Gohenry debit card review
A standard prepaid card for kids with an expensive $3.99 fee per child.
The Gohenry debit card has standard features that help teach your child how to manage money while giving you access and control on their allowance and spending. But you can’t add your spouse as a secondary user and there’s an unavoidable $3.99 monthly fee per child — unlike other cards that have a flat fee for the whole family.
$3.99
Monthly maintenance fee
$0
Signature transaction fee
$0
PIN transaction fee
Details
| Card type | Debit |
|---|---|
| Card network | Mastercard |
| Monthly fee | $3.99 |
| Signature transaction fee | $0 |
| PIN transaction fee | $0 |
Review by
Rhys Subitch
rhys.subitch@finder.comRhys Subitch is a writer and editor at Finder who tackles topics across the site. With half a decade of experience researching, editing and writing for a Fortune 500 company, university and several independent publications, Rhys brings readers the most up-to-date and curated info on all things finance.
Expert review
Spending controls and a free trial make Gohenry a decent option if you’re looking to help teach your child financial responsibility. Its features are fairly standard among debit cards geared towards kids, but it’s a solid product overall.
Where it falls short is in its funding options and pricing. Other debit cards offer a monthly price for an entire family or a yearly price per card, but Gohenry‘s monthly fee per card can quickly add up if you want more than one account. Funding through the debit card is also currently the only option for getting money to the account, which may not be as convenient as using a credit card.
How do I open a Gohenry account?
Sign up for a Gohenry debit card in five simple steps:
- Go to the provider’s site and follow the steps to apply.
- From the Gohenry website, click Sign up.
- Fill out your personal and contact information and create a password, then select Continue.
- Add your child’s information and add more if you need to, then click Continue.
- Complete the form with your Social Security number, date of birth and address and select Confirm and order cards.
Eligibility
To sign up for Gohenry, primary account holders must meet the following criteria:
- At least 18 years old
- US citizen or legal resident
Subaccounts are available for children from ages six to 18.
Required information
To sign up for an account you’ll need to provide the following:
- First and last name
- Email address and mobile number
- Date of birth and Social Security number
- Child’s first and last name and date of birth
Funding options
You can only fund your parent account by attaching a debit card. You can transfer funds to your child’s account automatically each week and as one-off transfers.
How long will it take to get my card?
Your child’s card will arrive in seven business days, but you can start loading funds to your account immediately. Visit the website or use the mobile app to connect your debit card and get started.
What you’ll like about the Gohenry card
Like other debit cards, Gohenry comes with the ability to track spending, set automatic payments and receive notifications through an app. Other benefits include:
- Free trial. Access all of Gohenry’s features without paying the monthly fee the first month. Starting the second month, the membership fee is withdrawn from the parent account or attached debit card.
- Spending limits. Control where your child can spend their money and how much.
- No overdrafts. Transactions that are more than your child’s balance are automatically declined, so you don’t have to worry about overdraft fees.
- Custom tasks. Set up weekly or one-off chores that either you or your child can mark as complete. Each task can have its own payout amount.
What to watch out for
Consider the following before you sign up for a Gohenry debit card:
- Monthly fee. After the first month it costs $3.99 a month per account.
- Debit loads only. You can only fund your account with a connected debit card.
- Limited child accounts per parent. One parent account can have up to four subaccounts. If you have a large family, you’ll have to open more than one primary account and you can’t manage them all from one place.
- Few options for divorced parents. GoHenry doesn’t support more than one parent account per child, which isn’t ideal for divorced parents. However, there is a “giftlinks” feature where the other parent can send up to $350 a month to the kid’s account for free. They just won’t have access to the actual app.
- No secondary users. You can’t add a second user to your primary account, which means if you want to share the responsibility with your spouse you’ll have to share login information.
- Maximum daily load amount. You’re limited to $500 a day when loading funds to subaccounts. You’ll need to strategically plan any big payouts, especially if they’re across several cards.
- Limited loads per day. Loads are limited to three a day, so you may want to plan ahead if your child is out and may need more than one top off.
Before you sign up, you can compare debit cards for kids by using our guide to find the best fit for your family.
Compare Gohenry with other debit cards for kids
Gohenry isn’t the only debit card designed for kids, and it’s certainly not your only prepaid option. Compare these other providers to get the best card for your family.I got my Gohenry card. Now what?
Once your child has their card in hand, set up, pay and manage your account:
- Download the app. Get the mobile app for Android or iOS and start managing your account.
- Establish a weekly allowance. Set up a weekly allowance or tasks with an attached value to get funds sent to your child’s card automatically from your primary account.
- Set spending limits and goals. Establish savings goals, weekly limits and one-time exemptions as needed by visiting the Rules section of your parent account.
- Keep the monthly fee in mind. If there aren’t enough funds in your primary account to cover the monthly fee, Gohenry will pull from the attached debit card.
- Contact support. Use the FAQ on the Gohenry website or talk to live support via phone, email or live chat weekly from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.