Get a £15 pocket money bonus + 2 months free trial
Get a £15 pocket money bonus + 2 months free trial
- Pre-paid debit card & app (for kids 6+)
- Full parental controls, fun for kids
- GoHenry card £3.99/m
Best bank cards for kids: Debit and prepaid cards
Cards for kids aged 6 to 18. A children's debit or prepaid card lets you see where your child shops and teaches them good money habits.
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.
Compare debit and prepaid cards for kids
1 - 9 of 9
Finder’s best prepaid cards for kids in the UK 2023
| Brand | Best for | Expert score |
|---|---|---|
| NatWest Rooster Money | Best for parental controls | 4.4/5 |
| HyperJar | Best for no monthly fee | 4.2/5 |
| GoHenry | Best for learning tools | 4.0/5 |
| Starling Kite | Good for using abroad | 4.0/5 |
| Revolut 18> | Good for co-parenting features | 3.9/5 |
| nimbl | Best for regular saving | 3.7/5 |
How did we rate our kids’ prepaid debit cards?
Finder money expert Kate Anderson shares our research
To come up with our Finder rating and picks for the best kids’ prepaid debit cards in the UK, our team looked at all the prepaid products available on the market and scored them across 4 key areas.
We looked at monthly fees, the app scores in the Google Play Store and the App Store, app features such as savings goals and educational modules, as well as controls and safeguards including age-restricted transactions and ATM withdrawal limits.
We scored each category out of 5. For example, if a kids’ prepaid debit card has all the controls and safeguard features listed in our criteria, it would score 5 out of 5. To calculate our Finder rating, we averaged out all these scores and rounded them to the nearest half star.
You’ll also see cards we picked as being outstanding in certain categories, such as best for parental controls or best for learning tools. What you want from a kids’ prepaid card is down to you, so these picks are just a steer to help you with your choice.
Prepaid cards for kids
Best for parental controls
NatWest Rooster Money
£1.99 (+1 month free trial)
Monthly fee
£0
Card delivery fee
6-17 for card, 3+ for app
Age range
Rooster Card Subscription is free for current NatWest Group customers (card for ages 6-17, offer T&Cs and other fees may apply)
As your child learns about money, you’ll want to keep a close eye on them. NatWest’s Rooster Money has a range of flexible parental controls which you can adjust to suit how you want your child to manage their money. You can choose where and how much your kids can spend. The Rooster Card also has a dynamic CVV to keep your child’s money safe, where a new CVV is generated for each online purchase. All you need to do is go to your dashboard and request one. Meanwhile, you can take advantage of the app’s Contactless Counter which helps you keep track of whether your child is near their contactless limit. If they hit it and have forgotten their PIN, you’re able to reset contactless via your family dashboard and they can continue to tap away without any issues.
- Great educational value; a slick app with lots of features to personalise the way you teach your children about finance.
- Children as young as 4 years old can use it (6 for the card).
- Total control over where your children use the card and how much they can spend.
- Safe and secure. The card can be frozen from the app.
- No fees for using the card (including abroad).
- One-month free trial.
- Annual fee to access the full range of features.
- You cannot top up the account using cash.
- No interest paid on the account balance.
| Monthly fee | £1.99 (+1 month free trial) |
|---|---|
| Card delivery fee | £0 |
| Card transaction fee | £0 |
| Cash withdrawal fee | £0 |
| Loading fee | 3/day or 10/month free, then £0.50 |
| Replacement card fee | Free for the first replacement (per household), £5 thereafter |
| Network | VISA |
| How many child accounts | No limit |
| Fees abroad | Free ATM withdrawals, 3% of transaction value on purchases over £50/month |
| Other fees | £0 |
| Freeze/unfreeze card | Yes |
Best for learning tools
GoHenry - with £15 pocket money, and two months free
£3.99
Monthly fee
£0
Card delivery fee
6-18
Age range
Get an exclusive 2 months free plus £15 pocket money offer when you sign up to GoHenry.
GoHenry is known for its focus on financial education and it’s put its money where its mouth is with its Money Missions. These are bite-sized lessons for every age range, with more advanced modules for older children. There are tutorials and gamified quizzes where your child can earn a reward and a badge when they achieve each skill. Topics include banking basics, savings, interest, borrowing and much more. Alongside this, GoHenry also has savings goals and the ability to set chores so your child can earn their allowance. All of which feeds into your child having a greater understanding of how money works.
- Full parental control thanks to instant notifications and spending limits
- Spend abroad fee-free
- One-month free trial
- It can be used by children as young as six
- Reward system for completed tasks
- Children learn about personal finance in a controlled environment
- Relatives can also send money to the children
- You can manage up to four child accounts from the same parent account
- Monthly fee
- Only one free top-up to the child account a month
- Safe, but not as safe and regulated as a bank
- You cannot load cash onto the account
- It doesn’t pay any interest
| Monthly fee | £3.99 |
|---|---|
| Card delivery fee | £0 |
| Card transaction fee | £0 |
| Cash withdrawal fee | £0 |
| Loading fee | 1 free/month, then 50p each |
| Replacement card fee | Free, or £4.99 if changing the card design |
| Network | VISA |
| How many child accounts | 4 |
| Fees abroad | £0 |
| Other fees | £4.99 for a customisable card or Eco Card |
| Freeze/unfreeze card | Yes |
Good for using abroad
Starling Kite
£0 (parent needs Starling account)
Monthly fee
£0
Card delivery fee
6-16
Age range
Sign up and get your first month free.
Starling Kite has no fees for overseas spending, zero. So you can rest easy when your child is spending their holiday money that they won’t get tripped up by foreign transaction fees on their card. Kite also has a daily limit for ATM withdrawals, which can be set by parents, and blocks on certain merchants such as nightclubs and bars. While not the only card with no fees for spending abroad, Starling Kite has its own kids app where they can track their spending and start budgeting. You’ll also be able to keep an eye on things from your own Starling app.
- No fees for topping up the card’s prepaid account.
- Robust parental controls.
- Easy for parents to manage from their existing mobile banking app.
- Parents already need to be a Starling account holder to order and use Kite.
| Monthly fee | £0 (parent needs Starling account) |
|---|---|
| Card delivery fee | £0 |
| Card transaction fee | £0 |
| Cash withdrawal fee | £0 |
| Loading fee | £0 |
| Replacement card fee | £5 |
| Network | Mastercard |
| How many child accounts | 6 |
| Fees abroad | £0 |
| Other fees | £0 |
| Freeze/unfreeze card | Yes |
Best for regular saving
nimbl
£1.99 (+1 month free trial)
Monthly fee
£0
Card delivery fee
6-18
Age range
Building a savings habit early on can help your child in later life. Nimbl makes this easy to do with its micro-savings feature. This allows children to automatically save between 5p and £5 every time they spend on their card. While other kids’ prepaid cards have savings goals and automatic transfers, Nimbl is unique in offering this type of saving feature. It’s more akin to the round-up savings tools found on adult current accounts.
- Full control on how children spend their money thanks to spending control settings and instant notifications.
- Children as young as six years old can use it.
- It helps you to educate your children to manage their finances.
- You can turn off online payments or cash withdrawals.
- Safe and secure. The card can be blocked online.
- You can handle more than one Child Account from the same Parent Account.
- You get a free one-month trial.
- Monthly fee.
- No savings goals or setting chores.
- You cannot top up the account using cash.
- Fees for spending or withdrawing cash abroad.
| Monthly fee | £1.99 (+1 month free trial) |
|---|---|
| Card delivery fee | £0 |
| Card transaction fee | £0 |
| Cash withdrawal fee | £0 |
| Loading fee | £0 |
| Replacement card fee | £5 |
| Network | Mastercard |
| How many child accounts | 4 |
| Fees abroad | £1.50 per ATM withdrawal, 2.95% of transaction value on purchases |
| Other fees | £0 |
| Freeze/unfreeze card | Yes |
Best for no monthly fee
HyperJar
£0
Monthly fee
£0
Card delivery fee
6-17
Age range
HyperJar Kids card is the only kids’ prepaid card without a monthly fee. There are no transaction fees, no loading fees and no subscription fees. Just like the other prepaid cards, you’ll be able to track your child’s spending via the HyperJar app. Your child can also learn about budgeting by using digital jars for their regular spending as well as longer term goals. You, as the parent, can also set maximum spending limits and restrict spending from certain jars.
- Completely free to use, even for foreign transactions.
- Parents have full control of their kids’ spending from the HyperJar app.
- Teach your kids how to save using saving jars.
- Children learn about personal finance in a controlled environment.
- Available for kids as young as six.
- The kids’ card glows in the dark (not a true personal finance advantage, you say? Your kids might beg to differ).
- A standard savings account might be better for long-term saving, as HyperJar does not pay any interest.
- No app the kids can use yet.
- You cannot load cash onto the account.
- You also need to be using HyperJar yourself to make the most of it.
| Monthly fee | £0 |
|---|---|
| Card delivery fee | £0 |
| Card transaction fee | £0 |
| Cash withdrawal fee | N/A |
| Loading fee | £0 |
| Replacement card fee | £5 |
| Network | Mastercard |
| How many child accounts | No limit |
| Fees abroad | Free when paying in other currencies |
| Other fees | No other fees mentioned |
| Freeze/unfreeze card | Yes |
Good for co-parenting features
Revolut <18
£0 (parent needs Revolut account)
Monthly fee
£4.99 delivery charge
Card delivery fee
6-17
Age range
Get 3 months of Premium for free
Parenting is often a team sport, so you want your co-parent to be involved. Revolut allows you to add a co-parent to the account at no extra cost, allowing them to fully manage the account alongside you. Co-parents can then top-up the account and manage activity. With Revolut’s Premium or Metal plan, co-parents can also set challenges and create goals for their child. Depending on what plan you have, you can get up to 5 linked accounts, whether you’re the lead parent or the co-parent.
- A parent can digitally top up their child’s account with spending money.
- Instant parental notifications are generated whenever the child makes a purchase with the prepaid debit card.
- Parental controls mean rules can be set on where the child’s card can be used.
- The child gets their own account and payment card, which helps teach them financial skills.
- The dedicated Junior app lets kids check their account balance and transactions.
- The parent has to be a Revolut account holder.
- If you have more than one child and want more than one Revolut Junior account, you’ll have to sign up to one of the fee-charging Revolut accounts.
- There are charges for ATM withdrawals exceeding £40 per month.
| Monthly fee | £0 (parent needs Revolut account) |
|---|---|
| Card delivery fee | £4.99 delivery charge |
| Card transaction fee | £0 |
| Cash withdrawal fee | £0 |
| Loading fee | £0 |
| Replacement card fee | £5 |
| Network | Mastercard |
| How many child accounts | 1 |
| Fees abroad | Transaction fee after £250/month |
| Other fees | 2% ATM withdrawal fee after £40 month |
| Freeze/unfreeze card | Yes |
Finder’s best kids’ bank accounts with debit cards in the UK 2023
- Santander 123 Mini Current Account: Best for interest
- Lloyds Smart Start: Best for parental oversight
- HSBC MyAccount: Best for savings
- Nationwide FlexOne: Best for overseas spending
- Starling Bank Current Account for 16-17 year olds: Best for teens
How did we rate our kids’ bank accounts?
Finder money expert Kate Anderson shares our research
To come up with our Finder rating and picks for the best kids’ bank accounts in the UK, our team looked at the free versions of a provider’s children’s bank account range and scored them across 6 categories.
We looked at the app scores in the Google Play Store and the App Store, overseas fees, mobile app features, account features such as savings features and withdrawal limits, how easy the application process is and what extra features are available with the account.
We scored each category out of 5. For example, if a kids’ account had no fees for spending abroad it would score 5 out of 5. To calculate our Finder rating, we averaged out all these scores and rounded them to the nearest half star.
You’ll also see accounts we picked as being outstanding in certain categories, such as best for interest or best for teens. What you need from a kids’ account is down to you and your child, so these picks are just one way to help you with your decision.
Kids’ bank accounts with debit cards
Best for interest: Santander 123 Mini Current Account
Santander - 123 Mini Current Account
Finder rating
★★★★★
Customer rating
★★★★★
£0.01
Min. opening balance
£0
Account fees
1% AER
Interest (AER)
If you’re looking for a kids’ account that pays interest on balances, Santander’s 123 Mini Current Account is a good option. It offers a tiered interest rate, which peaks at a market-leading 3% AER. On balances up to £999.99, your child can earn 1% on the entire balance. This jumps to 2% AER between £1,000 and £1,499.99 and tops out at 3% AER once the balance is £1,500 up to £2,000. The account can be opened at any age, but for children under 13 there must be a trustee in place and the trustee must have their own Santander personal account.
- Can be opened from the age of zero
- No monthly fee
- Interest paid on balances
- Choice of debit card and cash card
- Interest only paid on set amount
- No standard savings account for children
| Minimum opening balance | £0.01 |
|---|---|
| Minimum operating balance | £0.01 |
| Switch service guarantee | Yes |
| Account fee | £0 |
| Overseas card transactions | 2.95% |
| Overseas cash withdrawals | 2.95% |
Best for parental oversight: Lloyds Smart Start
Lloyds Bank - Smart Start Spending Account - Age 11-15
Finder rating
★★★★★
Customer rating
★★★★★
£1
Min. opening balance
£0
Account fees
0% AER
Interest (AER)
Linked savings account.
Lloyds Bank’s Smart Start account is a spending and savings account in one. Available to children aged 11 to 15, it helps children learn how to manage their own money. One of the key ways it does this is by giving parents complete oversight. As a parent, you can keep an eye on your child’s account through your own mobile banking app or online banking. You can also rest easy in that spending is not allowed in over-18 outlets like off-licences. Just bear in mind you’ll need a Club Lloyds Current Account in order for your child to be eligible to apply for Smart Start.
As they are also part of the Lloyds Banking Group, you’ll find that the Halifax Smart Start and Bank of Scotland Smart Start accounts have the same features.
| Minimum opening balance | £1 |
|---|---|
| Minimum operating balance | £1 |
| Switch service guarantee | No |
| Account fee | £0 |
| Overseas card transactions | 2.99% |
| Overseas cash withdrawals | 2.99% |
Best for savings: HSBC MyAccount
HSBC - MyAccount - Age 11-17
Finder rating
★★★★★
Customer rating
★★★★★
£0
Min. opening balance
£0
Account fees
0% AER
Interest (AER)
Eligible for MySavings account from age 7 as part of MyMoney package.
HSBC’s MyAccount comes with automatic access to its MySavings account, which has a highly competitive interest rate on balances up to £3,000. Both the MyAccount and the MySavings account can be accessed and managed through online and mobile banking. Meanwhile, if your child wants to withdraw money from their savings account, they can do this using their cash book at any one of HSBC's branches. You can help your child start their savings journey from just £10 using HSBC’s MySavings account.
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Minimum operating balance | £0 |
| Switch service guarantee | Yes |
| Account fee | £0 |
| Overseas card transactions | 2.75% |
| Overseas cash withdrawals | 2.75% |
Best for overseas spending: Nationwide FlexOne
Nationwide BS - FlexOne
Finder rating
★★★★★
Customer rating
★★★★★
£1
Min. opening balance
£0
Account fees
2% AER
Interest (AER)
As your child grows they will want to explore more of the world. Be it on a school trip or that post GSCE holiday with friends, you’ll want to make sure that they can spend their money abroad without any issues. A large part of this is avoiding costly fees. With the Nationwide FlexOne account, there are no fees for making a payment or withdrawing cash from an ATM while overseas. The account also offers interest on balances. Plus, your child can keep it until they are 23 when they’ll be moved across to a FlexAccount or a FlexDirect account.
- Account is free to open and manage
- Fee-free transactions abroad
- Interest paid on credit balances
- Choice of cash card or Visa debit card
- FSCS protection
- Interest only paid on balances up to {{ MONEYFACTS.INCREDIT1_RATE1_UPPER }}
- Must be at least 11 to apply
- Accounts for 11 and 12 year olds can only be opened over the phone or at certain branches with a tablet
- No specific app for children
| Minimum opening balance | £1 |
|---|---|
| Minimum operating balance | £1 |
| Switch service guarantee | Yes |
| Account fee | £0 |
| Overseas card transactions | 0% |
| Overseas cash withdrawals | 0% |
Best for teens: Starling Teen
Starling Bank - Current Account - Age 16-17
Finder rating
★★★★★
Customer rating
★★★★★
£0
Min. opening balance
£0
Account fees
3.25% AER
Interest (AER)
If you have a teen or are a teen, and are looking for an account to help you with your money management, take a look at the Starling Teen account. Specifically for those aged 16 and 17, it does nearly everything Starling’s main current account does but doesn’t have an overdraft option. It can be set up in minutes through the app and has all the money management tools Starling is known for, including instant pay notifications, spending insights and dedicated Savings Spaces. Alongside this, you can settle payments with friends by sending payment links directly from your mobile. Or by using Starling's “Settle up with Nearby Payments” feature, which lets you transfer money to someone sitting next to you, with no bank details needed.
- Account is free to open and operate
- Interest is paid on in-credit balances
- App is packed with features to help young people better manage their money
- 24/7 customer support
- Account can only be operated via the app
- Your teen will need to have a mobile phone
- Only available to 16 and 17 year olds
| Minimum opening balance | £0 |
|---|---|
| Minimum operating balance | £0.01 |
| Switch service guarantee | Yes |
| Account fee | £0 |
| Overseas card transactions | £0 |
| Overseas cash withdrawals | £0 |
Features of a kids’ prepaid debit card
- 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.
Expert analysis: 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 banks for adults, require you to have your own account with them if you’re setting an account up for your child. While Revolut’s under-18 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.
How do prepaid debit cards for kids work?
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 2023
Finder surveyed the customers of kids’ prepaid card providers about their experiences, and we used the results to generate customer satisfaction star ratings for those brands. As part of the survey, we also asked customers whether they would recommend their kids’ card provider to a friend. We’ve shown both the star ratings and “would recommend” scores in the table below. Learn more about the results and the winners.
| Overall satisfaction | Customers who’d recommend | Issuer | Review | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★★★★★ | 79% |  | Popular kids’ card and app combo GoHenry offers customised spending cards and parental controls, plus its interactive Money Missions programme to help improve children’s financial literacy. | Read our review |
| ★★★★★ | 78% |  | Starling is another digital challenger to appear on our list, with its latest offering called Starling Kite. Parents with a Starling account can order a prepaid debit card for their child. It’s then managed through the parent’s banking app, plus since 2021, the child gets an app to keep track of their money too. | Read our review |
| ★★★★★ | 76% |  | Digital banking challenger Revolut now also offers a kids’ card and app in the form of Revolut <18. Parents will already need to have an account with Revolut to get the card and app for their child. | Read our review |
| ★★★★★ | 70% |  | HyperJar is a money management app for adults that has branched out into the kids’ finance space. Parents can order a prepaid card for their children, who also get their own app to check in on their money. HyperJar has no monthly fees or loading charges. | Read our review |
| ★★★★★ | 68% |  | The Osper prepaid card comes in a variety of customisable designs and with an accompanying kids’ app. Both the parent and their child can track spending on the card, which can also be locked if it gets lost. | Read our review |
| ★★★★★ | 65% |  | NatWest RoosterMoney is a dedicated kids’ card and app, which lets parents set and track tasks for their children to earn pocket money. It’s all managed digitally, and has a big focus on financial education. | Read our review |
| ★★★★★ | 63% |  | Nimbl is a kids’ pocket money card and app, which also has aim of helping children learn money skills. The card comes with parental controls, while kids can also use the micro-saving feature to put a small amount money aside every time they make a purchase. | Read our review |
Customer satisfaction ratings methodology
Our independent survey of 613 kids’ card customers was carried out in December 2022. We asked adults who have a prepaid card for their child to rate their satisfaction (on a scale of 1 to 5) with the service they had received from their provider, and also whether they would recommend that provider to a friend.
We crunched the numbers and used these star ratings to decide the winners of our awards (if there was a draw on the star ratings score, we then used the “would recommend” percentage as a tie-breaker).
Read full details of our methodology here.
Kids’ cards ratings
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Our customer satisfaction scores (“Customers say”) are based on a survey of 613 customers carried out in December 2022.
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.
Download your free copy
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Frequently asked questions
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.
Kids' accounts news & launches
GoHenry expands kids’ learning features in the app
GoHenry adds advanced learning modules for children aged 12+ to its Money Missions – all the details here.
Read more…
Lloyds Bank launches combined spending and savings account for kids
Lloyds Bank launches Smart Start, a children’s account which combines both spending and savings accounts under one app.
Read more…
Revolut Junior kids’ card and app rebrands as Revolut
Digital challenger relaunches its offering for kids aged 6 to 17 with a refreshed app and card design.
Read more…
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Lloyds Under 19s account review
Learn more about the Lloyds Under 19s account to see if it’s right for your child.
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Barclays Young Person’s current account review
Learn more about the Barclays Young Person’s current account to see if it’s right for your teen.
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BarclayPlus current account review
Learn more about the BarclayPlus current account to see if it’s right for your child.
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Halifax Expresscash account review
Learn more about the Halifax Expresscash account to see if it’s right for your child.
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RBS Revolve current account review
Learn more about the RBS Revolve current account to see if it’s right for your child.
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Best bank accounts for kids UK 2023
All you need to know about current accounts for under 18s, from why they can make a well-informed choice to what you need to open one.
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Starling Kite debit card for kids
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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NatWest Rooster Money review
Rooster Money offers a colourful app to teach your kids about budgeting and makes a valid alternative to the traditional children’s current account.
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GoHenry review
GoHenry gives financial independence to children and full control to parents. We look at how it works and what features it has to see if it’s worth the fee.