10 Best Debit Cards for Kids (And Teens)

Here are some of the best debit cards for kids and teens to help teach them about managing money.

Debit cards can be useful tools as you teach your children about money. When my oldest child turned 16, I wanted to ensure she knew how to make wise financial decisions. I also wanted my daughter to get some real-life experience using checking accounts and credit cards, so I got her her own debit card.

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14 Best Debit Cards For Kids

Check out the list below and see which debit cards will work best for helping you teach your children to manage money and other important financial literacy lessons.

1. Greenlight

Greenlight is a debit card for kids, but parents manage it.

It has several great features:

No minimum age
No minimum balance
Free from overdraft fees
Available debit cards for up to five kids

It also has a chore management and an auto transfer of funds feature. Parents can even choose an auto feature that will pay their kids interest. You can try Greenlight out for a month for free. After that, you’ll pay $5.99 monthly for up to five kids.

See the Greenlight Max account if you want your child to earn cash back on purchases and more interest on savings ($9.98/mo.).. Also, check out Greenlight Infinity if you want to use the card to help your child start investing ($14.98/mo).

Learn More: Greenlight Debit Card Review

2. GoHenry

GoHenry is a family banking tool that helps you teach your kids how to handle money. You start by opening a bank account in your (the parents’) name. The “parent” account is a control center for up to four “child” accounts. Money is transferred into the parent account from your main bank account.

As the parent, you can transfer money into each child’s account. You can set up regular, automated transfers or make random transfers. Each child gets a debit card to spend the money you’ve transferred into their account.

Other features of the GoHenry debit card include:

The ability to set single and weekly spending limits
Choose where the card can be used (ex., at ATMs, online, or in-store)
Block and unblock cards with the touch of a button
Receive real-time notification of purchases/expenditures

You can try GoHenry for 30 days for free. Afterward, GoHenry’s Family plans are set at $9.98 per family (for up to 4 children), and the individual child is priced at $4.99. Families with 3 or 4 children can pay one low rate for everyone. You can cancel your membership anytime.

Learn More: GoHenry Review

3. FamZoo Prepaid Mastercard

The FamZoo prepaid debit card was created to help kids learn good money management skills.

The company’s prepaid debit card offers the following features:

Free card reloads (when you direct deposit money – retailer reloads will cost you)
Free ATM visits
Monthly fees as low as $2.50 per month
No per-purchase fees

The FamZoo card can be opened for any age child, from preschool onwards. However, kids under 13 will have “on-behalf” cards where the parent is the legal cardholder. To be approved, kids age 13 and up (and their parents) will need to go through an easy verification process.

All FamZoo accounts must have at least one parent as an account cardholder. All card activity can be tracked digitally, meaning kids can see where they spend their money. In addition, parents have access to each cardholder’s card activity at any time.

Learn More: Famzoo Review

4. Copper Banking For Teens

Copper Bank prides itself on creating an app and debit card for teens. Its focus is on kids ready to participate in today’s gig economy. The app is excellent for setting up savings goals and tracking spending.

Here are some of the features of a Copper Banking account:

No minimum balance
Buy where Mastercard, Google Pay, and Apple Pay are accepted
No Credit Checks
Zero liability protection plan
No overdraft fees
Withdraw cash at over 50,000 ATMs nationwide
Deposits are FDIC-insured through our partner, Evolve Bank & Trust.

Track spending, create savings categories, and even set up auto contributions to categories such as college or car funds. The teen’s Copper Wallet is funded through a parent account linked to an existing checking account with a different bank. Additionally, the card can be refilled by setting up direct deposit to the checking account.

Learn More: Copper Banking Review: Is this Bank Account For Teens Worth It?

5. Step Visa Card

Step offers a free FDIC-insured bank account and Visa debit card for kids designed for the next generation. If you are under 18, a sponsor can help you set up your account. The free debit card has no interest or fees. You can easily send, receive, and track your money using the Step app. Spend with Apple Pay, Good Pay.

Set up direct deposit and get paid faster. Traditional payments can take a few days. Direct payment offers peace of mind and on-time or earlier payments. Other benefits include no monthly fees. Plus, your account is FDIC insured up to $250,000. This free debit card is one of the best ways to use a debit card to teach kids about money management without pesky monthly fees.

Learn More: Step Card Review: Mobile Banking For Teens

6. BusyKid Visa Prepaid Spend Card

The BusyKid Visa prepaid spend card is among the best debit cards for teens and kids. It offers various features designed for kids between the ages of 5 and 17. You give your child money using the BusyKid Visa prepaid spend card.

Using parental controls, simply assign an amount to be put on the debit card for kids every week. You can tie the money to completed chores with the BusyKid chore app. When your kid wants to spend their money, they can use their debit card at stores. The BusyKid chore app also allows your kid to give to charity and invest.

It costs $3.99 per month, or $38.99 per year, to get a family subscription to the BusyKid Visa prepaid spend card. That includes one card. It’s an additional $7.99 for extra prepaid debit cards.

Learn more: BusyKid Review

7. Current Account For Teens

Current was founded to make banking affordable for everyone. When you open a Current account, you can also open Current Teen Accounts for your teens.

Teen account features include:

$0 account minimum balance
Purchase in person or online with the Current debit card
No monthly or annual fee
Add to your savings pod by transferring or using roundups from purchases

As a parent, you also get parental controls over your teen’s spending. You get notifications for all purchases, and you can set spending limits for your teen. You can also block specific merchants, automate allowance payments, or transfer money manually from your Current account.

This is one of the best debit cards for kids and teens. It lets you tie an allowance to a chores list. Also, multiple family members can add money to your teen’s Current account.

Learn More: Current Review: Get Paid Up To 2 Days Faster

8. Chase First Banking Card

The Chase First Banking account is a checking account for kids and teens ages 6 to 17. It comes with a free debit card to help your teen learn to live within a budget.

The Chase First Banking checking account for kids and teens offers:

No monthly fee is charged to this account
Zero minimum balance for the account
No monthly charge to have a debit card for kids
Fee-free ATM usage at participating ATM locations

The Chase First Banking account also has attractive parental controls. Parents can set spending limits for this checking account based on specific categories (e.g., restaurants), and they can also set ATM limits. This account also has a chore/allowance feature, and kids can track their account activity through the mobile app.

Learn more: Chase First Banking Review

9. Axos First Checking Card

The Axos First Checking Card is free when you open a free Axos First checking account for your child aged 13 to 17.

This account/debit card has the following features:

$0 monthly account maintenance fee
Up to $12 domestic ATM fee reimbursements per month
No overdraft/NSF fees
Interest-earning
Daily card limits of $100 for the ATM and $500 for POS purchases

This account must be a joint account with a parent or other adult. Parents can manage the card, including deactivating and reactivating it from their Axos Bank dashboard.

Learn More: Axos Bank Review

10. Revolut <18

Revolut is a fintech banking app with a Junior version for kids 6-17. Focused on achieving a borderless economy for all, Revolut <18 is available for parents of kids in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. More countries will follow soon.

When you open up a Revolut account, you can get a Revolut <18 account for your child. Fees vary based on the type of Revolut account you choose for yourself. Each Revolut <18 account comes with a teen card, and parents can transfer to the teen account. Depending on your selected plan, the Revolut account offers additional features, such as investing, and interest is paid. In addition, goals and challenges are available for kids.

“Money loaded on your prepaid card is held at Metropolitan Commercial Bank, and is FDIC insured up to $250,000 in the event of Metropolitan Commercial Bank’s failure. Securities products are not FDIC Insured, not bank guaranteed, and may lose value.”

Why Should I Consider a Prepaid Card or Debit Card for My Child?

You might be wondering why you should consider getting a prepaid or debit card for your minor child. While Well Kept Wallet doesn’t advocate carrying monthly credit card balances, we believe it’s essential to help your child learn to navigate the world of credit and spending through financial literacy.

A prepaid card can help him or her to do just that. When your child has a prepaid or debit card, they can spend money electronically. Like it or not, the electronic world of financial management is here to stay, and prepaid and debit cards are part of that.

Electronic spending does have its benefits, especially for parents whose kids are learning about money. Prepaid and debit cards can help your child learn about financial literacy while helping you keep an eye on their spending. Electronic money oversight helps people see where every dime they earn goes monthly. This knowledge can be a valuable tool in adult money management.

Puts Limits on Spending

One nice thing about these debit cards for kids is that they allow you to impose a spending limit on your child. An unrestrained budget in the hands of a teen can give them the illusion that money will always be there. However, with prepaid cards for kids, you can set a spending limit of X dollars in your child’s account each month.

This limit will help them learn to live in real life, where one’s money supply isn’t endless. Additionally, it will help them learn to choose how they spend their money. If their monthly cash allowance runs dry, they can learn what happens when the money runs out before the end of the month. These parental controls make debit cards for teens safe to use.

They Give You a Birdseye View

In addition, a prepaid debit card or a debit card for kids lets you see every one of your child’s purchases, which opens up conversations about value-based spending. Simply put, value-based spending means spending money on the things that matter most to you.

As your child sees their spending habits at a glance, they can learn to identify important vs. non-important purchases. For instance, they might decide that a trip to the movies with friends is a value-based spending choice. Conversely, they might decide that daily fast food drive-thru trips are unimportant. As they (and you) gain a bird’ s-eye view of monthly spending choices, they’ll learn an important truth. They’ll learn to decide which spending choices help them make the most out of life. They’ll also know that some spending choices waste their money.

This type of financial management training can help your child develop wise money management habits in adulthood. Prepaid debit and credit cards may not be for every child, but they can be invaluable tools for financial education. Consider prepaid cards and other financial education tools as you raise your young ones. Prepare them for a life of financial responsibility and security made by their own hands, with some help from you.

How Do These Kids’ Debit Cards Compare?

COMPANY	TRUSTPILOT SCORE	MONTHLY FEE
Greenlight	4.2	$5.99
FamZoo	Not Rated	$0.63
Busykid	3.6	$1.67
GoHenry	4.3	$3.99
Current	3.8	$3.00
American Express Serve	Not Rated	$6.95
TD Go Prepaid Visa	Not Rated	$0.00
Movo	2.6	$0.00
Copper Bank	Not Rated	$0.00
Chase First Banking	Not Rated	$0.00

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions regarding getting a debit card for children.

Do Kids Debit Cards Collect Personal Data?

Each company that issues debit cards for kids has different personal data collection policies. But in general, debit cards for kids collect some personal information. Some common information includes the child’s name, age, email address, transaction information, and more.

These companies can sell the data to others for marketing purposes. But before signing up, you’ll need to take a close look at what types of data a card is collecting. The good news is that companies must disclose what kind of information they are collecting. Thanks to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), if your child is under 13, the issuer will need to collect your permission.

Are Kids’ Debit Cards Safe?

Many debit cards for kids offer built-in safety features like real-time alerts and transaction monitoring. With that, you can stay on top of possible fraud activity. If someone steals the debit card information, you can dispute the transactions.

Additionally, debit cards for kids are attached to an FDIC-insured deposit account. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation offers insurance of up to $250,000 for money held in deposit accounts. So, it’s likely that your child’s balance is well protected.

What About Investment Accounts for Kids?

A kid’s debit card is an excellent tool for children to learn about money management and financial literacy. But it’s not the only type of account you should consider creating for your kids. If you want to help your child pay for their higher education or other qualified education expenses, a 529 plan offers a tax-advantaged way to save.

Another tax-advantaged account perfect for kids earning an income is a Custodial Roth IRA, which can help your kids get a jump start on saving for their future. If you want to save for your child’s future expenses without the constraint of educational costs, consider a trust fund. This vehicle lets you control how and when your child can access the funds.

Finally, a regular old savings account is also a good idea. It gives your child the ability to watch their savings grow over time. Each of these accounts can help improve your child’s financial literacy.

What Happens if My Child Loses a Debit Card?

It’s easy to lose a debit card, but it’s just as easy to lock it from potentially fraudulent transactions. Before starting your search for the card, lock it. If you and your child cannot find the card, cancel it and order a new card.

Although you might have to pay a fee for a new debit card, it’s a painless process. Unlike a traditional pocket full of cash, the funds stored on a debit card are safely protected from total loss.

Can My Kid Get a Custom Debit Card?

Kids can access many custom debit card options. The ability to put their unique stamp on the card can help them place more value on this critical financial teaching tool.

If a custom debit card is essential to your child, work with a company that offers this fun option.

Best Debit Cards For Kids – Summary

Helping your kids learn good money management skills is a must in today’s world. When they learn to properly manage cash through the use of a prepaid card and debit card, life becomes easier.

Plus, when they use the other financial management tips shared here, they’ve got tools to make money management fun.

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