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It’s never too early to teach your kids about money and there are now loads of options designed to help you do just that and give them some control over their finances. You can choose a prepaid kids’ debit card where they can only spend the money you load onto the card, which can be controlled through an app. Alternatively, there are more traditional current accounts designed especially for children.
Spending controls. Many children’s debit cards come with spending control limits that parents can set within the linked mobile app.
Card lock. Parents can also lock the debit card via the app so it can’t be used.
Choose how your child can spend. Parents can choose if the debit card can be used at ATMs, online or for in-store purchases.
Spending tracking tools. Many of the apps offer spending tracking tools and features to help your child learn how to manage their money.
How to choose the best prepaid debit cards for kids
Compare the following features when shopping around for a debit card for your kids:
Check the fees. The costs can vary between different cards. Most prepaid accounts will have either a monthly or yearly fee.
Spending limits. Look for cards that let you cap daily spending, set limits for ATM withdrawals or block specific stores.
Shopping online. Consider whether being able to buy online is a benefit or a downside, and opt for a kids’ debit card that can restrict or block online spending if needed.
Our expert says: More options for children to manage their money than ever
"There’s been a whole new breed of children’s account launched in recent years – prepaid cards for kids let you load their pocket money onto the card and set spending controls. Kids can also learn to budget and set goals through innovative apps that effectively gamify money management.
Some cards have monthly fees. These include NatWest’s Rooster Money, GoHenry, Starling Kite and Nimbl. GoHenry is famous for its tools to help children learn about money, with quizzes, rewards, badges and the ability for them to earn money by doing chores. The personalised cards are also fun for children to have.
Starling and Revolut, which are well known as digital-only banking apps for adults, require you to have your own account with them if you’re setting an account up for your child. While Revolut’s Kids & Teens account has no monthly fee, you’ll get an extra level of control over your child’s account if you have one of Revolut’s paid-for accounts yourself.
HyperJar Kids is another option with no monthly fee. Its digital jars let children save money for specific things and set goals, and they can choose names and colours for each. It means they can learn to save and budget without even realising it."
Many debit cards for kids are prepaid cards. You can load money onto them from the parent’s bank account using a mobile app that accompanies the physical card.
A lot of these cards and apps come with extra features, like the ability to see how your child spends their money or the option to pay them pocket money for doing their chores.
At what age can my child get a prepaid debit card?
Prepaid cards can be available for kids as young as 6. You can let your child keep their prepaid card as they get older, or help them open a current account for teenagers when they’ve outgrown the prepaid card.
What’s the difference between a kids’ prepaid debit card and a children’s bank account?
Debit cards are available with both the app-based digital accounts mentioned in this guide, as well as with traditional children’s bank accounts. So the difference is actually between the accounts themselves. Children’s bank accounts are current accounts, operated by traditional banks in a similar way to adult current accounts, although they don’t have overdrafts and sometimes have spending limits. There’s usually not a fee involved for having the account, and kids can use the accompanying debit card to make purchases and ATM withdrawals. Obviously children will need money in their bank account in order to do this, and you can add funds as a parent, have family members pay monetary gifts in, or they can even have some wages from a part-time job paid in if they’re old enough to be working.
With the app-based accounts, usually run by digital-only providers, the kids’ debit cards are prepaid, so you’ll have to load money onto them. Often it’s only the account owner, which is the parent, who can do this. There’s sometimes a subscription fee associated with these accounts, but in return you get more digital features and innovative ways to manage the account through the app (including parental controls and digital notifications), than you would with a traditional children’s bank account. This type of digital account plus card is also available for kids who might be too young to open a traditional bank account.
Can I get a credit card for my child?
You have to be 18 to get a credit card in the UK, so it won’t be possible for your child to have one. However, parents can get a prepaid card (like the ones outlined in this guide) for children as young as 6. Another option is to set up a children’s bank account, as these often come with a debit card or a cash card that kids can use from around the age of 11.
What are the pros and cons of prepaid debit cards for kids?
Before you get a debit card for your child, consider these features and drawbacks:
Pros
Control. Keep track of your child's spending online and cap the daily limit as you see fit.
Security. You can monitor your child's spending in the mobile app and see where they're shopping.
Safety. Because you can quickly and easily lock the debit card if it's misplaced, debit cards are often safer than carrying cash.
Good practice. Using a debit card will teach your child how money works digitally, as well as create good budgeting habits.
Cons
Not a current account. These types of debit cards are prepaid cards and not actual current accounts.
Not good for large purchases. The spending limits on these prepaid debit cards for kids are generally much lower than those found on traditional adult debit cards.
Account fees. Many of these cards and their associated apps come with a monthly or annual fee.
No interest. These types of prepaid accounts usually don't pay interest.
Age limits. Each debit card or app can set its own age limit.
Kids’ prepaid cards customer satisfaction league table 2026
Parents find Nimbl very easy to set up and value the effective parental control features. It is frequently recommended for teaching children money management skills.
Revolut Kids & Teens is highly valued for its easy-to-use interface and seamless integration. Reviewers also appreciate that it offers a reliable, fee-free option.
NatWest Rooster Money is consistently praised for making financial education fun through chore tracking. Families find the app simple to navigate and highly reliable.
The Monzo for Under 16s app is frequently described as intuitive and a great way to monitor spending. Many parents prefer it because it is free to use.
Starling Kite is a popular choice due to its lack of monthly fees and excellent parental control tools. Reviewers also highlight how easy the app is to use.
GoHenry is widely praised for its educational tools and for giving children independence. However, many users find the monthly subscription fees to be quite high.
Users appreciate Osper for its simple navigation and the sense of freedom it gives children. The brand is also noted for providing innovative and trustworthy features.
We asked people who’d used a kids’ prepaid card within the previous 12 months to rate their satisfaction with the service they received and whether they’d recommend the provider to a friend. Our independent survey of 572 kids’ prepaid card customers was carried out in February 2026.
We have shown the percentage recommended score in the table above and used these ratings to decide the winners of our awards. Where there was a draw on the “would recommend percentage”, we used the overall rating out of 5 as a tie-breaker.
Which factors are most important in a kids’ prepaid card?
As part of our customer satisfaction survey, we received feedback from customers on the elements they value most in a card for children. Below, you can see the results of this analysis, highlighting the most important factors when you’re looking for the best kids’ prepaid card or debit card.
Ranking
Kids’ card factor
% of customers it’s a priority for
1
Ease of use and accessibility
42.5%
2
Fees and charges
8.8%
3
Teaching tools and learning features
7.8%
4
Customer service and support
7.5%
5
App quality and digital technology
7.5%
6
Trust and transparency
4.4%
7
Security and safety
3.1%
8
Parental controls and spending limits
2.5%
9
Speed and efficiency
1.6%
10
Money management and child autonomy
1.6%
Bottom line
Prepaid kids’ debit cards with apps to control them are a great way for kids to learn how to manage their money and make it fun and accessible. GoHenry is probably the best known but there are a range of alternatives you can consider. Read our guide to GoHenry and similar alternatives to find out more.
If you would prefer your child to have an account with a fuller range of banking features or one just for savings visit our guides to current accounts for children and savings accounts for children.
Financial education: Are parents equipped to fill the gap?
Finder published a paper in August 2023 exploring financial education in the UK and how parents are stepping in to teach their children about money. The report includes the findings of our survey of 1,007 of UK adults with children either at primary or secondary school, and insights from teachers, an academic and experts at GoHenry, HyperJar and All Things Money.
Kids' banking: Can traditional banks catch up with the fintechs?
Finder published a paper in November 2022 exploring how both pocket money apps and traditional banks are adapting and innovating to meet the demands of parents and the younger generation. The report includes the findings of our survey of 2,004 UK adults, and insights from experts at GoHenry, Canvas8, Hyperjar, Revolut, Nationwide Building Society and Lloyds Bank.
When pocket money goes digital: How the children's account sector is evolving
Finder published a paper in August 2021 exploring how kids are using banking and pocket money apps to manage their money and learn about personal finance. The report includes the findings of our survey of 1,000 children aged 10 to 15, and insights from experts at Canvas8, gohenry, Manchester Metropolitan University, Nationwide Building Society, nimbl and Starling.
This is completely up to you and your individual experience. You might consider giving your child a debit card when:
They start going out with their friends without adults around.
They start secondary school, or if they take public transport to get to school.
They start wanting or needing to buy things when you’re not with them.
Fraudulent transactions, including those where a thief stole and used the card or where the seller didn’t deliver what they promised, can often be reversed by contacting the card company.
You can’t request that the card company reverses a transaction unless you can prove the transaction was fraudulent. But you can keep an eye on your child’s spending via the card’s accompanying mobile app. And in many cases, cards can be frozen from the app so that your child can’t continue to spend if you aren’t happy with their purchases.
If your child’s debit card is definitely lost or stolen you need to contact the account provider to cancel the existing card and order a replacement. Some of the app-based accounts will also let you freeze the card via the app if it’s lost, and then you can unfreeze it if you find it again.
If the kids’ account and debit card you’ve signed up to has an age limit of 18, then your child will no longer qualify to use it when they reach adulthood. But rather than a blunt cut-off point on their birthday, they’ll usually be able to use the debit card until it reaches its expiry date (and then it won’t be renewed). At that point you’ll also need to contact the provider to cancel the account, especially if you’re paying a subscription fee for it.
You won’t need a credit check for most of these app-based kids’ accounts and prepaid debit cards. However, providers are likely to do an ID check to verify your identity and address, in order to issue and send you the payment card.
These types of app-based kids’ accounts and prepaid debit cards are often operated by financial providers that are not licensed banks, so they are not specifically covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
However, in order to offer these types of financial products the providers will need to be registered and regulated in the UK, which means they are obligated to ring-fence and safeguard customer funds (usually by holding them on trust at a licensed bank).
No, although if they earn more than £100 in interest from money given to them by a parent, the parent will need to pay tax on it if it’s above their personal savings allowance.
As prepaid kids’ debit cards can be taken out for children from the age of six, these are the only options for children this young. They need to be at least 11 to get a child’s current account. Santander’s 123 Mini current account can be taken out for children younger than this but they can only get a cash or debit card once they’re 13.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Defaqto. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Kate Steere is an editor and money expert at Finder, specialising in banking, savings and fintech. She has previously written for The Motley Fool UK and Fitch Solutions, where she covered a wide range of personal finance topics and kept a close eye on market trends. Kate has a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History from the University of East Anglia. When not working, she can usually be found curled up with a good book or heading out for a run.
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If you are looking for a free prepaid card to teach your kids about finance while retaining full control, HyperJar is certainly a competitive option. Here’s how it works.
Digital challenger bank Starling has launched a new children’s app for its Kite debit card. This prepaid card for kids comes with parental controls and can be managed from the parent’s banking app.
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