What we like about BusyKid

BusyKid is one of the few kids’ cards that ties allowance to chores and teaches saving, giving and investing all in one app. The BusyKid cards come with the same security as other debit cards and can be used anywhere Visa cards are accepted.

BusyKid costs $48 annually if you pay through a bank account, which works out to around $4 per month. But if you use a debit or credit card to fund the account, the price lands at $49.74 per year, spreading out to just $4.14 per month.

BusyKid does offer a free 30-day trial, so you can try before you buy. And if you buy the annual plan but it isn’t up to your standards, BusyKid has a 30-day subscription-back guarantee.

Three buckets to organize cash

BusyKid has three “buckets” named Save, Share and Spend. Kids can move money between the three buckets, with no parental approval required in most cases.

If you want to restrict money transfers, parents can turn on the “Money Lock” feature, which prevents kids from moving money between accounts. With Money Lock on, kids can still donate, invest or request reloads.

Various reload options

You can reload your kids’ BusyKid cards with your bank account, debit or credit card, or the BusyPay QR code. There are no fees to reload BusyKid via a bank account. BusyKid states its network supports more than 90% of banks and credit unions in the US, and you can search for your bank or manually connect your bank account.

If you use a debit or credit card as a funding source, or with the BusyPay QR feature, there’s a 2.9% + $0.30 fee per transaction, which BusyKid says is charged by your bank. Although there’s a fee, BusyKid is one of the only accounts that gives you an option to fund the account with a credit card. To bypass the transaction fee entirely, just use your bank account.

BusyKid does not accept funding sources via PayPal, Chime®, Venmo or Cash App.

Built-in chores and allowance management

Parents can assign chores and automate allowances. There’s a chore chart automatically included, with tasks organized by age, and parents can adjust chores as needed.

BusyKid has a feature called “Payday,” which goes out each Friday at 8:30 a.m. (your local time). Parents receive a notification that it’s Payday, and the funds need parental approval.

Alternatively, you can set up Auto-Allowance, which sends out allowances every Friday or the 1st and 5th of every month automatically. Auto-Allowance isn’t tied to chore completion and does not require parent approval.

For the payday feature, you can set how much of the funds are sent to the three buckets (Save, Share and Spend). Parents can also set up parent-paid interest and set up a custom “rate” that is paid to the kids’ savings bucket. For even more savings, parents can also match the kids’ savings contributions, kind of like a 401(k).

Investing with no plan upgrade required

BusyKid lets kids invest in real stocks and ETFs from the get-go. Additionally, there are no commissions for stock transactions. This feature is rare among kids’ cards, as competitors like Greenlight require premium plans for investing.

BusyKid uses a custodial Stash account to facilitate trades, offering access to over 4,000 stocks and ETFs with parental approval.

Charitable giving options

Kids can choose from nearly 60 vetted charities to donate directly within the app. It’s a nice touch and can teach kiddos some empathy. It’s also worth noting that most other kids’ debit cards don’t offer charity options.

Where it falls short

While $4 per month for up to five cards is what we’d consider affordable compared to other kids’ debit cards, there’s no free plan. There is a 30-day free trial, but plan on paying at least $4 per month afterward.

Doesn’t earn interest

While BusyKid offers parent-paid interest and savings matches, BusyKid does not pay interest. If you want your kids’ savings to grow passively, parents must set a rate or match savings contributions. If you’d rather your kid earn interest from the bank like a regular account, compare top kids’ savings accounts instead.

No credit-building potential

Unlike Step, BusyKid doesn’t help build credit history. It’s strictly a spending and learning tool, not a credit-building option. If you want to build your kid’s credit history before they enter adulthood, you could make your teen an authorized user on a credit card or look at credit-building loan options.

Compare BusyKid to other kids’ debit cards

Narrow down top kids’ cards by monthly fees, APYs and extra features. For a closer comparison, tick the Compare box on multiple options to see them side by side.

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Product	Finder Score	Fee	Age requirements	Features	Bonus Offer
Promoted Finder score 9.2 Excellent Greenlight Finder Award	Finder score 9.2 Excellent	$5.99 per month	Any age	Spend, save & invest Chores & allowance tools Spending controls & limits Instantly send money to your child Up to 6% savings rewards	Go to site More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
Promoted Finder score 8.6 Great Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry)	Finder score 8.6 Great	$5 per month	6 to 18 years old	Automate allowance & instantly send money to your child Optional parent-paid savings interest Spending controls & limits $5/month after Finder exclusive free trial	Top Offer Get 2 months free and $10 allowance when you sign up to Acorns Early with Finder's exclusive code: AFFUSFDR10.	Go to site More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
Promoted Finder score 9.6 Excellent Current teen banking	Finder score 9.6 Excellent	$0 per month	Any age	Automatic savings round-ups $0 monthly fee Spending limits and parent notifications Instant transfers to your teen Parent Current account required	Go to site More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
Finder score 7.6 Great Modak	Finder score 7.6 Great	$0 per month	Any age	Kids complete challenges for cash-convertible rewards Parent Portal to manage chores, allowance, and savings Multiple funding options	Go to site More info Compare product selection Compare	loading
Finder score 7.2 Great FamZoo	Finder score 7.2 Great	$5.99 per month	Any age	Parent-paid interest No foreign fees Real-time cash requests	Top Offer One month free trial. After your one-month trial, plans start at just $5.99/month for the whole family. First 4 prepaid cards free.	Go to site More info Compare product selection Compare	loading

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What is the Finder Score?

The Finder Score applies to 45+ kids' debit card options. It takes into account the card's fees, features, age requirements, ATM access and more — this gives you a simple score out of 10.

To provide a Score, we compare like-for-like debit cards. So if you're comparing the best kids' cards with no monthly fees, you can see how card stacks up against each other by features, opening deposits and other benefits.

Read the full Finder Score breakdown

BusyKid fees and access

Customer reviews and ratings

BusyKid reviews are mostly positive. Many parents appreciate the simplicity of chore tracking and savings tools. Several reviews say the app is well-constructed, and it helped teach their kids so much about financial literacy. There are also a lot of Trustpilot reviews from users claiming they had an issue, but it was quickly solved. Like most banking apps, there are some complaints of a buggy app or slow card delivery, but that’s pretty normal.

On the whole, BusyKid does well on review platforms.

Frequently asked questions

Is BusyKid safe for children?

Yes. The BusyKid Spend Card is FDIC-insured (via its bank partner) and includes Zero Liability protection in case of unauthorized transactions under Visa.

Is Greenlight better than BusyKid?

Greenlight and BusyKid are two of the best kids’ debit cards on the market.

BusyKid is technically cheaper than Greenlight right now, with Greenlight starting at $5.99 per month and BusyKid costing $4 per month. Both options offer up to five cards per plan, investing features, chore and allowance tracking, custom card options and more.

However, Greenlight has more optional safety features — such as family location sharing and identity theft protections — but those cost extra, requiring you to upgrade to a pricier plan. BusyKid just has one plan, and all its features are included automatically. If you don’t mind paying a little extra, Greenlight has more features, while BusyKid simply offers the same features to all its customers.

How do you reload the BusyKid card?

You can add money instantly via the Parent dashboard in the app, and you can reload using a debit or credit card, bank account or with the BusyPay QR code. There are daily and 30‑day limits, which you can check under Settings and Card Load Limits.

How does BusyPay work?

The BusyKid app generates a QR code via the Kids dashboard. Friends or relatives scan it and pay using their credit or debit card, and funds are automatically allocated across the child’s Save, Share and Spend buckets.

BusyPay charges a fee of 2.9% of the transaction amount plus $0.30, which is paid by the sender. For example, a $10 gift incurs a $0.59 fee.