Monzo for Under 16s review
Our verdict
Monzo's long-awaited children's account has launched. We've reviewed it to see how it stacks up against the competition.
Monzo for Under 16s joins a competitive children’s banking market. It’s a bank account which doesn’t charge any fees (unless your kid loses their card). It comes with a range of parental controls and oversight to keep your children safe. You can also set up savings pots for your child, which earn interest.
If you already bank with Monzo and want to get your kids started with their own accounts, then this is probably a good option for you. But if you want in-depth educational features or personalised cards, you might want to look elsewhere.
Pros
-
Free for every child
-
Earn interest with Savings
-
Their own neon card
-
Account for kids with controls set by parents
Cons
-
Parent needs a Monzo account
-
Lack of educational features
What is the Monzo for Under 16s debit card for kids?
Monzo for Under 16s is a children’s account designed for children aged 6–15. To open, the parent or guardian needs to already have a Monzo current account.
As this is most likely to be a first taste of how money works for some kids, it’s simple and easy to use. There aren’t too many bells and whistles, so it’s up to the adult to control the account and teach the child how to use it.
You’re able to set up savings pots and goals for your child, so they can put their money towards something special. These now earn interest, so you can begin to teach them the benefits of saving regularly into an interest paying account. Learning about compound interest is an important part of learning to save and this all sits within their app, so they’ll be able to see their savings pot grow.
You can fund the account directly from your Monzo current account, either as a one-off payment or scheduled as regular pocket money. You’re also able to send a link for friends and family to add money directly, say for birthdays or Christmas. A maximum of £250 over a 30-day period can be sent in total through this link.
Once your child is old enough, they’ll be able to upgrade to a regular adult Monzo bank account when the big day comes. If they prefer, they can keep using this card until they turn 18, when it’s then cancelled, or apply for a Monzo for 16–17s account.
If the child is over 13, they’re able to add the card to a mobile wallet, meaning they can pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay.
How do I set up Monzo for Under 16s and what are the fees?
To open an account, you need to open the Monzo app and tap the + button in the top right corner. There’s a list of account options to open, so you need to click on “Monzo for Under 16s”. You can follow the steps and answer the required questions. Make sure you fill in the details correctly, because Monzo says it may ask you to verify your child’s date of birth. After that you’ll be given a choice of cards, with bright pink, yellow and blue to choose from.
While you need a Monzo current account to have a Monzo for Under 16s account, it can’t be a joint account. However, once you’ve set the account up, you can invite another family member, giving them access to see spending, send money and freeze or unfreeze cards. It doesn’t have to be another parent, but they must be closely related to the child and over the age of 18. You’re also limited to 5 Monzo for Under 16s accounts, so if you have a bigger family then that you might need to look elsewhere.
The account is free to use, so there’s no monthly fee, no fees for spending at home or abroad and no ATM withdrawal fees. Your child can spend up to £250 and withdraw £100 in cash each day, but you can also lower these limits if you prefer to. If the card gets lost or damaged, it’ll cost £5 to replace it, so you’ll have to decide the best way to keep it safe.
What are the parental controls that come with Monzo for Under 16s?
- You can turn on instant notifcations so you’re notified whenever your child spends money. All of your child’s spending activity will be viewable in your Monzo app as well.
- You can set daily limits for spending and cash withdrawals. You’re also able to turn online payments off if you don’t want them spending money on the internet.
- They can only send money to you.
- The debit card is already blocked for merchants that aren’t age appropriate, including pubs, nightclubs and gambling.
- Your child can only spend what you put onto their card – they can’t go overdrawn. This also helps them learn about budgeting.
- You can freeze and unfreeze the card via your Monzo app in 3 taps, in case it’s lost or stolen.
Monzo is an FCA-regulated bank, so deposits are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) under your account up to £120,000.
What does the Monzo for Under 16s app look like?
"I got an email from Monzo about their new product, so decided to give it a go as I already use their current account as a secondary account.
I like the fact it automatically blocks certain transactions that are not kid-friendly.
If there’s one thing you’d tell a friend who’s thinking of getting this, what would it be?
It connected super easily with my existing account, it’s free and all-in-all was pretty low admin to set up."
How does it compare with other popular banking apps?
Finder Score for kids' cards
To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Fees, features and controls across the most popular card issuers are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the card – simple.
Read the full methodologyMonzo for Under 16s fees and features
 Monzo for Under 16s | |
| Monthly fee | £0 |
| Card delivery fee | £0 |
| UK card transaction fee | £0 |
| UK cash withdrawal fee | £0 |
| Loading fee | £0 |
| Replacement card fee | £5 |
| Network | Mastercard |
| Account type | prepaid |
| How many child accounts | 5 |
| Freeze/unfreeze card |
Customer service information for Monzo
| Email support | |
|---|---|
| Telephone support | |
| In-app or live chat | |
| Contact form | |
| Branch support |
Monzo and Finder Awards
Our Finder Awards celebrate brands that truly stand out in their field, creating innovative personal finance products and providing outstanding service to their customers. Monzo is one of these brands and was named our 2025 Kids' Card Newcomer Provider of the Year Award winner!
Who else offers children’s debit cards?
The Monzo for Under 16s account compares well with others on the market in terms of fees and is quite similar to Starling Kite. Both of them are free. However, neither of these have the same level of financial education features that GoHenry or NatWest Rooster Money offer, but these charge a fee to use (unless you’re a NatWest current account holder). Revolut’s children’s account is another option among banking apps, while high street banks also offer accounts for kids if you prefer to start off with somewhere more established.
Sources
Your reviews
