The humble debit card is one of the most vital tools in unlocking your teen’s financial independence.
The best debit cards for teens (and the attached accounts) give your kid somewhere to put earnings from a summer job, save for their first car or college, and spend while they’re out enjoying life with their friends. And all of these functions help your teenager along the path to financial responsibility, teaching them everything from saving and spending to investing and even charity.
Given how important this little piece of plastic is, you don’t just want a debit card for your teen. You want the best debit card. And I can help you find it.
I’ve not only been a CPA for five years, but I’m also a father who’s interested in his sons’ financial futures, so I’ve also taken my own personal interest in debit cards that my kids might use one day. As such, I’ve reviewed some of the best debit cards for teens, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses to help you find the best fit for your child’s needs. After that, I’ve provided answers to popular parent questions about choosing, opening, and managing a debit card with their teen.
Best Debit Cards for Teens—Our Top Picks
4.9
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4.8
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4.4
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Open a Fidelity Youth™ Account for your teen, and Fidelity will drop $50 into their account. Get $100 for yourself when you open a new Fidelity account and fund with $50¹.
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Core: $4.99/mo. Max: $9.98/mo. Infinity: $14.98/mo. (Each account supports up to 5 children.)
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30 days free. Copper $4.95/mo., Copper + Invest: $7.95/mo.
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What Are the Best Debit Cards for Teens?
I’ve compiled a list of the best debit cards for teens based on a wide variety of criteria, including costs, features, consumer protections, and more. But before you start scrolling to discover the top picks, here’s something important to keep in mind—especially if you’re new to the search:
While WealthUp’s ratings clearly indicate what I and my fellow reviewers believe are the top debit card solutions out there, I highly encourage you to look at each card’s combination of features. What ultimately matters is selecting a card that checks off the most boxes that are important to you. The best overall card in our eyes might be the best option for some people, but other cards might be a better fit for you and your teen.
Also, this article will look at debit cards through a teen-centric lens. If your children are a bit younger, you’ll want to explore the best debit cards for kids instead.
App | Apple App Store Rating + Best For | Fees | Promotions |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | ☆ 4.8 / 5 Investing in stocks | Free, no trading commissions | $50 bonus for teens, $100 bonus for parents1 |
![]() | ☆ 4.8 / 5 Customer rating and parental controls | 1 month free. Core: $4.99/mo. Max: $9.98/mo. Infinity: $14.98/mo. (Each plan supports up to 5 children.) | Free 1-month trial |
![]() | ☆ 4.9 / 5 Teen financial independence | Copper $4.95/mo., Copper + Invest: $7.95/mo. | 30-days free |
![]() | ☆ 4.7 / 5 Building credit history | Free (no monthly fees) | None |
![]() | ☆ 4.6 / 5 Accessible customer service support | 1 month free. Individual: $4.99/mo. Family (supports up to 4 children): $9.98/mo. | 1 month free |
![]() | ☆ 4.7 / 5 Parent-paid bonuses | No monthly fees | None |
![]() | ☆ 4.7 / 5 Innovation and product features | Free (no monthly fees) | None |
![]() | ☆ 4.7 / 5 Teens ready to learn about money management | Free (no monthly fees) | None |
![]() | ☆ 4.8 / 5 High customer satisfaction from a major bank without fees | Free | None |
*Apple App Store Rating as of November 22, 2023. |
1. Fidelity Youth™ Account (Best Free Debit Card With Teen Investing)
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: No account fees, no account minimum, no trading commissions*
- Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
- Promotion: Teens get $501 on Fidelity® when they download the Fidelity Youth™ app and activate their Youth Account; parents get $100 when they fund a new account
Is your teen interested in jumpstarting their financial future? Do you want them to build smart money habits along the way?
Of course you do! Learning early about saving, spending and investing can pay off big when you start on the right foot. And one tool that can help your teen get that jump is the Fidelity Youth™ Account—an account owned by teens 13 to 17 that’s designed to help them start their money journey. They can start investing by buying most U.S. stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and Fidelity mutual funds for as little as $1!4
Your teen will also get a free debit card with no subscription fees, no account fees3, no minimum balances, and no domestic ATM fees5. And they can use this free debit card for teens to manage their cash and spend it whenever they need.
And as for building smart money habits? You and your teen can access your account through the Fidelity Youth™ app, which has a dedicated Learn tab packed with materials developed specifically to help teens develop good financial habits. Not only will Fidelity’s interactive lessons, videos, articles, tools, and calculators accelerate their learning—but for every level they complete, reward dollars will be deposited into their account to use however they want.
Controls parents want and need
A parent or guardian must have or open a brokerage account with Fidelity® to open a Fidelity Youth™ Account. For new Fidelity® customers, opening an account is easy, and there are no minimums and no account fees.
Parents and guardians have plenty of tools they can use to monitor their teen’s activity: They have online account access, can follow monthly statements and trade confirmations, and can view debit card transactions made in the account.
If your teen has an interest in learning about investing and taking their first steps toward building their financial journey, you should consider downloading the Fidelity Youth™ app and opening a Fidelity Youth™ Account. The account comes custom-built for their needs, which will help them become financially independent and start investing for their future.
Read more in our Fidelity Youth™ Account review.
- Your teen will get a $50 reward once they download the Fidelity Youth app and activate their Youth Account.
- The app is free²—plus, no monthly fees or account minimums to open.³
- They can invest in stocks for as little as $1 with fractional shares.⁴
- Your teen can learn to save and spend smarter with their own debit card with no domestic ATM fees.⁵
- Teens can link their account to mobile payment apps like Venmo and PayPal.⁶
- Parents can set up alerts and monitor their teen's account activity online, and through statements, trade confirmations and debit card transactions.
- The Fidelity Youth app will have a dedicated Youth Learn tab to help jumpstart your teen's financial learning and build better money habits.
- No monthly account fees
- Signup offer available to new users
- Comprehensive financial suite for teens
- Parent must be a Fidelity account holder
- Account balance doesn't accumulate interest
- No chore or allowance system
Related: Best Banking Apps for Kids & Teens [Teen Banking]
2. Greenlight (Best Paid Debit Card for Teens)
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: Free 1-month trial. Core: $4.99/mo. Max: $9.98/mo. Infinity: $14.98/mo. (All plans include cards for up to 5 children)
The Greenlight debit card allows teens to begin spending, but provides parents with peace of mind by giving them control over where their kids can spend money. Parents also can choose to receive alerts that tell them when, and how much, money is spent on the Greenlight debit card.
Greenlight works like a prepaid debit card, allowing you to transfer money onto the card for your teen to pay for expenses at approved locations. You can choose how much in funds you want to load onto the card, and your child will be cleared to make approved purchases so long as a money balance backs up the card.
If your teen asks for extra money to be added to the card, you can require them to take a photo of the purchase they want to make and receive your approval before that money will land in the account. This gives you control and allows you to have discussions with your child about why a purchase might be a good or bad idea.
And if your teen has a job, they can add their own funds to the card as well.
Each monthly Greenlight subscription includes debit cards for up to five kids. Replacement cards cost $3.50 each but are free the first time. If you need to replace your card quickly, you can get express delivery for $24.99. The company also offers a personalized card, with your own photo or design, for $9.98 per year.
Greenlight boasts numerous other features, too, including:
- Parents can open an investment account to get their teens investing in stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for the first time.
- Monthly savings rewards based on your tier: 1% per annum for Core members, 2% per annum for Max, and 5% per annum for Infinity.
- “Parent-Paid Interest”: You can pay interest on account balances for up to five kids.
The Greenlight debit card is a good choice for parents looking to teach their teens the importance of saving money and making prudent financial decisions. This financial product can be an effective learning tool for helping teens to understand why saving should be a priority and how to simplify paying an allowance or tracking chores.
Greenlight has no minimum age requirement. Sign up for Greenlight, or read more in our Greenlight Card review.
- Greenlight offers flexible parental controls for each child and real-time notifications of each transaction.
- Greenlight is the only debit card letting you choose the exact stores where kids can spend on the card.
- Parents can use this app to teach them how to invest with a brokerage account through Greenlight Max and Greenlight Infinity plans.
- Unlike many apps that simply provide features and controls, Greenlight is also designed to spark discussions with children about spending, investing, and more, fostering more education.
- Best-in-class parental controls (can prohibit specific stores)
- Can add brokerage account to invest in stocks
- Intuitive Parent + Kid apps
- Competitive cash back & interest rates
- Parent-Paid Interest
- High price points
- No cash reload options
- No parent / child lending
Related: 13 Best Allowance and Chore Apps for Kids [Easier Family Life]
3. Copper Card (Best for Teen Independence)
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: 30 days free. Copper $4.95/mo., Copper + Invest: $7.95/mo.
Copper Banking teaches your teen how to make smart financial decisions by providing financial tools, as well as a platform where parents and their children can connect. With the Copper app, you get easy snapshots of your accounts. And with the Copper Debit Card, it’s easy to shop in-store or online, including with Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Plus, users get exclusive access to engaging advice curated by a team of financial literacy experts who provide tips on how to take control of their financial future.
Copper Banking features
- Send/Request: Teens and parents can easily send and receive money at the touch of a button.
- Spend: Spend using Apple or Google Pay, or using the Copper Debit Card.
- Withdraw: Access your money from more than 55,000 fee-free ATMs.
- Monitor: Get a snapshot of all your teen’s spending in an easy-to-read dashboard.
- Save: Gain quick snapshots of your kid’s savings and helpful tips on how to save even more. Set up savings buckets and save for the things that you want.
- Learn: With the help of Copper’s team of financial literacy experts, gain bite-sized tips on how you can maximize your money and prepare yourself for your financial future.
The basic Copper account includes the above banking features. But I more strongly suggest Copper + Invest, which also provides your teen with access to automatically curated smart portfolios built with their preferences in mind. Your child is given a questionnaire that helps Copper understand their goals and risk tolerance, then it invests their money in a portfolio of ETFs that are made up of thousands of stocks. Parents can review the portfolio to ensure it matches with not just your child’s preferences, but your family’s. Copper will then automatically rebalance the portfolio as needed.
Much like many other apps I’ve reviewed on WealthUp, your child doesn’t need much money to begin their investing journey with Copper. They can begin investing for as little as $1, then add more contributions down the road.
While Copper is appropriate for teens, it’s available to kids 6 years and older. Read more in our Copper Banking review.
- Copper is the digital bank and debit card for teens built with the mission of creating a financially successful generation.
- Send/Request: Teens and parents can easily send and receive money all at the touch of a button.
- Spend: Pay with a digital wallet via Apple Pay or Google Pay or use the physical Copper Debit Card.
- Monitor: Get a snapshot of all your spending in an easy-to-read dashboard.
- Save: Gain quick snapshots of your savings and helpful tips on how you can save even more. Set up savings bucks and save for the things that you want.
- Learn: With the help of Copper's team of financial literacy experts, learn more about how to maximize your money and prepare yourself for your financial future.
- Allowance administration
- Financial education resources
- Network of 55,000-plus fee-free ATMs
- No chores tracking or assignment
- No parental controls beyond notifications
Related: Best Prepaid Debit Cards for Kids and Teens
4. Step Banking (Best for Building Credit)
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: Free (No monthly fees)
The free Step Visa Card is a unique “hybrid” spending card that functions like a debit card, but also boasts some of the features of a Visa credit card—including the ability to build your teen’s credit history.
I’ll be clear: Step is technically not a debit card. But because it largely acts like one, I’ve reviewed it—and it stands out as a one-of-a-kind product worth mentioning nonetheless.
The most unique and powerful feature of the Step card is its ability to build your teenager’s credit history. With this optional feature, Step will report the past two years’ worth of information—transactions, payment history, and more—to the credit bureaus when your teen turns 18. That can greatly improve their chances of starting adult life with a better credit score, which can help lower the cost of things like student loans and auto insurance.
Parents add money to this FDIC-insured account and can determine how their teen can spend. Overdraft fees aren’t an issue here—teens can’t spend any money they don’t have. A regular Step account allows a child to have both a physical spending card as well as a virtual card in the Step app, while a Parent Managed Account only allows the teen to spend via a physical card. Either way, teenagers can use their card anywhere Visa is accepted, and they can also use it to withdraw money from more than 30,000 ATMs for free.
Further, the Step Card comes protected by Visa’s Fraud Protection and Zero Liability guarantee. That means if your teenager’s card gets lost or stolen, or misplaced and fraudulent charges crop up, you can dispute the charges within a certain time frame to avoid liability for paying.
The Step Card also boasts a great savings tool for teens. Any money up to $250,000 saved in a Savings Goal can generate 5% in annual interest (compounded and paid monthly) with a qualifying direct deposit*. And with Savings Roundup, small purchases are rounded up to the nearest dollar figure; that extra money is put toward a savings goal.
Step even features an “invest” function that allows teens age 13 and older to buy and sell Bitcoin for a small transaction fee, or earn Bitcoin (or cash) rewards by opting into offers from companies like Hulu, Chick-Fil-A, CVS, and The New York Times. (The app is not a pure crypto wallet, however—your kids currently can’t spend Bitcoin directly at vendors.)
Lastly, Step is absolutely free: No monthly fees, no subscription fees, no account minimum fees, and no ATM fees within Step’s network of 30,000+ ATMs. And it has no minimum age requirement. Read more in our Step review.
- The Step Visa Card is a one-of-a-kind "hybrid" spending card that can help you to build your credit history via everyday purchases, even before you turn 18.
- Earn a high 5% annual rate on up to $250,000 in your Savings Goals with qualifying direct deposits.*
- Buy and sell fractional shares of stocks, ETFs, and Bitcoin for as low as $1.
- Earn cash and crypto rewards when you use your Step Visa at participating merchants.
- Send and receive money instantly, spend with Apple and Google Pay.
- Pay allowance weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
- Track your card balance from the Step App.
- Banking services, provided by Evolve Bank & Trust, are FDIC-insured for up to $250,000.
- Helps build credit
- Free secured card for kids, teens, and young adults
- High yield on money held in Savings Goals
- Free investment account for stocks, ETFs, and Bitcoin
- Fractional investing for as low as $1
- FDIC insurance
- High-yield savings only available with qualifying monthly direct deposit*
- Can't directly deposit checks into a Step account
Related: Best Teen Credit Cards for Building Credit
5. GoHenry (Best for Customer Service)
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: 1 month free. Individual: $4.99/child/mo. Family: $9.98/mo. for up to 4 children
GoHenry is a financial solution for minors that includes an app, prepaid debit cards, and even financial lessons. Parents are given an online account that’s linked to, and allows them to oversee and manage, individual accounts for each of their teens via both the GoHenry app and the online account portal.
Each teenager receives their own GoHenry debit card; you can choose from 45 different designs or create your own customized card for $4.99. Teens can only spend whatever money is available on the card, so parents don’t need to worry about their kids incurring costly overdraft fees or accruing debt.
When you open a GoHenry account, you should receive your teen’s debit cards in the mail seven to eight business days later. Once you do, you can set up events such as automatic weekly allowance transfers into your teenagers’ accounts, real-time spending alerts, and one-off or weekly spending limits. You can also keep your teens’ spending in check by choosing the stores where your teens can shop, and even blocking/unblocking the card as needed.
The GoHenry card really sticks out to me because of its customer service. GoHenry offers everyday phone availability, email access, and social media engagement, and I’ve had good interactions with their customer service team. One small nit I’ll pick, though, is that a couple years ago, GoHenry stopped providing 24/7 support. Still, GoHenry’s customer service is admirable compared to its peers.
GoHenry has no minimum age requirements but recommends starting at age 6 or older. Learn more by reading our GoHenry debit card review.
- A financial app and debit card designed to give young people ages 6-18 a bright financial future.
- Kids can earn allowance, complete chores, set savings goals, give to charity, and bank with GoHenry.
- Use the app to build a solid financial education.
- Among the best customer service in kids' debit cards, offering everyday phone availability, email access, and social media engagement.
- Parental controls at store category level
- Can implement chore and allowance system
- Financial literacy resources
- Customized card for $4.99
- High price point for multiple children
- No paired investment account
Related: GoHenry vs. Greenlight
6. Revolut <18 (Best for Parent-Paid Bonuses)
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: No monthly fees
Revolut <18 is a prepaid debit card for kids designed to teach them money skills for life. Aimed at building healthy money habits from an early age, the unique, customizable card empowers parents to have full insight into their kids’ card activity through providing instant spending alerts and parental controls.
You can choose to freeze the card, set controls on how they use the cards online and with contactless payments through your Revolut app. Further, you can set spending limits on how much your child can use with the prepaid card.
Parents use the card and accompanying app to teach kids about earning, budgeting, saving and even investing money (depending on the plan chosen). You can also use the card to manage chores and allowance, set savings goals as a family and help your children manage their money.
And if your child did something deserving of a reward? You can send parent-paid bonuses when they complete specific tasks. Simply add money to their digitized piggy bank through the app. You can send and receive money in seconds through Revolut’s Payments feature, which allows instant transfers between account holders and also global transfers at transparent rates.
Of note: You must have a personal Revolut account before you can open a Revolut <18 account for your children. You can add up to five Revolut <18 accounts per parent account.
To learn more about Revolut <18, consider visiting their site and opening an account for yourself and your child.
- Revolut <18 is a prepaid debit card for kids designed to assist parents teach kids ages 6-17 about money. Families can handle chores and allowance, create budgets, set parental controls and more.
- Revolut <18 comes with unique, customizable cards that parents can use to set up tasks and goals to work on together as a family.
- Special Offer: New and existing Revolut customers can enjoy 2% cash-back rewards on qualifying purchases when you join between Nov. 20, 2023, and Nov. 27, 2023.*
- Prepaid debit card for teens
- Parental controls
- Round-ups
- Chore and allowance management
- Customizable designs
- Children can't load funds, only parents can
- Parents need to have a personal Revolut account
Related: 9 Best Kids Savings Accounts + Children’s Bank Accounts
7. Current (Great No-Monthly-Fee Teen Card)
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: Free (no monthly fees)
Current is a banking app designed for families. It offers both parent and teen accounts, with the latter acting like prepaid debit cards that parents load for their children.
The Current app allows you to track your teen’s spending in real-time, set limits on how much your teenagers can spend, and even block specific merchants on its Visa-enabled debit cards. You also get the peace of mind that comes with knowing your teen’s money is safe because it’s not cash—no temptations, just a tool parents can use to help teach teenagers financial responsibility.
Among Current’s features:
- No minimum required balances, no fees on transfers to other Current accounts, and no hidden fees
- Savings Pods and Giving Pods that allow you to save up for various goals.
- Round-Ups
- Ability to buy and sell 27 different cryptocurrencies with zero trading fees
Teens will love easy allowance deposits, a card they can use in stores or online, instant gas hold removals when buying gas, and access to more than 40,000 fee-free Allpoint ATMs nationwide. They’ll also have the opportunity to learn about financial responsibility and financial independence through Current’s Budgets feature, which allows them to track their spending and even receive alerts when they get too close to (or exceed) a predetermined limit.
The product has no specifically stated minimum age requirement, but the marketing suggests teens are the target audience. However, you might be able to open an account for a younger child. Read more in our Current review.
- Current is a financial technology platform that lets teens enjoy not just traditional banking basics, but numerous features meant to simplify spending, streamline saving, and set them on the path toward more organized finances.
- Teens can spend with the Current Visa debit card, which allows them to purchase in-store and online, as well as withdraw money fee-free from more than 40,000 in-network Allpoint ATMs.
- Current Teen Accounts also come with Savings Pods, which earn 0.25% APY and allow you to round up purchases (overages are funneled into your savings).
- Parents can monitor their kids' spending, adjust maximum ATM withdrawal and spending limits, and even toggle spending categories (and the Current debit card itself) on and off.
- Parents can also automate allowance payments, pay for chores, instantly transfer money to their teens, and more.
- Free account (no monthly maintenance fees)
- Good parental controls
- Fee-free ATMs
- Cash reloads
- Gas hold deposits
- 24/7 email and live-chat support
- No direct deposit
- No paired investment account
- No card customization
Related: Best Credit Cards for Kids: Building Credit & Money Habits Early
8. Axos Bank First Checking (Best Free Card at an Online-Only Bank)
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: Free (no monthly fees)
First Checking by Axos Bank is the ultimate starter checking account and debit card for teens. It works as a joint checking account between a parent or guardian and their teen, allowing for easy-to-set, customizable parental controls with a debit card dashboard.
This free debit card for teens offers several safeguards, including daily limits on cash transactions ($100) and debit transactions ($500). Further, you can receive up to $12 in domestic ATM fee reimbursements per month, and you avoid any monthly maintenance, overdraft, and non-sufficient funds fees—essentially making the account free!
Users also earn a modest APY on any balance—typically lower than the national average savings rate, but still more than you’d expect from a checking account.
The account carries the highest level of security through biometric authentication techniques such as fingerprint readers, voiceprints and facial recognition (pending smartphone feature availability).
The product has a minimum age requirement of 13 and is recommended for ages 13 to 17. It will convert to an Axos Checking Account after the minor reaches the age of majority. Read more in our Axos First Checking Account review.
- Axos Bank First Checking is a joint checking account targeted for teenagers ages 13-17 and their parents.
- Account holders get a Visa or Mastercard debit card that can be used to spend online or in person, or to withdraw cash at any ATM. (Axos provides up to $12 in monthly domestic ATM fee reimbursements.)
- No monthly maintenance, overdraft, or non-sufficient fund fees.
- The debit card's security features include account alerts, card locking, and daily transaction alerts of $100 (cash) and $500 (debit).
- Currently, you can earn up to 0.10% APY on any balance.
- Free (no monthly maintenance fees)
- ATM fee reimbursements (up to $12 per month)
- Converts to adult checking account after minor reaches age of majority
- No paired investment account
- No robust financial literacy resources
Related: Best Stock Trading Apps for Beginners
9. Chase First Banking (Best Free Debit Card From a Major Bank)
- Available: Sign up here
- Price: Free (no monthly fees)
Ready to teach your little ones about money, but not quite sure if you have the time, patience and expertise?
Chase First Banking℠ offers simple banking for both of you in one location: the Chase Mobile® App—for free. Manage all accounts with this mobile app and encounter no fees as well as find yourself able to withdraw money on 16,000 Chase ATMs around the country. The account is designed with kids 6-12 in mind, and available for ages 6-17.
At the heart of Chase First Banking℠ sits one of the best free debit cards for teens that works anywhere Visa is accepted.
Need insight and oversight into your teen’s spending and saving? You can set spend alerts and limits as well as specific locations all in your Chase Mobile® app.
Teach your teens to spend, save and earn — all from the Chase Mobile® app. Chase First Banking℠ helps parents teach teens about money by giving parents the control they want and teenagers the freedom they need to learn.
To get started, you’ll first need to be a Chase customer with a qualifying Chase checking account.
Once you open a qualifying Chase Checking account (Chase Total Checking℠ or Chase Secure Banking℠), you may apply for a Chase First Banking℠ account for your child. First Banking℠ is available to kids ages 6 to 17. Read more in our Chase First Banking review.
- Chase First Banking offers simple banking for both of you in one location: the Chase Mobile® App—for free.
- The account is designed with kids 6-12 in mind, and available for ages 6-17.
- You can set spend alerts and limits as well as specific locations all in your Chase Mobile® app.
- Teach your kids to spend, save and earn with Chase First Banking. The account helps parents teach teens and kids about money by giving parents the control they want and kids the freedom they need to learn.
- No monthly maintenance fees
- Chore and allowance functionality
- Parental controls on types of expenses
- No paired investment account
- No interest
Related: Best Investing Apps for Teens Under 18 [Stock Apps]
What Is a Debit Card for Teens?
Children generally can’t open their own bank account until they reach the age of majority in their state—often 18 years old. Thus, parents often look for other paths, such as opening a sub-account from their own bank account so they can provide their children with a card to use. Even then, your child still must be at least 13 years old before receiving a card.
Unfortunately, these accounts might not come with the custom spending controls, parental oversight, or feature-filled mobile apps provided by many new debit cards for kids. These apps provide numerous controls over your children’s spending, including spending notifications, limiting where your child can use the card, and even allowing you to quickly lock and unlock the card. And in many cases, you simply fund your teen’s debit card, so it effectively functions as a prepaid debit card.
Traditional banks or prepaid debit cards might not allow you to accomplish this beyond maintaining the account balance at a certain level.
What Features Should the Best Debit Cards for Teens Provide?
Choosing the best debit cards for teens is a balancing act. On the one hand, you
On the one hand, teens need to learn how to manage their money. So you’ll want features such as ATM withdrawal limits, access to your teen’s account for establishing spending controls, lockable cards, and more.
But you also want a debit card your teens will actually want to use. That means limited or no monthly fees or overdraft fees, rewards programs, instant money transfers, direct deposit availability, even a card that allows your child to earn interest—and likely more on top of that.
To help you determine what might matter most when you’re making your decision, here are all of the features you should look for when perusing debit cards that your teen can use.
- Direct Deposit: If your child’s debit card includes direct deposit, your child’s paycheck will go directly into their account—that beats a paper check that either parents have to handle, or that the kid can immediately go and cash.
- Mobile App: Generally speaking, mobile apps make it easy to check your account and perform various banking features. For teen debit cards specifically, mobile apps are a parental control center where they can establish controls, limit spend, lock down missing cards, and more. Plus, teen debit cards’ mobile apps also often act as an educational hub where teens can learn more about using money.
- No Overdraft Fees: Overdraft fees are usually very high and punitive, so a debit card or prepaid card with no overdraft fees is best. Many prepaid debit cards accomplish this by simply declining charges when the bank account carries an insufficient balance.
- Low monthly fees: Many debit cards for teens require you to pay subscription fees. While that might push away some parents, remember: Sometimes, you get what you pay for. Some free cards can get the job done, and well. But some paid cards offer perks that are well worth the money. Always consider what value-added services you’re getting with a paid debit card—if they’re worth it, then it pays to pay.
- Parental Controls: This feature represents the biggest difference between teen-specific debit cards and regular cards offered by a traditional bank. Parental controls can vary widely—they can include spending notifications, spending limits, controls on where a child spends, locking and unlocking teen cards, and more.
- Savings Goals: A savings account is nice. But so-called savings goals (or “pods,” “categories,” etc.) get your teen excited to save by allowing them to customize and track their goals. And many times, they’ll also include features that accelerate savings, such as parent-paid interest or an APY.
- Investing Features: If you want your teenager to take a big leap in their financial literacy, consider teen banking services that also include investing features. Investing capabilities will vary from one provider to the next—some only allow teens to invest in a handful of prebuilt portfolios made up of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), while others will act similar to a full-fledged brokerage account, enabling them to buy stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and more.
- Financial Literacy Tools: On its own, a debit card or bank account can help your teen learn more about their finances. But apps that can actually populate lesson plans and educational videos can do so much more for fostering smarter spending.
- Round-Ups: If your debit card comes with round-ups, any purchase will be rounded up—typically to the next dollar amount, though some cards have more customizable round-up tools. That excess money is then put back in the teen’s account—usually with other money earmarked for saving or investing. It’s a great sweetener for savers.
Debit Cards for Teens: FAQs
Can a 13- to 17-year-old have a prepaid debit card?
Banks and credit unions have different policies about the minimum age required for an account holder to open an account and have a connected physical debit card issued. Some financial institutions start at 8, 11, 12, or even as old as 16. Other banks offer cards directly targeting parents with young kids or teens. Always read the rules and restrictions governing how old your teen must be to hold the product.
Related: How Old Do You Have to Be to Have a Debit Card?
Are debit cards for teens safe?
Yes. Teens’ debit cards are generally considered safe because of four major features.
- FDIC Insurance: Most of these debit cards for teens include an FDIC-insured account, so no matter what happens to the bank, you’ll get your money back. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance provides up to $250,000 worth of protection per set of accounts at a single institution to millions of bank account holders across the United States.
- Security features: Most debit cards have a multitude of security features that protect the card when you have it … and when you don’t. These include EMV microchips, password protection, fingerprint identification, multi-factor authentication (MFA), even factual recognition.
- Consumer protections: One major advantage to a debit card over cash is it often comes with liability and fraud protection—if someone fraudulently uses your debit card, your financial institution can make you whole. Some cards even offer purchase protections on broken, lost, and stolen goods.
- You: Believe it or not, you and your teen can do a lot to protect your personal financial information. Adults should teach their teens about several responsibilities when using a debit card, including safeguarding your PIN, storing your card in a safe place, keeping a safe and secure password not containing common words, and not using public wireless access to place purchases on your card.
What documentation do I need to open a debit card for my teen?
The federal government requires these financial services companies to “know” their customers using a specific protocol called “Know Your Customer,” or KYC. This widely used electronic check of identity and information complies with regulatory obligations established by the U.S. Patriot Act of 2001. The process verifies your identity at the time of account sign-up through matching your name, address and date of birth against a public records database like one available through one of the three major credit reporting bureaus.
As for specific info and/or documentation you might need to provide, always make sure to have all of the following available (though some of it might not be required):
Parent:
- Name
- Phone number
- Home address
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Government-issued ID
Child:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Child’s birth certificate
Do teen debit cards offer contactless payments?
As a result of COVID-19, many card providers have accelerated the ability of their cardholders to use contactless payments technology. This includes teens’ and kids’ debit cards. Many of the cards listed in this article may be used for making contactless payments and purchases in stores.
Disclosures
Revolut <18 Disclosure
The Revolut USA Prepaid Visa® is issued by Metropolitan Commercial Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. for Visa cards, and may be used everywhere Visa are accepted. Banking services are provided by Metropolitan Commercial Bank, Member FDIC, and are subject to the terms of a Cardholder Agreement. “Metropolitan Commercial Bank” and “Metropolitan” are registered trademarks of Metropolitan Commercial Bank © 2014.
Step Disclaimer
Disclaimer: Step is a trademark of Step Mobile, Inc.
Terms and Conditions for Fidelity Youth™ Account
The Fidelity Youth™ Account can only be opened by a parent/guardian. Account eligibility limited to teens aged 13-17.
* $0.00 commission applies to online U.S. equity trades and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in a Fidelity retail account only for Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC retail clients. Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee (from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal). Other exclusions and conditions may apply. See Fidelity.com/commissions for details. Employee equity compensation transactions and accounts managed by advisors or intermediaries through Fidelity Institutional® are subject to different commission schedules.
¹ Limited Time Offer. Terms Apply. Before opening a Fidelity Youth™ Account, you should carefully read the account agreement and ensure that you fully understand your responsibilities to monitor and supervise your teen’s activity in the account.
² The Fidelity Youth™ app is free to download. Fees associated with your account positions or transacting in your account apply.
³ Zero account minimums and zero account fees apply to retail brokerage accounts only. Expenses charged by investments (e.g., funds, managed accounts, and certain HSAs) and commissions, interest charges, or other expenses for transactions may still apply. See Fidelity.com/commissions for further details.
⁴ Fractional share quantities can be entered out to 3 decimal places (.001) as long as the value of the order is at least $0.01. Dollar-based trades can be entered out to 2 decimal places (e.g. $250.00).
⁵ Your Youth Account will automatically be reimbursed for all ATM fees charged by other institutions while using the Fidelity® Debit Card at any ATM displaying the Visa®, Plus®, or Star® logos. The reimbursement will be credited to the account the same day the ATM fee is debited. Please note, for foreign transactions, there may be a 1% fee included in the amount charged to your account. The Fidelity® Debit Card is issued by PNC Bank, N.A., and the debit card program is administered by BNY Mellon Investment Servicing Trust Company. These entities are not affiliated with each other, and Fidelity is not affiliated with PNC Bank or BNY Mellon. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association, and is used by PNC Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.
⁶ Venmo is a service of PayPal, Inc. Fidelity Investments and PayPal are independent entities and are not legally affiliated. Use a Venmo or PayPal account may be subject to their terms and conditions, including age requirements.
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC, 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917