We round up the best cards to get for your children – taking a look at what matters most from parental controls, costs and even the best designs available
Instead of handing over cash to your children as pocket money, their own card which you can load or one attached to a bank account, gives them more independence and can be a great way to start teaching them about money.
You can choose a prepaid card, for kids aged six and up, or a children’s bank account with a debit card attached, for those aged 11 and older, or you there’s nothing to stop you having one of each for your child.
From rainbows to space, children can often choose the colour and design of a prepaid card and many come with extra features such as lessons about spending and saving. The parent controls everything else from an app – although fees usually apply for using one. While with a bank account, children are free to spend their money (without a parent checking up on them) and they may be able to earn interest on their cash too.
Here we look at the options in a little more detail.
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What are pocket money cards for kids?
Cards for kids put them in control of what they buy and spend their (or your) money on, but with a parent in the background keeping an eye on the spending, setting limits, and getting alerts about what’s being bought.
You could use one alongside, or instead, of cash and as some retailers are now card only, they’re a good way to give your child the freedom to buy things without you. It’s also safer if something goes wrong – a lost purse full of cash is a lot harder to get back compared to a prepaid card or debit card which can be frozen straight away.
There are lots of providers and cards to choose from but most allow the child to have a card to spend as they like, with an app on a parent’s phone.
There are two main ways to get a card for a child:
- You could choose a prepaid money card, which is for those aged six and up. An adult will need to sign up, usually through an app they download, and they can load the card with money. The child is given an account which is controlled by the adult and they’ll choose a card colour and design.
- You could also pick a children’s bank account (usually from age 11), which children can apply for, although they may need permission from a parent or guardian. They will be given an account in their name and can request a debit card which they can use.
What’s the best bank card for kids?
Both debit and prepaid cards for kids work in a similar way, but the best for your child will depend on a few things including:
- Age: prepaid cards are available for younger children while debit cards linked to bank accounts are usually only for those aged 11 and up.
- Fees: some prepaid cards have a lot of fees attached to them, while debit cards are usually free.
- Extra perks: prepaids cards usually have a range of extra features such as tools to monitor spending on the card while debit cards may not offer these.
- Interest: if your child opens a bank account, they may earn interest on the money within the account, this won’t happen with a prepaid card
Top up and go: prepaid bank cards
If you are looking to set up a prepaid bank card, an adult will need to sign up and download an app. Your child can then choose a card which will be sent out, you will need to transfer money into their account, and then they can start using it.
Depending on the provider, you may also be able to set up alerts when the card is used, set spending limits, temporarily freeze the card, and even limit where it’s used – such as just for ATMs or online shopping. Adult retailers – such as those offering gambling services or alcohol – are also exempt for prepaid cards.
Prepaid cards usually come with a range of spending and budgeting tools, which can be a really useful way to teach children about money and saving.
There are often fees to pay, such as for signing up, annual fees, transaction fees, or fees when you load the card. You can usually cancel a card for free at any time but you may be charged to transfer any money left on it back to your bank account, there could be inactivity fees too.
How much you pay (some are free) will depend on the card you choose. If you want a paid-for card, there are usually free trials available to allow you to try out a card before having to pay.
Featured switching deal
Our top pick
Customer rating
3.8/5
- Switch bonus£180
- Offer endsUnknown
- Extra bonus£25 Amazon Gift Card
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Switch bonus requirements Switch using the Current Account Switch Service and close your old account within 60 days of starting the switch
- Deposit requirements Deposit £1,500 in the first 60 days from opening the account
- Direct debits transferred over Set up two Direct Debits before or after the switch from a selected list of household bills
- Existing customers? Can't have held any Santander current account on 1 January 2025
- Restrictions Can't have received a switching bonus from Santander already, offer limited to once per person
- Eligible accounts Open a new or hold an existing Everyday, Edge, Edge Up or Edge Explorer current account
- £25 Amazon Gift Card requirements To qualify for the gift card, you need to complete a full switch using CASS, and make five debit card transactions within 30 days of opening the account.
Open an account with a debit card
A child’s bank account is pretty much the same as a standard adult bank account. Money can be paid into the account, direct debits and standing orders can be set up, linked savings accounts can usually be opened which pay interest and they are usually free and don’t include any debt facilities – such as an overdraft.
Children can often start earning interest on the money in their account, which is a big bonus when compared to prepaid money cards which don’t offer this.
The account may come with a debit card or a cash card (just for withdrawals) and there may be restrictions, such as the parent or guardian may need to be an existing customer of a bank before a child can open an account there.
A child can set up an account by themselves (with a parent or guardian present) and when they turn 18 it becomes an adult account. Then they are very much in control of the account, they can use the debit card how they like and parents can’t keep an eye on what’s going on.
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Are kids’ money cards safe?
Prepaid card providers are FCA-regulated but money loaded onto a prepaid card is not protected in the same way as money held within a UK bank account.
In some cases if the prepaid card company were to fall into administration, your money should be protected as it isn’t held by the company but kept safe in a separate bank. But if the bank holding your cash were to go bust, there’s no protection here unlike with debit cards and bank accounts.
If this were to happen to a bank account where your child had a debit card,up to £120,000 of the money would be protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
You do have access to the Visa and MasterCard ‘chargeback’ scheme, with both prepaid cards and debit cards, if something goes wrong with a purchase. If a card is lost or stolen, or you see a purchase you don’t think your child made, it’s important to contact the card company as soon as possible. Many of them have their own protections set up to help customers if this happens.
Astronauts, unicorns, footballers or kittens: your child can pick the design
When you open a child’s prepaid card, there are usually lots of designs and colours to choose from, making the experience a lot more fun. With GoHenry, for example, there’s 45 to choose from including footballers, kittens, whales, unicorns and even a pineapple with sunglasses!
You can usually choose the colour, a design to go with it, and even have the child’s name on the card. While it’s clearly not essential, this makes the experience more exciting for a child and they have control over how their card looks. Some providers offer a small range of free designs and premier designs which you’ll have to pay for.
This is a lot less common with debit cards attached to a bank account, where your child will probably be given the standard card that comes with the account.
The best kids prepaid cards
Children's Prepaid Cards
Monzo for Under 16s
Customer rating
4.9/5
- Monthly fee£0
- Ages6-15-year-olds
- Parent account required?Yes
- PerksInterest on savings
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Interest paid Your child can earn 2.75% AER (variable) interest on their savings
- Parent account As a parent, you need to have a Monzo bank account in order to set one up for your child. You can set spending limits and see their transactions
- Card Your child gets a neon card, and can choose between several different colours
NatWest Rooster Money
Customer rating
4.9/5
- Monthly fee£1.99 - free with a parent account
- Ages6-17 year olds
- Parent account required?No
- PerksPocket money for chores
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Interest paid No
- Parent account If you have a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster account,then you can get Rooster Money for free
- Perks You can use Rooster Money as a chore tracker and a star chart
- Savings account Children can create savings pots to grow their money towards a goal
- Card Choose between three card designs for free, or further designs for an added cost
nimbl debit card
Customer rating
4.9/5
- Fee£32 per year
- Ages6-18 years old
- Parent account required?No
- PerksPocket money for chores
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Interest paid No
- Fees It costs £32 per year for the first card, then £27 per year for any after that
- Parent account There's no linked bank account for the parent, but you do have an account that keeps you in control — you can set up regular pocket money, set goals, approve or decline tasks, and track spending
- Card Choose from a range of colours
- Perks You can automate money transfers into the account, set up chores and set up a gifting link for family and friends to pay into the account
- Savings account Your child can set up a savings pot to build towards a goal
gohenry Kids' Debit Card
Customer rating
4.9/5
- Monthly fee£3.99
- Ages6 - 17 year olds
- Parent account required?No
- PerksPocket money for chores
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Interest paid No - only paid for Plus and Max accounts
- Fees £3.99 per month for one child
- Parent account There's no bank account for parents; instead, the account is topped up using your existing bank account
- Card Customisable debit card
- Education Includes access to Money Missions to teach kids about money
- Perks Parents can set chores with the app, and anyone can pay into the account with Giftlinks
The best child bank accounts with debit cards
Children's bank accounts
Nationwide FlexOne Current Account
Customer rating
4.3/5
- Monthly fee£0
- Ages11-17 years
- Parent account required?No
- Perks2% AER interest paid
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Interest paid 2% AER variable on balances up to £1,000
- Parent account The parent doesn't need to have their own Nationwide account to open this account for their children
- Savings account You also get access to the FlexOne Saver account which currently pays 5% AER variable
- Card Kids aged between 11 and 17 and a half can choose between a cash card and Visa debit card
Santander 1|2|3 Mini Current Account
Customer rating
3.8/5
- Monthly fee£0
- Ages0-17 years
- Parent account required?No
- Perksup to 3% AER on savings
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Parent account You don't need to have a Santander current account to open one of these accounts for your children
- Interest paid 1% AER on up to £1,000 saved, 2% AER on £1,000 - £1,500, 3% on £1,500 - £2,000
- Card Contactless debit card or cash card included
HSBC MyMoney
Customer rating
3.5/5
- Monthly fee£0
- Ages11-17 year olds
- Parent account required?Yes
- Perks4.5% AER linked savings
- FSCS Protected? Yes
- Parent account Parent needs to be a HSBC customer already
- Savings account 4.5% AER linked savings account, paid on up to £3,500 saved
- Card Contactless debit card included
Prepaid card or bank account? My top choice
You are spoilt for choice when it comes to prepaid cards and bank accounts for kids as there are hundreds to choose from, which can also be slightly overwhelming.
For me (as I have younger children) the GoHenry prepaid card would be my first choice. My six-year old would love getting to choose the design of the card and I would love the fact that it has so many extra features included. There are over 100 money lessons, for example, which have been created by experts making it a great way to teach children about money.
However, it does come with a high price tag so for a budget option, I’d choose the Monzo card for under 16s as it’s the only one charging absolutely nothing. It would also be a good card to start with if you’re not 100% sure about getting one, and if you decide you do want some of the more advanced features you could sign up to a paid-for card.
When it comes to children’s bank accounts, Nationwide is my top choice and I think it would make an excellent first account for a child to sign up to. I especially love the fact it pays interest on balances (I know other banks do but realistically I don’t think most children are going to have especially high balances in their first current account), it’s free, and there aren’t any requirements for a parent to sign up too.
FAQS:
What happens when the child turns 18?
When the child turns 18, most prepaid cards and children’s bank accounts automatically turn into adult accounts.
Are credit checks needed?
Most prepaid money cards do not require credit checks but if your child is opening a bank account, some providers may require the parent or guardian to carry out a simple credit check.
Can you open a kids card without ID?
You will usually need to show some kind of proof of identification when opening a prepaid card or a bank account for a child. This may be a passport or birth certificate, for example.
Is there a minimum top up?
Some providers may have a minimum amount you need to load a card with before it can be used and some banks require a minimum deposit to open an account. Fees might also apply for loading the card.
Can more than one adult manage a child’s card?
Yes, it’s possible for multiple adults to manage a prepaid kids card, usually via the provider’s app.
