Financial Independence With Guardrails: Top 8 Free Debit Cards for Teens & Kids

It can be difficult to teach children how to spend and save responsibly, but it doesn’t have to be. A debit card can be a valuable educational tool, especially when the kid is in charge of their own spending with guardrails installed by parents.

Better still, you can get these tools at no cost. Many free debit cards represent the first pathway into financial responsibility because they start to give kids and teens control over their spending and provide them an early glimpse into what it’s like to manage money on their own.

But which of these products is best for you and your children?

Read on as we discuss some of the best free debit cards for kids and teens, highlighting their features, drawbacks, and other important information to help you choose one that will work best for your minor’s needs!

Best Free Debit Cards for Kids & Teens—Our Top Picks

---

What Are the Best Free Debit Cards for Kids and Teens?

---

Below, we’ve compiled a list of the best free debit cards for teens and kids that should work for your needs. Look carefully at each card; we’ll help you compare features so you can determine which one makes the most sense.

1. Cash App Families (Cash App’s Debit Card for Teens & Kids)

---

• Available: Teens (13-17): Sign up here | Kids (6-12): Sign up here
• Price: Free* (no subscription fees)

Do you want your children to start learning smart money habits? Cash App Families can accomplish that—with no subscription fees—by putting the power of Cash App into your kids’ hands while keeping their financial safety firmly in yours.

Teens can spend, save and invest with Cash App Families. A parent or guardian** sponsors the account, which comes with a designable Cash App Visa^® Card they can use to spend money where Visa is accepted. Meanwhile, access to Cash App allows them to save money toward specific goals, send money to friends, accept offers for instant discounts at their favorite places, and check out securely in stores and online by using a QR code.

If your teen direct-deposits $300 or more each month, they’ll also unlock a bevy of other features, including getting paid two days earlier, no ATM fees¹ when withdrawing from more than 40,000 in-network ATMs, and one waived out-of-network ATM withdrawal per month.

Cash App Families even has an investing feature with fractional shares, allowing teens to purchase as little as $1’s worth of stocks and Bitcoin (parent permission is required).²

Younger kids, ages 6 to 12***, can learn money basics, too, through Cash App Families Managed Accounts. These provide a fully parent-managed money experience with no subscription fees, no minimum balance requirements, and no hidden charges, and they too can design their very own Cash App Visa^® Card, making their first financial tool feel truly their own.

Both teens and kids can watch money grow thanks to Cash App’s high interest rates on savings balances and with the assistance of their parents/legal guardians.³ They also benefit from downright stellar parental controls and safety features. Parents can monitor activity from their own Cash App or receive real-time transaction alerts for kids’ payments and purchases. You control which features—stocks, Bitcoin², sending money, the Cash App Visa^® Card—your teens can access, and certain spending categories are auto-blocked. For kids ages 6-12, all account access lives within your own Cash App—your child never logs in independently. You set the rules, and you can change them anytime.

Parents/guardians must download Cash App (also free). From there, they’ll either invite their teen to create a sponsored account, or create a managed account for children under age 13.

Use our links to sign up for Cash App, whether you need Cash App Families for teens (ages 13-17), or Cash App Families for kids (ages 6-12).

2. Chase First Banking (Best Kids’ Debit Card From a Major Bank)

---

• Available: Sign up here
• Price: Free (no monthly fees)

Ready to teach your little ones about earning, saving, and spending money, but not quite sure if you have the time, patience, and/or expertise? Chase First Banking^SM offers simple banking for both of you in one location—the Chase Mobile^® App—for free. 

Chase First Banking^SM helps parents teach teens and kids about money by giving parents the control they want and kids the freedom they need to learn. Among the account’s many features?

• One of the best free debit cards for kids and teens—it works anywhere Visa is accepted, and can be used to withdraw money fee-free* from more than 14,000 Chase ATMs nationwide
• Savings goals that you can track via the Chase Mobile^® App
• Parental controls, such as setting limits on where and how much they can spend and withdraw from ATMs
• Account alerts that let you know where your child is spending
• Recurring chores and allowance

The account is designed with kids 6-12 in mind, and available for ages 6-17. To get started, you’ll first need to be a Chase customer with a qualifying Chase checking account. If you don’t already have one, consider opening a Chase Total Checking^® or Chase Secure Banking^SM account to qualify.

• Chase Total Checking^® also grants access to thousands of branches and ATMs. You can pay $0 in monthly fees, subject to meeting certain conditions.** And you can collect a $400 new-customer bonus when you make total direct deposits of $1,000 or more within 90 days of coupon enrollment. 
• Chase Secure Banking^SM offers the same Chase ATMs and branch locations as well as a $125 sign-up bonus when you make stated qualifying activities and meet certain conditions.

Once you open a qualifying Chase Checking account, you may use our link to apply for a Chase First Banking^SM account for your child. 

3. Axos First Checking (Best Free Debit Card for Teens at an Online-Only Bank)

---

• Available: Sign up here
• Price: Free (no monthly fees)

Axos First Checking is a free joint bank account for teens and adults offered by Axos Bank—an online-only bank with a focus on technology-driven finance.

First Checking offers teens and their parents (or other adult owners of the account) a free debit card, peer-to-peer transfers, direct deposit, bill pay, extensive security features, even interest payments. 

The Axos First Checking account comes with a debit card—you can choose either Visa or Mastercard—that you can use to spend in store and online, as well as to withdraw cash. While Axos Bank doesn’t have its own ATM system, Axos offers fee-free access to 91,000 ATMs nationwide, and it reimburses up to $12 in third-party ATM fees every month.

If you’re worried that your (or your teen’s) card is lost or stolen? You can lock and unlock the card from your Axos account. And the card limits cash withdrawals to $100 daily and debit transactions to $500 daily.

Axos First Checking charges zero monthly maintenance fees, overdraft fees, and non-sufficient fund fees. It’s designed for teens between ages 13 and 17 (up to 18 years old in Alabama). And once your teen reaches adulthood, it’s easy to convert to another Axos checking account, giving the newly minted adult full control.

Related: Best Teen-Friendly Debit Cards

Do you want to get serious about saving and planning for retirement? Sign up for Retire With Riley, our free retirement planning newsletter.

4. Capital One MONEY (Best Free Teen Checking Account)

---

• Available: Read our review and sign up
• Price: Free (no monthly fees)

Capital One MONEY Teen Checking is one of Young and the Invested’s top choices for parents who want to financially empower their kids at an early age. Yes, this free checking account is predominantly aimed at teenagers, but it’s actually available to kids as young as 8 years old.

This joint checking account offers flexibility for kids and a touch of tranquility for parents. Kids get a Mastercard debit card that they can use at millions of merchants across the U.S., as well as in roughly 210 countries and territories worldwide. Your teen also enjoys access to one of the largest fee-free ATM networks among kids debit cards—more than 70,000+ Capital One, MoneyPass, and AllPoint machines. They can also send and receive money via Zelle, receive direct deposits from employers, and even cash paper checks by snapping a couple photos within the highly rated Capital One app.

Parents, meanwhile, can also pay their kids a regular allowance, or make one-time payments as gifts or rewards. They also can monitor their teens’ transactions, lock and unlock their child’s card, and control their kid’s access to (and transfer limits within) Zelle.

To learn more about the account, read our Capital One MONEY Teen Checking review. Or you can sign up today by clicking “Get Started” above.

Related: 10 Best Money Apps for Teens [Invest, Spend, Budget + Pay]

5. 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 card¹ 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, as well as set controls on how they use the cards online and with contactless payments through your Revolut app. You can also 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 fast  transfers between account holders and also global transfers at transparent rates.

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, visit their site and open an account for yourself and your child.

6. 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 children 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 children’s money is safe because it’s not cash—no temptations, just a tool parents can use to help teach teens financial responsibility.

Among Current’s features:

• No minimum required balances, no fees on transfers to other Current accounts, and no hidden fees.
• Create Savings Pods, or Giving Pods, that allow you to save up for various goals.
• Round-Ups allow you to round up purchases to the nearest dollar amount and store the difference in Savings or Giving Pods.
• 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.

7. Till Financial (Best for Spending Lessons)

---

• Available: Sign up here
• Price: Till Free: No monthly fees. Till Premium: $7.99/mo.

Till Financial describes itself as a “family banking app and debit card for kids and teens” that empowers children to become smarter spenders. The app does this by encouraging “open and honest” discussions between parents and kids.

Kids and parents alike can choose from preset savings goals or create their own, then track their progress. Parents can further encourage their kids with Goal Boosts, which include adding fixed amounts, giving monthly percentage bonuses, or matching their kids’ deposits.

Other Till features include automated allowance, Tasks (chore) functionality, “Give Links” that let friends and family give money directly to a child’s Till debit card and direct deposit.

Till’s Free tier provides families with the basic FDIC-insured account, a free digital debit card (physical debit cards are $5 apiece), and everything mentioned above. However, the Till Premium paid tier includes a number of additional features, including:

• Advanced spending controls, such as category caps and store-specific blocking
• Up to 1% cash back on all purchases
• 2% Save rewards on savings balances
• Two-day early direct deposit
• Free, instant debit deposits
• Free physical debit cards
• No foreign transaction fees
• Priority support

Sign up for Till Financial today.

Make Young and the Invested your preferred news source on Google

Simply go to your preferences page and select the ✓ box for Young and the Invested. Once you’ve made this update, you’ll see Young and the Invested show up more often in Google’s “Top Stories” feed, as well as in a dedicated “From Your Sources” section on Google’s search results page.

8. Chase High School Checking (Best Teen Checking from a Mega-Bank)

---

• Available: Get your code here, then sign up in a branch
• Price: No monthly fees
• Special offer: $125 when you open an account¹

Chase High School Checking^SM is an account tailor-made for parents who want their teen to build money independence and enjoy the benefits of banking with a large national bank, but also want to keep an eye on their teen’s finances as they learn the ropes.

This checking account for teens (ages 13-17 at account opening) lets your teen enjoy the convenience of mobile banking through the Chase Mobile® App, as well as a debit card that can be stashed in a virtual wallet, or used to withdraw cash from Chase’s massive nationwide network of 16,000 ATMs.

With Chase High School Checking^SM, your teen can …

• Use direct deposit to get paid from their summer job, or use Chase QuickDeposit^SM on their phone to remotely (and securely!) deposit physical checks from odd jobs or birthdays. 
• Build their savings hassle-free with Autosave, which automatically transfers money from checking to savings. 
• Use Zelle® (through the Chase Mobile^® app) to send and receive money from friends and family—even if they don’t bank with Chase.
• Have their Chase High School Checking^SM convert into a Chase Total Checking^® account when they turn 19.

Meanwhile, parents can stay in the know through account alerts.

Chase High School Checking^SM accounts must be opened in a physical branch, using a coupon code you can receive from Chase here. A parent or guardian must be present, and will be the account co-owner. Students should bring at least one primary ID and one secondary ID.

The parent must have an existing qualifying Chase checking account, such as Chase Total Checking^®, which will be linked to the High School Checking account.

Learn more and get your code for Chase High School Checking^SM here.

Other Kids Debit Card Options to Consider (Not Free)

---

While free is always the right price, you might want more functionality for a higher cost. Below are some of the other debit cards for kids and teens you might consider trying out before committing to a free option above. One distinction between free and paid debit cards for kids: many paid cards offer plans for up to five kids.

What Is a Debit Card for Kids and 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.

In that event, your child likely will need to be at least 13 years old before receiving a card.

Unfortunately, these bank 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 new 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 child’s debit card, so it effectively functions as a prepaid debit card.

Traditional banks or prepaid debit cards might not allow you to do this beyond keeping the account balance at a certain level.

Do you want to get serious about saving and planning for retirement? Sign up for Retire With Riley, our free retirement planning newsletter.

What to Do Before Getting a Free Debit Card for Kids

---

Take these things into consideration before opening a debit card for your child:

• Monthly fees. The best debit cards for kids should not have fees associated with their online portals to review the child’s spending or educational tools that manage money.
• Major card networks. One of the best cards for your child to use is one backed by a major credit card network. Companies like Amex, Mastercard, Visa, or Discover. This means your child can use the card as a debit or credit when needed.
• Parental Controls. An online account that not only lets you see where cash flows and when it changes hands, but also lets you monitor your child’s spending habits is a smart investment for both security purposes and to teach them strong money management skills.
• Prepaid card. To start, you may want to consider a prepaid debit card. You can also tie a new card to your existing accounts as another authorized user. The new card will access those accounts as your child spends.
• Credit scores. There are various ways to load money onto a debit card for kids. For example, you could purchase a convertible credit card for kids and put the money that they want into it; however, make sure you pay off your balance every month in order to avoid interest charges. Not paying off your monthly balance might be bad for your own credit score.

Related: What Is a 529 Plan? [Save for College + More]

Which Features Should You Look For in a Free Kids Debit Card?

---

• Direct Deposit: One of the best features that may be available on free debit cards for kids is direct deposit. Direct deposit is an automated transfer of money, typically from an employer to a person’s bank account. This is an excellent feature you want your kids to have, because your child’s paycheck will go directly into their account. That beats being handed an envelope from work that’s later handed over to Mom and Dad to manage. A few debit cards for teens even allow free early direct deposit if they open a premium checking account. This allows teens to get paid up to two days faster than with regular direct deposit.
• Transfer Money Instantly: The instant money transfer capability is really beneficial for parents with young children. Instant money transfers allow parents to, say, pay allowance to kids or compensate children for their weekly or monthly chores. And this feature eliminates the need to make a trip into an actual bank, which saves a trip for adults and kids pressed for time. Many free debit cards for kids, then, offer a quick “reload” option so parents can keep on top of their kids’ accounts, even when pressed for time.
• Mobile App: Many parents and guardians find that banking mobile apps make it much easier to keep track of their children’s spending. Think about all the parental controls you can find on some debit cards’ mobile apps: spending limits, controls on where kids can use their cards, restricting card use at certain times of the day, spending notifications, even the ability to lock down the card. Moreover, mobile apps often include things like lessons, quizzes, and videos teaching kids about financial responsibility at an early age.
• Parental Controls: Parental controls are among the most pivotal features you’ll need in a debit card for teens and/or kids. If your card offers controls, they should be easy to set up, customizable, and suited to any parent’s needs. Parents should be able to choose what notifications they want, set spending limits, manage ATM withdrawals, determine which merchants kids can visit, and even lock and unlock kids’ cards.
• Money Management Features: Money management features can be especially attractive when deciding on a kids’ debit card. Money management tools obviously won’t create more money, but they can help your children begin to understand the concepts of budgeting so they can spend their money more wisely and get more out of it.
• Establish Savings Goals: One really important money management feature that many parents want for their children is savings goals. In general, kids can benefit enormously from the virtues of saving. Saving from an early age can enforce the idea of delayed gratification—the idea that accomplishments can be just as (if not more) satisfying when they’re worked for and earned over time. Also, saving can help instill responsibility in your child. It’s a building block to understanding what it means to budget, diversify their financial resources, and even invest for better returns. As a note, some paid debit cards offer a feature called parent-paid interest, where parents can pay interest on savings held on a child’s account.

Disclosures

---

Cash App Families for Teens + Cash App Families for Kids

Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Offers, Instant Discounts, Savings, and Direct Deposit provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Offers may not be affiliated with third party merchants.

* Card use fees apply. Free Cash App Cards come in black, white, pink, or glow-in-the-dark. 

** Teens 13 to 17 can use Cash App with sponsorship by an eligible parent or guardian. To view the eligibility requirements for sponsoring a teen, please visit the Sponsored Accounts section of the Cash App Terms of Service.

*** Parents and legal guardians can open a managed account for kids 6-12. To view the eligibility requirements for sponsoring a teen or child, please visit the Sponsored Accounts section of the Cash App Terms of Service.

**** With a Cash App Card, your money is eligible for FDIC pass-through insurance through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Sutton Bank, and/or The Bancorp Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, for up to $250,000 per customer when aggregated with all other deposits held in the same legal capacity at each bank, if certain conditions are met. See the Cash App Terms of Service.

Cash App is a financial services platform, and not an FDIC-insured bank. Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc..

¹ Cash App reimburses ATM fees for all in-network withdrawals when you deposit at least $300 monthly of Qualifying Deposits into Cash App, or spend $500 or more in Qualifying Purchases using your Cash App Card or Cash App Pay in a calendar month. Service fees may apply. See terms for more details.

² Brokerage services provided by Cash App Investing LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, subsidiary of Block, Inc. Bitcoin services provided by Block, Inc. Bitcoin services are not licensable activity in all U.S. states and territories. Block, Inc. operates in New York as Block of Delaware and is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Investing and bitcoin are non-deposit, non-bank products that are not FDIC insured and involve risk, including monetary loss. Cash App Investing does not trade bitcoin and Block, Inc. is not a member of FINRA or SIPC. For additional information, see the Bitcoin and Cash App Investing disclosures. Additional fees for securities may apply such as regulatory fees and fees to transfer securities externally. Please see our House Rules for more information. Fractional shares investing may involve additional risks such as non-transferability. For additional information regarding the unique risks and limitations of fractional shares, please see your Investing Customer Account Agreement.

³ Cash App will pass through a portion of the interest paid on your savings balance held in an account for the benefit of Cash App customers at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. To earn interest on your Cash App savings balance, you need to have sponsor approval. Exceptions may apply. Savings yield rate is subject to change.

Chase High School Checking℠

¹ Your teen gets $125 when you open a new Chase High School Checking℠ account together with qualifying activities within 60 days of coupon enrollment. Your child can receive only one new checking account opening related bonus every two years from the last coupon enrollment date and only one bonus per account. To receive the bonus: 1) Open a new Chase High School Checking account, which is subject to approval; AND 2) Complete at least 5 qualifying transactions within 60 days of coupon enrollment. Qualifying transactions include: debit card purchases, online bill payments, Chase QuickDeposit℠, Zelle®, or ACH credits. After your child has completed all the above requirements and the 5 qualifying transactions have posted to their account, we’ll deposit the bonus into their new account within 15 days. To receive this bonus, the enrolled account must not be closed or restricted at the time of payout. Eligibility may be limited based on account ownership. Bonus is considered interest and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT (or Form 1042-S, if applicable).

² Account subject to approval. Monthly fee waived for any month in which you have electronic deposits of $500 or more made to this account, or a balance at the beginning of each day of $1,500 or more in this account, or an average beginning day balance of $5,000 or more in any combination of this account and linked qualifying Chase checking, savings, and other balances.

Revolut <18

¹ Customized cards may require fees.