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Best Debit Cards for Kids Under 13

Track allowances, teach responsibility and bank as a family.

parent and kids with debit card

It might be time to get your child a debit card if they regularly ask for money, show curiosity about finances or you need an easier way to send them cash. Many banks impose age restrictions on checking accounts, often requiring kids to be at least 13 or 14 to open one.

We’ve found plenty of options with flexible age requirements, allowing kids under 13 to get a debit or prepaid card as long as an adult acts as the joint co-owner or sponsor. The best debit cards for kids and teens combine allowance tools, parental controls and features like rewards and savings goals to teach financial literacy.

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7 best debit cards for kids under 13

  1. Greenlight : Best overall
  2. Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry): Best for money games
  3. Step : Best free card
  4. Modak Makers: Best for rewards
  5. Current: Best for 13 and up
  6. BusyKid: Best for investing
  7. Chase First Banking: Best for a traditional bank

Best overall

Finder Award Greenlight

4.6
★★★★★

Finder score

Go to site Read review
Savings5.00%
FeeFrom $5.99 per month
Age requirementsAny age

Best for money games

Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry)

4.3
★★★★★

Finder score

Get 2 months free and $10 allowance when you sign up to Acorns Early with Finder's exclusive code: AFFUSFDR10.
Go to site Read review
Maintenance Fees$5 monthly
Age requirements6 to 18 years old

Best free card

Step

4.4
★★★★★

Finder score

Go to site Read review
Maintenance Fees$0 monthly
Age requirementsAny age

Best for rewards

Modak

3.8
★★★★★

Finder score

Go to site Read review
Maintenance Fees$0 monthly
Age requirementsAny age

Best for 13 and up

Current teen banking

4.4
★★★★★

Finder score

Go to site
on Current's secure site
Read review
Fee$0. per month
Age requirementsAny age

Best for investing

BusyKid

4.6
★★★★★

Finder score

Get 30 days free, then $4/month ($48 billed annually) for up to five kids.
Read review
Maintenance Fees$4 monthly
Age requirements5 to 17 years old

Best for a traditional bank

Chase First Banking

4.3
★★★★★

Finder score

Read review
Fee$0 per month
Age requirements6 to 17 years old

Methodology: How we choose the best kids’ cards

Finder’s banking editors research and compare over 35 cards for kids. We evaluate features such as parental controls, ease of use, fees and tools for teaching financial literacy. We also choose cards that can suit specific needs, like large families, gamified learning and investing. To qualify as a best kids’ card, options must meet the following minimum criteria:

  • Monthly fee under $10 per month
  • Accepts kids aged 13 or under
  • Simple reload options
  • Parental controls
  • Ability to open the account online

How to compare kids’ debit cards

To find the best account for your family, consider these factors:

  • Monthly fees: Prepaid kids cards often charge $4 to $10, while many checking and digital accounts provide free options.
  • Parental controls: Features like spending alerts and card locks are common, and some cards, like Greenlight or Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry), offer custom spending limits by store or category.
  • Educational tools: Look for games, quizzes or videos that teach kids basic financial concepts.
  • Earning potential: Some cards provide savings bonuses, cashback rewards or even a traditional APY.
  • Reload fees: Avoid cards with expensive reload fees, which can add up over time.
  • Allowances and chores: Many cards automate allowances and offer chore-based earnings.
  • Transaction limits: Limits help prevent overspending. Most kids’ debit cards have lower spending limits than regular accounts, but be sure to double-check.

Quickly compare kids’ debit card fees and features

Age requirements, monthly fees and reloads are probably your biggest concerns regarding a kid’s prepaid or debit card.

Kids’ cardAge requirementsMonthly feeReload fees
GreenlightNoneStarts at $5.99$0
Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry)6 to 18Starts at $5$0
Modak MakersNone$0
  • $0 with ACH or direct deposit
  • $0.50 + 3% reload fee via Apple Pay, Google Pay or credit card
  • $0.50 reload fee via debit card
StepNone$0$0
Current13 and up$0$0
BusyKid5 to 17Starts at $48/year (around $4 per month)$0
Chase First Banking6 to 17$0$0

WATCH: 3 Best Debit Cards for Kids 2024 Review

Should I get a debit card for a kid under 13?

A debit card can be a great tool for teaching kids essential financial skills like budgeting, tracking spending and managing balances. But if your kid doesn’t have their own phone, they may not be ready for a digital banking app or checking account, as they won’t be able to check balances or view chores without your help.

Pros and cons of kids’ bank accounts:

Pros
  • Can help kids learn to manage their money
  • Easy way to send kids cash for allowances or spending
  • Parents can track spending and balances
  • Chore tracking and automated allowances
  • Often feature educational content
Cons
  • Kids without phones can’t use banking apps on their own
  • Watch for overdrafts as kids are learning
  • Most kids’ banking apps have monthly fees

Are debit cards safe for kids under 13?

With parental supervision and careful management, kids’ debit cards can certainly be safe.

Cards for kids often come with strong parental controls like spending limits, store restrictions and the ability to lock the card. Banking apps like Greenlight can also provide additional protections for identity theft and purchases.

No matter which cards you’re considering, make sure it has deposit insurance. Most kids’ debit cards are insured for up to $250,000 through the FDIC or NCUA. Deposit insurance protects your balance in the unlikely event of a bank bankruptcy or failure. All the best kids’ cards we chose have FDIC insurance.

Most bank accounts — for kids and adults — also offer these protections:

  • 128-bit or 256-bit encryption to protect sensitive data and personal information
  • Personal Identification Number (PIN) to use debit card
  • Visa Zero Liability Policy or Mastercard’s Zero Liability fraud protection
  • Transaction monitoring and alerts

Alternatives for 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 for 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 accounts can be designated for education, whereas others can be used to give a child money once they’ve entered adulthood.
  • Credit cards: If you have a teen who wants more responsibility or help establishing an early credit history, a teen credit card might be the right choice — with parental supervision, of course.
  • Educational savings accounts: If you want to save toward your kids’ education, consider accounts like a 529 savings plan.

Bottom line

Kids’ debit cards can provide an easy way for parents to send cash, manage chores and allowances and give kids a little more financial freedom. Learning to manage checking and savings accounts is an essential skill for adulthood.

If your kiddo isn’t quite ready for their own banking app, a regular prepaid card could be a suitable alternative until they’re a little older.

Frequently asked questions

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 funds onto them. Prepaid cards may come with reload fees, monthly fees and ATM transaction limits and typically don’t allow for overdrafts.

Should I get a debit card or credit card for a kid under 13?

For kids under 13, debit cards are a safer first option than credit cards. Debit cards allow kids to spend only what’s in their account, eliminating debt or interest charges. Credit cards, which require adding a child as an authorized user, can encourage overspending and impact the parent’s credit if not managed carefully.

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 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 happens to the kid’s bank account when they turn 18?

Some accounts for kids under 13 automatically convert into adult accounts when they turn 18, which may include new fees. For example, PNC’s Virtual Wallet Student account is fee-free for up to six years but converts to a $25/month adult account afterward. Always check whether a kids’ account will close, convert or charge fees when your child becomes an adult.

Do kids’ debit cards charge overdraft fees?

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

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 the Step card, Current teen banking, Cash App for kids and Chase First Banking.

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.
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Written by

Editor, Banking

Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto. Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt. Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others. Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio

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