Best debit cards for kids and teens in September 2024

The best debit cards for kids and teens offer allowance features and easy ways for parents to transfer funds and monitor spending through strong parental controls. Some kids’ banking apps can also keep your child engaged through rewards, saving goals and games that teach basic financial literacy skills.

From digital accounts like Greenlight to more traditional checking options like Chase First Banking, we analyze over 35 kids’ debit cards every month to find ones that strike the right balance between cost, features and availability.

8 best debit cards for kids and teens

1. Greenlight : Best overall
2. GoHenry: Best for money games
3. Modak Makers: Best for rewards
4. Step : Best free card
5. Current: Best for teens
6. Revolut <18: Best for traveling parents
7. BusyKid: Best for investing
8. Chase First Banking: Best for parental controls

Methodology: How we choose the best kids’ cards

Finder’s banking editors research and compare more than 35 cards for kids. We rate kids’ debit cards using slightly different criteria to account for differences between checking accounts and prepaid debit cards for kids. We narrowed down our list to accounts that meet the following factors:

• Monthly fee under $5.99
• Accepts wide age range under 18
• Features
  • Large ATM network or no ATM fees for checking accounts
  • Chore and allowance features
  • Strong parental controls with spending limits, alerts or overdraft protection
  • Companion app for monitoring
• Availability
  • No strict membership requirements
  • Ability to open the account online

How to compare cards for kids

To help you find the best account for your family, here are some considerations to keep in mind:

• Monthly fees. While prepaid cards for kids are notorious for monthly fees ranging from $4 to $10, checking and digital accounts offer plenty of free kids’ debit cards to choose from.
• Strong parental controls. Most cards send you notifications every time your child spends and let you lock their debit card if necessary. A few, like Greenlight and GoHenry, go beyond this to let you control how much your child spends at certain stores or with specific spending categories like online shopping.
• Financial education features. Games and interactive tools like quizzes, videos and short articles can teach basic finance concepts and keep your kid engaged.
• Earning potential. Some kids’ debit cards offer savings bonuses, referral rewards, a cashback program and some even offer a traditional APY.
• Reload fees. Prepaid debit cards for kids come with reload fees, which can get pricey over time. Look for cards that won’t charge you every time you want to top off your kids’ debit card.
• Allowances and chores. Many kids’ debit cards let you automate allowances as weekly, biweekly or monthly payments. They also offer chore features, giving your kids a chore list that they can complete to earn money.
• Transaction limits. It’s common for kids’ cards to come with daily or monthly transaction limits to keep your child from overspending.

Related: Is an allowance for kids a good idea?

Compare top kids’ debit card fees and features

Kids’ card	Monthly fee	Age requirement	Savings reward	Chore and allowances	Educational content
Greenlight	$5.99+	Any	Up to 5%	Yes	Yes
Step	$0	Any	Up to 5.00%	Yes	Yes
Current	$0	13+	None	Yes	No
BusyKid	$4 ­— billed annually at $48, or $49.74 with debit or credit card funding	5 to 17	None	Yes	No
GoHenry	$4.99	6 to 18	None	Yes	Yes
Chase First Banking	$0	6 to 17	None	Yes	No
GoHenry	$0	6 to 17	None	Yes	No

Are there no-fee debit cards for kids?

Yes, there are plenty of no-fee kids’ debit card options. Many kids’ banking apps with prepaid cards will charge monthly membership fees, but those aren’t your only options. Some popular no-fee kids’ cards include:

• Step card
• Current teen banking
• Cash App for kids
• Chase First Banking

How old do you have to be to get a debit card?

Minors will need a parent or legal guardian who is at least 18 years old to get a debit card or bank account. Parents will act as a joint co-owner or sponsor on the account. Most traditional checking accounts require teens to be at least 13 years old, while many prepaid debit cards for kids accept any age.

When to introduce a debit card to a child

At around age 3, most kids can understand basic money concepts and money habits are already set by age 7, according to a PBS report. Another report from the University of Cambridge supports this claim, suggesting that kids around age 7 are ready to handle their own debit card.

Should you get a debit card for your teen or child?

A debit card is a great way to teach kids about how to manage their finances. Kids will have to learn how to budget, avoid overspending, and check their balance — all essential skills for adulthood.

Here are some signs it’s time to get your child a debit card:

• Your child is always asking you for money
• Your child is curious about financial topics
• You give your kids a regular allowance
• You need an easier way to transfer money to your kid
• You want to start saving money toward your kid’s college education
• Your teen has a job and needs an account to store their wages

What to consider before getting a kids’ card

Before you choose a bank account for your child, check to see what happens to that account once they turn 18. Some accounts automatically convert into traditional, adult accounts. For example, PNC’s Virtual Wallet Student account is designed for teens and college students, and it has no monthly fees for up to six years. But once those six years are up, the student account converts to a standard Virtual Wallet account which can cost as much as $25 per month.

Before you choose a kids’ bank account, find out whether the account will close, convert to another account or charge monthly maintenance fees once your kid turns 18.

Are debit cards for kids safe?

Yes, money held in kids’ debit cards is protected up to $250,000 as long as they’re insured by the FDIC or NCUA. Most kids’ debit cards let parents lock and unlock the card if it goes missing, block certain stores, set spending limits by category or customize daily spending limits. Some cards, like the Greenlight Max debit card, offer extra security features such as identity theft and cell phone and purchasing protection.

Debit vs. credit cards for kids

For young kids, debit cards are a much better first card option compared to getting them a credit card. Getting a kid a credit card would mean adding them as an authorized user on your credit card if they’re under 18. Credit cards may encourage overspending, have interest charges and could impact your credit score if it’s tied to your name. A debit card won’t impact your credit history, because debit cards and prepaid debit cards aren’t reported to credit bureaus. With a debit or prepaid card, kids can only spend what they have in their accounts, whereas a credit card means they’re borrowing and the adult will need to repay that back.

WATCH: 3 Best Debit Cards for Kids 2024 Review

Alternative kids’ bank accounts

If your kid isn’t quite ready for a debit card, or you have different goals in mind, check out these other bank accounts for kids:

• Kids’ savings accounts. These accounts help kids learn how to save and grow their savings toward college or other future expenses. No matter the goal, there are great kids’ savings accounts with low fees and high APYs.
• Custodial accounts. A custodial account is managed by parents until the child reaches a certain age, typically 18 years old. Some can be used to save up for education, whereas others can be used to give a child money once they’ve entered adulthood.
• Credit cards. If you’ve got a teen that you want to offer more responsibly or help them establish a credit history early, a teen credit card might be the right play — with parental supervision, of course.
• Educational savings accounts. If you’re looking to save toward your kids’ education, consider accounts like a 529 savings plan.

Frequently asked questions

Can a teen get a debit card?

Yes, teens aged 18 to 19 can get a debit card on their own. For teens under 18, banks require checking and savings accounts require an adult to act as a joint owner to manage the account, and many bank accounts require teens to be at least 13 or 14 to become a co-owner. For kids under 13, you may have to look to prepaid cards or kids’ banking apps to find an account suitable for that age range.

What’s the difference between a prepaid card for kids and a debit card?

The key difference between prepaid cards and debit cards is that debit cards are tied to a checking account, whereas prepaid cards require you to load money onto them. Prepaid cards may come with reload fees, ATM transaction limits, and no overdrafts.

Do kid’s debit cards charge overdraft fees?

Most cards for kids don’t charge overdraft fees, since the majority of these are prepaid cards, so you can only spend what’s been preloaded into the card. However, depending on the bank, a regular kids’ checking account might have an overdraft fee, but it’s rare.

Is it better to teach my child about money with a debit card or cash?

It depends on your child’s age and how often you have cash on hand.

Physical cash may be an easier introduction to financial literacy for very young children. It might be hard for young kids to imagine how much money they have if they can’t hold it in their hands. However, having to rely on cash allowances means you’ll have to have cash all the time, and there’s the risk of the child ruining the bills if they don’t have a large jar or piggy bank to store it.

With older kids, such as those 7 and up, a prepaid or debit card with a mobile app can be an age-appropriate way to start teaching money management skills. You can teach them how to view transaction histories, manage savings, and even transfer funds electronically. By this age, kids are likely to want a way to spend their money, and cards offer a more convenient way to transfer funds, spend and store money.

Compare popular kids’ debit cards

• Greenlight vs. Current
• Greenlight vs. FamZoo
• Greenlight vs. GoHenry