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Kids' debit cards can be utilized for teaching children or teenagers about how to be smart with money.
Below, you'll find our top picks for kids' debit cards. We've researched each debit card's features and fees so that you can narrow down your options and choose the best debit card for you and your child.
Best Debit Cards for Teens
- Famzoo Prepaid Debit Card: Best overall
- BusyKid Spend Card: Best for parental control features
- Chase First Banking: Best for traditional banking
- GoHenry Card: Best for financial literacy education
- Copper Debit Card: Best for teens
Compare Debit Cards for Kids
Why You Should Trust Us: Experts' Advice on the Best Kids' Debit Cards
We consulted banking and financial planning experts to inform these picks and provide their advice on finding the best kids' debit card for your needs.
Here's what they had to say about kids' debit cards. (Some text may be lightly edited for clarity.)
Is a kids' debit card worth it?
Mykail James, MBA, certified financial education instructor, BoujieBudgets.com:
"I think that these are great options to get children to start being a little bit more financially focused. It's a wonderful way to help them understand how to stick within a budget. That's actually how my mother taught me how to budget. She would give us a prepaid debit card for Christmas."
Sophia Acevedo, certified educator in personal finance, banking reporter, Personal Finance Insider:
"Kids' debit cards can be useful to teach kids about spending. It's a simple way of teaching them to make financial decisions while still being able to monitor and control their usage. A lot of kids' debit cards have tools or features that let you set limits or alerts for parents."
What should I look for in a kids' debit card?
Mykail James, MBA, CFEI:
"I like the ones that have an app where you can see how much money is in the account."
Sophia Acevedo, CEPF:
"I would look at any fees needed to maintain the account. You might have to pay a fee for each time you load money into a card or a monthly service fee. Some debit cards also may also have age requirements."
Methodology: How Did We Choose the Best Kids' Debit Cards?
We examined over a dozen kids' debit cards before selecting our favorites. We wanted to provide you with options, so we compared various features and services to find the standouts for each category.
For every debit card, we looked at how it could be used. For example, you should be able to use a debit card for both online purchases and in-store purchases, as well as at ATMs. If a card had a special perk like a budgeting app or parental monitoring features, we took that into consideration, too.
Kids' debit cards may often have monthly service fees, but we chose ones that are pretty manageable. We looked at charges for signing up for a card, reloading money, or using an ATM, to find options that didn't charge high fees. If debit cards have tiered-bank account options we compared different price points and features for each plan.
Lastly, we also reviewed each institution's privacy policy and debit card security features. We took into account whether a card had purchase protection or let parents block purchases. If the debit card was linked to a bank account, we review whether it the bank account was FDIC insured.
Kids' Debit Cards: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a kid's debit card?
Kids' debit cards are tools parents can use to teach children how to use money. With a kid's debit, children may be able to use an ATM or make debit card purchases under parental supervision. They'll also be able to set up a budget and monitor through online or mobile banking features.
Can you get a debit card for a child?
Yes, several fintech companies and financial institutions offer debit cards for children. If you get a debit card through a fintech company like Greenlight or Step, debit card usage and balance can be monitored through a mobile app. Meanwhile, if you open a bank account at a financial institution, the kid's debit card is typically be attached to a checking account.
You'll want to pay attention to potential age limits on the card. Some companies require minors to be a certain age before getting the card.
Which debit cards are free for kids?
Some kids' debit cards may require paying a monthly service fee to use the debit card or have access to certain banking features.
But the following financial institutions and companies won't charge monthly service fees on kids' debit cards: JelliCard, Copper, Jassby (Basic Plan free), Chase First Banking, Current, Navy Federal Credit Union Prepaid Go Debit Card (13 or older), and Capital One MONEY Teen Checking (13 or older).
What are the pros of kids' debit cards?
Here are some of the pros to consider when opening kids' debit cards: you can teach your child about spending and how to set up a budget, you can help your child set personal goals and save for them and cards are typically safer than keeping cash on hand.
What are the cons of kids' debit cards?
Here are some of the cons to consider when opening kids' debit cards: cards may have monthly service fees, out-of-network ATM fees, or reloading fees; you usually won't earn interest on your account balance, since kids' debit cards aren't linked to a savings account, and it may a big responsibility for your child.
How do you get a debit card for a child?
Many kid's debit cards are available online or through a mobile app. Typically, the parent will need to sign up their child for the card and link an external bank account or debit card. If you'd like to open a teen checking account with a debit card, you can open an account through your bank's website or at a local branch.
Best Kids' Debit Card Overall
The FamZoo debit card is a good option for families with more than one child, and it made Insider's list of the best prepaid debit cards. You can get up to four free debit cards with one subscription. At other institutions, you may have to get individual plans for each child.
It also may be worthwhile if you're looking for a debit card that's easy to use. Access FamZoo through your computer, Famzoo's mobile app, or even via text message, so your child doesn't need a smartphone to use and manage the card.
You also don't need to link a bank account, which may be a requirement at other companies. Instead, FamZoo allows you to load cash onto your card at Green Dot locations. However, you may be charged a fee by participating retailers.
Monthly service fee: $5.99 monthly, $25.99 for six months, $39.99 for 12 months, OR $59.99 for 24 months
Look out for: FamZoo has multiple plan options, but the most affordable is the 2-year plan. You'll prepay $59.99 for two years ($2.50 per month), which is a lower fee than with some of our other options. If you need more than four debit cards, there's also a one-time $3 fee for each additional card.
Best Kids' Debit Card for Strong Parental Monitoring Features
BusyKid offers kids' debit cards for children between the ages of 5 and 17. Parents and kids will manage the card through the company's mobile app.
The BusyKid Spend Card has a lot of options for kids to take make financial decisions, but parents have to weigh in on the decision first.
For example, children will need to get approval before making a debit card purchase or donating to participating charities. Parents also have the option to lock money transfers between savings and spending categories to limit spending.
Monthly service fee: $3.99 monthly OR $38.99 annually
Look out for: To put money into the debit card, you'll need to link an external bank account, debit card, or credit card. You won't be able to deposit cash onto the BusyKid Spend card.
Best Kids' Debit Card for Traditional Banking
If you're looking for a traditional brick-and-mortar bank experience, Chase is an excellent choice. Chase has the biggest branch network in the US — it has over 4,800 locations in 48 states. You'll have access to over 16,000 free ATMs.
Chase First Banking has a debit card attached to a bank account. There are zero monthly services and zero overdraft fees. The debit card also has strong features that make it easy to use. Parents may set limits or alerts on how much a child can spend or withdraw, and kids have savings and spending tools to set individual goals.
Monthly service fee: None
Look out for: To open Chase First Banking, parents must already have a Chase checking account. The bank also charges out-of-network ATM fees if you don't use a Chase ATM.
Best Kids' Debit Card for Financial Literacy Education
The GoHenry Card can be used by kids between the ages of 6 and 18. You might like GoHenry if you're looking for strong financial literary features for children.
The mobile app has a unique feature called Money Missions, which teaches kids about different topics in personal finance, like budgeting and investing. Lessons are also age-specific, so young children may learn about money basics, while older kids pick up more nuanced money topics like investing in stocks or borrowing responsibly.
Monthly service fee: First 30 days free, then $3.99 monthly per child to $6.99 monthly for the Family Plan
Look out for: To put money onto the GoHenry debit card, you'll need to link an external bank account or debit card. You won't be able to deposit cash onto the GoHenry debit card. If you use a GoHenry debit card at an ATM, you'll be charged a fee by GoHenry.
Best Kids' Debit Card for Teens
With the Copper Debit Card, you won't need to worry about monthly service fees, overdraft fees, or minimum balance fees. Up to $250,000 is secure in your Copper Account through the platform's partner, Evolve Bank & Trust.
Copper is part of the Allpoint ATM network, where you'll have access to over 55,000 surcharge-free ATMs. Copper also has strong financial literacy resources designed specifically for teens. Teens can learn about everything from mortgages to credit scores through short videos and guides. They can also take quizzes to test their knowledge on different topics. Copper even offers free financial workshops at high schools that may be booked on the platform's website.
Monthly service fee: None
Look out for: To use a Copper Card, your child has to be at least 13 years old. Customer service is also limited to email or in-app support. If strong customer support availability is priority for you, you may one of our other top picks.
Kids' Debit Cards That Didn't Make the Cut and Why
Here are some other prepaid debit cards we looked at and our reasoning for not choosing them as our favorites:
Greenlight Prepaid Debit Card : Greenlight has strong monitoring and budgeting features, but you'll have to pay $4.99, $7.98, or $9.98 per month, depending on which plan you choose. Some of our other top picks have plan with lower monthly service fees and equally impressive perks.Kachinga Prepaid Mastercard : Kachinga is a fintech company that is a national partner of the JumpStart Coalition, a national nonprofit organization that prioritizes financial literacy education for children. You might like this debit card if you'd like a straightforward debit card. The main downside is there's a $36 annual fee per child. Our top picks may lower fees because the plans are for multiple children or require less upfront.Current Teen Account : Current could be a good option for teens, but our top picks might be more appealing if you'd like to open a debit card for a younger child. While it has unique features, our top pick for teens, Copper, offers more accessibility.Jassby Debit Card : The Jassby Debit Card may be a good option if you'd like to avoid monthly fees; it offers a basic plan that doesn't have any fees in addition to an Essential Plan ($3.95 per month). But our top picks have stronger budgeting and parental monitoring features.Capital One MONEY Teen Checking Account : Capital One might be ideal if you'd like to apply for a free teen checking account that has a debit card. Our top pick beat Capital One's account because it has more lenient age limits.Mazoola Debit Card : You might like Mazoola if you're looking for a debit card that has abundant financial literacy resources. It isn't one of our favorites because other debit cards offer more stand out budgeting tools and features. Another downside to the debit is that you'll only get a virtual card, not a physical one.Navy Federal Go Prepaid Debit Card : Navy Federal has prepaid debit cards for anyone 13 years of age or older. For a traditional institution, Chase has more lenient age limits than Navy Federal Credit Union.JelliCard Visa Debit Card : The JelliCard Visa Debit Card may be worthwhile if you'd like to get a debit card that doesn't charge a monthly service fees. Its budgeting features aren't as strong as our favorite cards, though.
Are These Companies Trustworthy?
Normally, we compare companies' Better Business Bureau grades. But not all of our favorite kids' debit card companies have been graded by the BBB, so we aren't factoring scores into our trustworthiness review.
Chase is the only institution on our list that has been involved in a recent public controversy.
In 2020, JP Morgan Chase & Co. paid the Department of Justice $920 million when charged with wrongful trading.
JP Morgan Chase & Co. also paid $800,000 in back wages in a settlement in 2020 with the US Department of Labor that accused the company of underpaying women. The US Department of Labor also required the bank to provide a total of $9 million for compensation adjustments over five years.