Best debit cards for teens

Best Debit Cards for Teens

ByKristine Engracia Last Updated on -

9 Best Debit Cards for Kids and Teens

  1. Best Overall: Copper Banking
  2. Best for Earning Interest: Capital One Money Teens
  3. Best for Multiple Users: BlueBird Prepaid Debit Card
  4. Best for Online Security: Jassby Virtual Debit Card
  5. Best Checking Account Debit Card: Chase First Banking
  6. Best Repaid/Reloadable Card: FamZoo
  7. Best for High Spending Limits: American Express Serve
  8. Best for Allowances: BusyKid Debit Card for Kids and Teens
  9. Best for Financial Literacy: GoHenry Debit Cards for Kids and Teens
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Debit cards are a good tool for kids’ and teens’ financial education. 

A debit card for teens allows them to manage money under the supervision of an adult. It also gives them a sense of financial freedom which then builds their confidence with money. 

There are many choices available for debit cards for teens. The best debit cards for teens are the ones that offer parental control, budgeting and spending limits, mobile apps, and online statements.

We thoroughly evaluated and reviewed some of the best debit cards for teens. Check the detailed review of each debit card and see which one suits you the best.

Check our list of the best business credit cards for startups and explore the credit options for your business.

Best Debit Cards for Teens and Kids of 2023

We have collected a list of the best debit cards for teens and kids. Our review includes an in-depth look at the card offer, fees, limits, parental control, debit card acceptance at stores, etc.

Copper Banking Debit Card for Teens and Kids

BEST OVERALL

Copper Banking

Copper-Banking

Fees: No monthly fee

Rewards: No Rewards

Mobile App Ratings: 4.61/5

Minimum Age: 13+ years

ATM Fee: $0

Spending Limit: $2000/month

Parental-Control: Yes

Availability: Everywhere

Why We Choose it

No monthly fees, budgeting, and financial literacy education and tips, parents can access and control spending, set spending limits and see expenses.

Pros:

  1. Free card
  2. Financial Literacy tools
  3. Manage allowance for kids
  4. FDIC-insured
  5. No monthly fees

Cons:

  1. Not much customer service feedback

Overview

Copper Debit Card started in 2019. It was created on the principle that kids and youngsters should have access to financial services. 

Copper app offers financial literacy tools to teens and kids. It helps them make a budget and manage money with its knowledge nuggets and tips. 

Parents fully control their kids account in copper. They can set spending limit, give them allowances for good work and set category budget. Parents get a notification on every transaction their kid makes with Copper Debit card. 

There are no monthly fees, no overdraft fee, no ATM fee at over 55,000 locations. 

Your money is protected with zero-liability FDIC insurance for up to $250,000 with fraud protection. 

Copper Banking is focused on teens and kids. A parent or guardian can open an account for their kid on Copper Banking mobile app.

Capital One Money Teens

Best for Earning Interest

Capital One Money Teens

Capital-One

Fees: $0

Rewards: Checking account balance earns rewards

Mobile App Ratings: 4.62/5

Minimum Age: 8+ years

ATM Fee: $0

Spending Limit: $500 per day

Parental-Control: Yes

Availability: Everywhere

Why We Choose it

Useful app with sections for parents and the kids, see and control your kid’s expenses, and earn interest on your current account balance.

Pros:

  1. Access to physical branches
  2. Robust app for managing your kid’s spending online 
  3. FDIC insured deposit
  4. APY of 0.10% per annum on current account balance 
  5. Free debit card with better control
  6. Lock the debit card if your kid loses it and unlock it once they find it 
  7. No incoming wire transfer fees

Cons:

  1. No bill payment
  2. No checks 
  3. High outgoing wire transfer fees

Overview

Capital One Money Teen Checking account offers one of the best debit cards for teens and kids. 

A parent can open a Capital One Money Teen Checking account for their kids. The minimum age requirement is only 8 years. However, you will need to link your own account with the kid’s account. 

Monitoring your kid’s expenses is easy with the brilliant mobile app. The Capital One Money Teen account mobile app gives separate login for the parent and the kid. 

The parent can see the spending, set a budget, block some spending categories like tobacco, etc, give an allowance, and lock/unlock lost debit card. 

There are no fees on incoming local or international wire transfers. Capital One Money Teen account has no monthly maintenance fee and free access to over 70,000 ATMs nationwide.

Bluebird Prepaid Debit Card

Best for Multiple Users

Bluebird Prepaid Debit Card

BlueBird

Fees: No fees

Rewards: No rewards

Mobile App Ratings: 3.27/5

Minimum Age: 13+ years

ATM Fee: No fee at Amex or MoneyPass ATMs, $2.5 cash withdrawal fee on other ATMs

Spending Limit: N/A

Parental-Control: Yes, linked with a parent account

Availability: Available at selected places only

Why We Choose it

Suitable for family, open 4 subaccounts for kids and get 4 debit cards with your account, no monthly fee, no ATM fee on MoneyPass, and easy management for accounts.

Pros:

  1. Low starting and maintenance fees
  2. Ability to include the whole family with 4 subaccounts and debit cards
  3. Parents control spending 
  4. FDIC insured 
  5. Easily add money to the account
  6. No ATM fee at the MoneyPass ATM network
  7. Low balance alerts

Cons:

  1. Accepted at the selected locations 
  2. No linked bank account 
  3. Heavy fee on speedy mobile check clearance

Overview

The BlueBird Prepaid Debit Card from American Express offers a solution to family money management. It lets you create 4 subaccounts and 4 prepaid debit cards for your kids. 

Bluebird Prepaid Debit Cards for teens come with parental controls. The parents can control spending, see transactions, lock cards, allow budget for a certain category, and much more. 

You can get a BlueBird Prepaid Debit Card for free if you signup online on their website. You can also get a card at Walmart but there will be a $5 fee. 

There are monthly fees, no account maintenance fee, no funds transfer fees to other BlueBird accounts, and no ATM fees at the MoneyPass ATM network. You can also add cash for free with a direct deposit or at Walmart. You can pay online bills and enjoy perks like purchase protection.

Jassby Virtual Debit Card

Best for Online Security

Jassby Virtual Debit Card

Jassby

Fees: $0 per month

Rewards: Reward points to the parent’s account when the kid uses the Jassby app and literacy tools

Mobile App Ratings: 3.8/5

Minimum Age: 7+ years

ATM Fee: No ATM, App-only debit card

Spending Limit: Not fixed, parents can set the spending limit and allowance

Parental-Control: Yes

Availability: Anywhere MasterCard is accepted

Why We Choose it

Digital-only debit cards, can’t be stolen or lost, and greater control for parents

Pros:

  1. Digital Only
  2. Contact-less payments 
  3. Parents can control everything 
  4. No upfront fee, no monthly fee

Cons:

  1. No ATM access

Overview

Jassby Virtual Debit Card is online only. It can be used for making purchases online but there is no ATM access. 

Parents can get a Jassby Virtual Debit Card for Teens easily by signing up on their website and applying for the card on their mobile app. There are no upfront fees, no monthly fees, no funds transfer fees, etc.

This is a contactless debit card, there is no chance of losing it. The app lets parents see their spending, set budgets, send money into the Jassby Virtual Debit Card for teens, and give their kids allowances and rewards for completing goals. 

For making it even more secure, the Jassby app will require the PIN, Touch ID, or Face ID to complete a purchase. 

Chase First Banking

Best Checking Account Debit Card

Chase First Banking

Chase

Fees: None

Rewards: No Rewards

Mobile App Ratings: 4.6/5

Minimum Age: 6+ years

ATM Fee: No Fee at Chase ATM

Spending Limit: $100 per day

Parental-Control: Yes

Availability: Everywhere

Why We Choose it

Free checking account for teens, free debit card, free transfers, and parents can control the account.

Pros:

  1. A new saving feature included in the account 
  2. No monthly account fees 
  3. Very good parental control
  4. FDIC-insured

Cons:

  1. Can be opened only when you have an existing Chase account 
  2. Doesn’t work with Digital Wallets 
  3. No direct or remote deposits, no peer-to-peer transfer

Overview

Chase First Banking is a step-up for in the debit cards for teens. It is a checking account with a free debit card. 

Parents can open a Chase First Banking Checking Account for their teens. You’ll need a Chase account to open this account. Its mobile app is useful with money-saving goals settings, requesting funds from parents, and account use details for the parents. 

This debit card for teens offers free access to over 16,000 Chase ATMs. There is no monthly fee and no minimum balance requirement on this card. 

The minimum age requirement for the kid is only 6 years. Kids can start learning about money at a very early age. 

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FamZoo

Best Repaid/Reloadable Card

FamZoo

FamZoo

Fees: $2.50-$5.99/month

Rewards: None

Mobile App Ratings: 4.7/5

Minimum Age: 13+ years

ATM Fee: $0

Spending Limit: $500 per day ATM withdrawal

Parental-Control: Yes

Availability: Everywhere

Why We Choose it

Good for the financial literacy tools and parental control over the account.

Pros:

  1. In-built financial literacy tools 
  2. You can budget kids’ allowances 
  3. Customer Support is good 
  4. Robust parental control 
  5. Deposit is FDIC-insured 
  6. Encourages saving with a section for savings in the app

Cons:

  1. Monthly fee
  2. Funds reload fee 
  3. Limited cash deposit locations
  4. Cash deposit fee

Overview

FamZoo Debit card for kids and teens is one of the best for teaching your kids about money. 

FamZoo mobile app comes with three separate sections for spending, saving, and giving; which is the same as envelope budgeting. 

You can reward your kids for saving with an interest and you can also charge them interest on spending. Plus, you can give monetary rewards for their daily chores and tie the concept of wealth with hard work. 

There is a monthly fee of $5.99 per month. However, when you pay the fee in advance for two years, you’ll pay $2.50 per month. 

FamZoo offers one month’s free trial. There are no ATM fees and no funds transfer fees. Loading funds to a FamZoo debit card for teens is hard and you’ll pay a fee for reloading funds to the debit card. 

American Express Serve

Best for High Spending Limits

American Express Serve

American-Express-Serve

Fees: $6.95/month 

Rewards: None

Mobile App Ratings: 2.99/5

Minimum Age:13+ years

ATM Fee: $0 on MoneyPass, $2.5 on other ATM operators

Spending Limit: $15,000 per month, $750 per day ATM withdrawal

Parental-Control: Yes

Availability: Accepted where AmericanExpress is available

Why We Choose it

A debit card with a high spending limit gives teens experience with larger amounts of money while offering control to the parents.

Pros:

  1. High spending limits
  2. Free funds reload 
  3. You can get a free card if you order online 

Cons:

  1. Only accepted at American Express 
  2. No tools for financial literacy

Overview

Give your teens experience with larger amounts of money while keeping a check on the account. 

There is a $6.95 per monthly fee. However, this monthly fee is waived when you deposit at least $500 every month. 

American Express Serve debit card offers:

  • Free bill payment online 
  • Free early direct deposit 
  • Free ATM withdrawal at MoneyPass ATMs
  • Free subaccounts for up to 4 persons 

Parents can control the subaccount via the mobile app. Parents can control spending limits, and watch transactions. 

When you are reloading funds to the American Express Serv debit card, there is a $3.95 cash reload fee.

American Express offers excellent 24/7 customer service, unauthorized use protection, and fraud protection. 

Anyone of the legal age with a valid social security number can apply. There is no minimum balance requirement for this debit card

BusyKid Visa Prepaid Spend Card

Best for Giving Allowances for Kids

BusyKid Visa Prepaid Spend Card

BusyKid

Fees: $3.99 monthly maintenance fee 

Rewards: No rewards

Mobile App Ratings: 3.56/5

Minimum Age: 5+ years

ATM Fee: $1.50 per transaction

Spending Limit: $2000 per day

Parental-Control: Limited control

Availability: Accepted where Visa is used

Why We Choose it

Allow budget for categories, encourage kids to save and donate, and gives them reward for each chore they do.

Pros:

  1. Spend, save and donate categories in the app
  2. You can reward your kid reward for each chore
  3. See your kid’s transactions

Cons:

  1. Little control after allocating budget
  2. A lot of fees 

Overview

BusyKid Debit Card and app are made for kids exclusively. The minimum age to get this debit card is 5 years. However, the Busykid debit card comes with fees at almost every step of the process. 

The spending limit is capped at $2000 per month with the same deposit limit. Parents can set a budget for each category but they cannot control individual transactions.

Parents can reward their kids for each chore they do like picking weeds, cleaning toilets, taking out the trash, etc. 

The BusyPay system lets the grandparents give bounties and allowances to the kids. 

BusyKid is a good way to teach financial responsibility to your kid. For getting the BusyKid Debit Card, a parent must be at least 18 years old, Social security number, phone number, and a bank account.

GoHenry Debit Card

Best for Financial Literacy

GoHenry Debit Card

GoHenry Debit Card

Fees: $3.99 per month

Rewards: No Rewards

Mobile App Ratings: 3.93/5

Minimum Age: 6+ years

ATM Fee: $1.50 per transaction 

Spending Limit: $2,500 per day per family

Parental-Control: Good Parental control

Availability: Accepted where VISA is available

Why We Choose it

Unique Financial learning experience with interactive games that give reward points each time, a personalized card, and a 30-day free trial

Pros:

  1. 30 days free trial
  2. Financial learning games in the app called Money Missions. 
  3. Parental control, you co-manage the debit card with your kids

Cons:

  1. Monthly fee
  2. Limited funding & load options

Overview

GoHenry Debit Card for kids and teens stands out for its unique and interactive financial literacy games. 

You manage your kid’s debit card with them, see where they spend, how much they spend and control their spending categories. 

GoHenry also offers a personalized Debit Card option. You can choose any of the 40 different designs. 

GoHenry comes with overdraft protection. It will automatically decline transactions when kids exceed their account balance. 

Experience GoHenry Debit Card and decide for yourself with a 30-day free trial.

The primary account holder in GoHenry is the parent. To open an account with GoHenry, a parent must be at least 18 years of age and a have social security number. You can get a subaccount for your kid as young as 6 years. 

Compare Best Debit Card for Teens

Debit Card Minimum Age Fees Minimum Deposit Rewards Parental Control Availability
Copper Banking Debit Card 13+ No fees $0 No Rewards Yes Everywhere
Capital One Money Teens 8+ No monthly fees $0 Checking account balance earns rewards Yes Everywhere
BlueBird Debit Card 13+ No monthly fees $0 No Rewards Yes Everywhere
Jassby Debit Card 7+ No monthly fees $0 Reward points to parent’s account when the kid uses Jassby app and literacy tools Yes Everywhere
Chase First Banking 6+ No monthly fees $0 No Rewards Yes Everywhere
FamZoo 13+ $2.50-$5.99/month $0 No rewards Yes Everywhere
American Express Serve 13+ $6.95 per month $0 No Rewards Yes Everywhere
BusyKid Visa Debit Card 5+ $3.99 per month $0 No Rewards Yes Accepted where Vsa is accepted
GoHenry Debit Card 6+ $3.99 per month $0 No Rewards Yes Accepted where Visa is available
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How to Choose the Best Debit Card for Your Teen

You’ll first need to decide if your kid needs a debit card. 

A debit card is a good first step to teaching your kid about financial literacy. It gives them the freedom to manage their own money and spend it as they like. You can see their money habits and teach them valuable money lessons. 

However, you’ll need to keep an eye on their spending. See where they are spending money and spot bad habits. You will also need to watch if they spend more than the limit or misspend the money. 

Here are five criteria that can help you choose the best debit card for teens. 

Parental Control

Make sure you have enough control over your kid’s debit card and their checking account. See if you can control their spending, set any limits, or block any spending categories specifically. 

Debit Card Fees

Many debit cards for teens charge a monthly maintenance fee, funds reloading fee, transaction fees, and ATM fees. Check the total cost of owning a debit card for teens including all the charges.

Availability

See how you can apply for the card and where the card can be used. A good debit card for teens would be the one that is accepted by most retailers. 

Rewards

Many debit cards for teens do not offer rewards but some do. Though this is not a strong criterion still getting additional rewards on your kid’s debit card is nice to have. 

Financial Literacy Features 

One of the goals of a debit card for teens is to teach your kids about financial literacy. Some teens’ debit card apps offer interactive games, guides, and tutorials. GoHenry Kids Debit Card is one such debit card app that comes with financial literacy apps. Look for the financial literacy tools on the debit card app.

See our list of the Best Online Business Bank Accounts for Entrepreneurs and Startups.

How to Open a Debit Card for Teens

For most banks and debit cards, you can open an account and get a debit card online. However, the exact process will be different for each debit card or bank. 

Generally, you’ll need to keep the following information by your side to get a debit card for teens. 

  • Your full name, SSN, date of birth, and ID
  • Your kid’s full name, SSN, and date of birth
  • You need to have a checking account to add funds to the new debit card 

The debit card delivery takes anywhere between 7 to 10 days on average.

Methodology

We chose 9 of the top debit cards and evaluated them for strict criteria including fees, parental control, rewards, and accessibility. We also looked at the individual reputation of a debit card for teens before suggesting. You can explore more about these debit cards for teens on their websites.

FAQs:

Some popular options for debit cards for teens include Greenlight, FamZoo, and goHenry. These cards offer parental controls, budgeting tools, and educational features to help teens learn about managing money responsibly.

When choosing a debit card for your teen, consider factors such as fees, parental controls, ease of use, mobile app features, and customer support. Look for cards that provide a balance between convenience and security.

Yes, many financial institutions offer debit cards specifically designed for teenagers. These cards usually require parental consent and supervision, allowing parents to monitor and control their teen’s spending habits.

Age restrictions may vary depending on the card issuer. Some debit cards for teens may be available for ages 13 and up, while others may require the teen to be at least 16 or 18 years old. It’s important to check the age requirements before applying.

Having a debit card can teach teens financial responsibility, budgeting skills, and the importance of managing their own money. It allows them to make purchases independently while providing parents with oversight and control.

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