes/web.php
index e296d6c..43499d4 100644
--- a/routes/web.php
+++ b/routes/web.php
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 
 use App\Http\Controllers\Auth\SsoLoginController;
+use App\Http\Controllers\WalletBalanceController;
 use App\Http\Controllers\Care\AiController;
 use App\Http\Controllers\Care\AppointmentController;
 use App\Http\Controllers\Care\AppointmentMeetController;
@@ -67,6 +68,8 @@ Route::middleware(['auth', 'platform.session'])->group(function () {
     Route::post('/notifications/{id}/read', [NotificationController::class, 'markAsRead'])->name('notifications.mark-read');
     Route::post('/notifications/mark-all-read', [NotificationController::class, 'markAllAsRead'])->name('notifications.mark-all-read');
 
+    Route::get('/wallet/balance', [WalletBalanceController::class, 'balance'])->name('wallet.balance');
+
     Route::get('/onboarding', [OnboardingController::class, 'show'])->name('care.onboarding.show');
     Route::post('/onboarding', [OnboardingController::class, 'store'])->name('care.onboarding.store');
 
diff --git a/tests/Feature/WalletBalanceTest.php b/tests/Feature/WalletBalanceTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ced23a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/WalletBalanceTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Tests\Feature;
+
+use App\Http\Middleware\EnsurePlatformSession;
+use App\Models\User;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;
+use Tests\TestCase;
+
+class WalletBalanceTest extends TestCase
+{
+    use RefreshDatabase;
+
+    protected function setUp(): void
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+        $this->withoutMiddleware(EnsurePlatformSession::class);
+        config([
+            'billing.api_url' => 'https://billing.test',
+            'billing.api_key' => 'test-care-key',
+            'billing.currency' => 'GHS',
+        ]);
+    }
+
+    public function test_wallet_balance_endpoint_returns_formatted_json(): void
+    {
+        Http::fake([
+            'billing.test/balance*' => Http::response(['balance_minor' => 12550]),
+        ]);
+
+        $user = User::create([
+            'public_id' => 'care-wallet-user',
+            'name' => 'Wallet User',
+            'email' => 'wallet@example.com',
+        ]);
+
+        $this->actingAs($user)
+            ->getJson(route('wallet.balance'))
+            ->assertOk()
+            ->assertJson([
+                'available' => true,
+                'balance_minor' => 12550,
+                'currency' => 'GHS',
+                'formatted' => 'GHS 125.50',
+            ]);
+
+        Http::assertSent(function ($request) {
+            return str_contains($request->url(), '/balance')
+                && $request['user'] === 'care-wallet-user';
+        });
+    }
+
+    public function test_wallet_balance_endpoint_marks_unavailable_when_billing_fails(): void
+    {
+        Http::fake([
+            'billing.test/balance*' => Http::response(['error' => 'unauthorized'], 401),
+        ]);
+
+        $user = User::create([
+            'public_id' => 'care-wallet-user-2',
+            'name' => 'Wallet User',
+            'email' => 'wallet2@example.com',
+        ]);
+
+        $this->actingAs($user)
+            ->getJson(route('wallet.balance'))
+            ->assertOk()
+            ->assertJson(['available' => false]);
+    }
+
+    public function test_wallet_balance_route_is_not_the_account_redirect(): void
+    {
+        $this->assertSame('wallet.balance', config('billing.wallet_balance_route'));
+        $this->assertTrue(\Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route::has('wallet.balance'));
+        $this->assertNotSame(route('care.wallet'), route('wallet.balance'));
+    }
+}