Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard review

Free mobile app for chores and allowances, but the card costs $36 per year per child.

finder.com’s rating: 3.2 / 5.0

★★★★★

With the Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard, your teen can earn money from chores and allowances, then save or spend it in-store and online. But the card could get expensive if you have several kids.

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Details

Card typePrepaid
Card networkMastercard
Annual fee$36
Signature transaction fee$0
PIN transaction fee$0
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Review by


Cassidy Horton is a freelance copywriter and journalist, specializing in personal finance. Her writing and analysis has been featured in Forbes Advisor, Money, The Balance, Money Under 30, Insure.com and other top digital publishers. She holds a BS in public relations and an MBA from Georgia Southern University.

Expert review

The Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard is best for teens and kids who are ready to start spending real money. It comes with a free mobile app that lets you set chores and allowances and help your teen learn to spend, save and give wisely.

But although the app is free to download, you’ll pay $36 per year per child for the card. This is about $13 cheaper than BusyKid, but BusyKid comes with up to five debit cards and additional features like investing options.

How do I get the Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard?

Get the Kachinga app and kids’ debit card in six steps:

  1. Go to the provider’s site and follow the steps to apply.
  2. From the provider website, click Get it on Google Play or Download on the App Store.
  3. Install the app, launch it and click Sign Up.
  4. Enter your full name, email, password, the name your kids’ call you and click Create Account.
  5. Create your child’s account using their name, date of birth, username and password. Click Next.
  6. Select which plan you want — the free virtual money plan or the real money plan that comes with the Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard.
  7. Follow the prompts to finish the application process.

Eligibility

Anyone can download the Kachinga app and use it for chores and allowances, but you’ll need to meet these requirements to get the prepaid card.

  • At least 18 years old
  • US citizen or resident
  • US residential address
  • Valid Social Security number

Required information

Have this information ready when you set up your account and request your kid’s Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard.

  • Full name
  • Home address
  • Date of birth
  • Social Security number
  • Login information for connected bank account

What you’ll like about the Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard

The Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard and mobile app comes with standard kids debit card features, like the ability to set up chores, pay allowances and monitor your child’s spending. There’s no credit check to sign up, plus you’ll enjoy these perks.

  • Free trial. You get a 30-day free trial with Kachinga, so you can try it before the $36 annual fee kicks in.
  • Spending charts. You and your teen get real-time reports in the mobile app that shows how much money they’ve spent each month and where they’ve spent it.
  • Instant transfers. No more running out to ATMs in a pinch. You can instantly transfer money to your kid’s card whenever they need it.

What to watch out for

Kachinga helps your teen develop smart money habits, but there are a few drawbacks to watch out for.
  • No ATM network. You’ll pay $2 plus operator fees each time you use an ATM to withdraw cash.
  • Customer service support. Kachinga‘s site doesn’t offer customer support options. But because they’re a third-party site by Akimbo, you can reach them at 855-925-4626 for questions regarding your Kachinga account.
  • Annual debit card fee. You’ll pay $36 per year per child for the Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard. This is cheaper than BusyKid if you have one kid. But BusyKid‘s pricing stays at $48 per year for up to five kids, or $49.74 if you use a debit or credit card for funding.

    Is the Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard safe?

    The Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard is as safe as any prepaid debit card. You get all the liability protection that comes with Mastercard, plus FDIC insurance through Sunrise Banks.

    Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard reviews and complaints

    Kachinga just launched in March 2021, so there aren’t any reviews yet on trusted sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot. But the company has a 4.0 out of 5-star rating in both the Apple Store and the Google Play stores as of April 2021.

    Customers like the financial literacy component of the app and how it helps assign chores and allowances without having to fuss with paper charts and real cash. But a few of them have run into issues when funding their account and say they couldn’t contact customer support for help.

    How can I contact Kachinga?

    The Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard is a third-party site by Akimbo — a leading prepaid card platform, so you can contact them for questions at 855-925-4626.

    We called Akimbo several times while writing this review and someone answered right away every time. You can also try emailing Kachinga at support@kachinga.com.

    Compare Kachinga with other kids debit cards

    Use this table to see how Kachinga compares to other kids debit cards based on fees, ATM withdrawals and features.
    Publisher to add table.

    Name Product Annual or monthly fee Age requirements Features Offer
    GoHenry
    Finder Rating: 4.3 / 5: ★★★★★
    Exclusive
    GoHenry
    $4.99 per month
    6 to 18 years old
    • Instantly send money to your child
    • Automates allowance
    • Spending controls & limits
    • Get 2 months FREE for a limited time with code AFUSS171. Then pay just $4.99 per month
    Get an extended 2-month free trial of the GoHenry kids' debit card and app when you sign up with Finder's exclusive code: AFUSS171. Offer ends on April 6, 2023.
    Get interactive money and investing tools for your kids, including expert-developed games and quizzes. Offers strong parental controls that allow you to set where and how much your child can spend.
    Greenlight
    Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5: ★★★★★

    Finder Award
    Free trial
    Greenlight
    $4.99 per month
    1 to 17 years old
    • Spend, save & invest
    • Chores & allowance tools
    • Spending controls & limits
    • Up to 5% savings rewards
    Get the first 30 days for free. After your one-month trial, plans start at just $4.99/month for the whole family. Includes up to five kids.
    Teach your child to spend, save and invest all in one app. Get 5+ financial literacy tools, including chores and allowances. All with powerful parental controls to decide where your child can spend and how much. Includes up to 5% savings rewards. Free one-month trial.
    Step
    Finder Rating: 4.2 / 5: ★★★★★
    Step
    $0 per month
    13+
    • Teens build credit safely
    • Savings and investing tools
    • Cashback rewards
    Teens can build credit safely without overspending or paying interest. Get savings and investing tools alongside cashback rewards. $0 monthly fees.
    Jassby
    Finder Rating: 4.2 / 5: ★★★★★
    Jassby
    $3.95 per month
    7 to 17 years old
    • Rewards program
    • Chores and allowance
    • Spending controls & limits
    • Financial literacy courses, quizzes & games
    Robust financial literacy platform. Parental control and notifications. Auto-fund and auto-allowance capability
    Axos Bank First Checking
    Finder Rating: 3.5 / 5: ★★★★★
    Axos Bank First Checking
    $0 per month
    Any age
    • Earns interest
    • ATM reimbursements
    • Minimal fees
    Made for teens ages 13 to 17, this account earns 0.1% APY and has no monthly fees.
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    How do Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard’s fees compare to the competition?

    This table highlights how Kachinga‘s fees and limits compare to the competition.

    Fee & LimitAmountHow it compares to other kids’ cards
    Annual fee$36It’s less expensive than BusyKid for one kid, but more expensive with multiple kids
    ATM withdrawal$2This is a typical fee charged by most prepaid card companies.
    Cash reload feeN/AKachinga doesn’t accept cash reloads, unlike FamZoo and Greenlight.
    Card replacement feeFirst one free, then $5This is typical for most prepaid cards for kids.
    Maximum card balance$9,999This is a higher limit than most prepaid cards for kids.
    Direct deposit limit$9,999 per dayMost cards only let you transfer up to $2,000 or $5,000 per month. This limit is much higher.
    Debit card transfer limit$1,000 per dayMost companies only let you transfer up to $500 per day from debit cards.
    ATM withdrawal limit$705 per dayMost debit cards for kids and teens cap you at $120 per day.
    Purchase limit$2,500 per dayThis limit is similar to other debit cards for kids.

    How long will it take to get my card?

    You’ll get your Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard in the mail within 10 business days of requesting it.

    I got the card. Now what?

    Once your child or teen has their Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard, make the most of it by:

  • Setting up chores. Set up paid and unpaid chores in the mobile app for your child to complete each week. It can be anything from brushing their teeth to mowing the grass.
  • Automating allowances. Put allowances on autopilot in the Kachinga mobile app.
  • Setting up spending, saving and giving buckets. Help your child set up goals for how much money they’ll save, spend and give each month.
  • Funding options

    Fund the Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard using a linked bank account.

    Kids’ debit card ratings

    ★★★★★ — Excellent

    ★★★★★ — Good

    ★★★★★ — Average

    ★★★★★ — Subpar

    ★★★★★ — Poor

    We analyze top debit cards for kids and rate them one to five stars based on factors that are most important to you. We rate kids’ checking accounts by these factors: Monthly fee, features, ATM access, customer support options, and availability. We also consider APY as a factor only for those that earn interest. We rate prepaid debit cards for kids by these factors: monthly fees, features, customer support options and account availability.

    Read the full methodology of how we rate Kids’ debit card accounts.

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