Kids’ debit cards can help you teach your kids about money, easily give them allowances and even help them save for short-term or long-term goals. However, many debit cards for kids charge a monthly fee – something many parents hope to avoid.
We’ve rounded up seven of the best free debit cards for kids and teens so you can easily help your child manage money without digging into your own wallet.
Taking the win for best overall, Step is completely free to open and use and available to kids of all ages. There are no monthly maintenance or overdraft fees. One of its better perks is the ability to help teens build a credit history. Teens can use their secured credit card (with no interest charges) and repay what they've spent, and once they're 18, their credit history is sent to all three credit bureaus. Step also launched a new savings reward perk, offering users 4% on their savings goals balance. There are also cashback rewards and an optional investment account they can open with parental approval. Step also has no customer phone line, so you're limited to email, in-app support or social media.
Maintenance Fees
$0 monthly
Age requirements
Any age
Taking the win for best overall, Step is completely free to open and use and available to kids of all ages. There are no monthly maintenance or overdraft fees. One of its better perks is the ability to help teens build a credit history. Teens can use their secured credit card (with no interest charges) and repay what they've spent, and once they're 18, their credit history is sent to all three credit bureaus. Step also launched a new savings reward perk, offering users 4% on their savings goals balance. There are also cashback rewards and an optional investment account they can open with parental approval. Step also has no customer phone line, so you're limited to email, in-app support or social media.
Pros
No monthly fee
Build credit without interest charges
Cash back on select offers and 4% savings reward
Optional investing platform
Cons
No phone support
Fee
$0 per month
ATM withdrawal
$0
Age requirements
Any age
Card type
Credit
Special offer
Earn $1 for every person that joins using your unique link or code. They'll also get $1
With no monthly or overdraft fees at all, Modak Makers has earned itself a spot as one of the best free kids cards. The MoCard offers rewards, chores and allowance tracking, and multiple reload options. The crown jewel of Modak are the Mobucks, which are cash-redeemable rewards earned by completing in-app or parent-set challenges. Challenges can be chores, certain exercises, or completing a study session. With the Parent Portal, parents can manage and view the account, and reload the card in multiple ways including Apple Pay, Google Pay, direct deposit, ACH or direct card transfers. But just know that the MoCard can’t be used at ATMs, some reload options have extra fees, and parents won’t be able to set custom spending limits.
Maintenance Fees
$0 monthly
Age requirements
Any age
With no monthly or overdraft fees at all, Modak Makers has earned itself a spot as one of the best free kids cards. The MoCard offers rewards, chores and allowance tracking, and multiple reload options. The crown jewel of Modak are the Mobucks, which are cash-redeemable rewards earned by completing in-app or parent-set challenges. Challenges can be chores, certain exercises, or completing a study session. With the Parent Portal, parents can manage and view the account, and reload the card in multiple ways including Apple Pay, Google Pay, direct deposit, ACH or direct card transfers. But just know that the MoCard can’t be used at ATMs, some reload options have extra fees, and parents won’t be able to set custom spending limits.
Pros
No monthly or overdraft fees
Mobucks rewards
No age restrictions
Multiple reload options
Parent Portal to manage account
Cons
Can't be used at ATMs
No custom spending limits
$0.50 + 3% reload fee via Apple Pay, Google Pay or credit card
For teens over age 13, the Current Teen Debit Card has an automatic savings feature that rounds up purchases to the nearest dollar to be sent to your teen's savings. Teens can also create their own savings goals, track chores and allowances, and negotiate chore compensation. Parents can track teen spending, set spending limits, set up recurring deposits, block transactions and transfer funds. But to open this account, parents must open a personal Current checking account and link it to their teen's account. And while there's no monthly fee or minimum opening deposit, there's a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Fee
$0. per month
Age requirements
Any age
For teens over age 13, the Current Teen Debit Card has an automatic savings feature that rounds up purchases to the nearest dollar to be sent to your teen's savings. Teens can also create their own savings goals, track chores and allowances, and negotiate chore compensation. Parents can track teen spending, set spending limits, set up recurring deposits, block transactions and transfer funds. But to open this account, parents must open a personal Current checking account and link it to their teen's account. And while there's no monthly fee or minimum opening deposit, there's a 3% foreign transaction fee.
The Capital One TEEN Money Checking account is available for ages 8 and up. It has no monthly fees, opening deposits or overdraft fees. Unlike most kids’ bank accounts, Capital One offers Zelle integration with the TEEN Money Checking account so teens 13 and up can use it, with adult consent and registration. Additionally, this account earns up to 0.1% APY on all balances, comes with savings tools, parents can lower spending limits and get fee-free access to over 70,000 ATMs nationwide. Parents don't have to be existing Cap One customers to get this account and just require an adult co-owner. However, TEEN Money Checking doesn't come with chore or allowance features.
Savings
0.10%
Fee
$0 per month
Age requirements
8 to 17 years old
The Capital One TEEN Money Checking account is available for ages 8 and up. It has no monthly fees, opening deposits or overdraft fees. Unlike most kids’ bank accounts, Capital One offers Zelle integration with the TEEN Money Checking account so teens 13 and up can use it, with adult consent and registration. Additionally, this account earns up to 0.1% APY on all balances, comes with savings tools, parents can lower spending limits and get fee-free access to over 70,000 ATMs nationwide. Parents don't have to be existing Cap One customers to get this account and just require an adult co-owner. However, TEEN Money Checking doesn't come with chore or allowance features.
Pros
$0 monthly fees
Teens 13+ can use Zelle
Earns 0.1% APY on all balances
Savings tools
Doesn't require parents to be existing Cap One customers
Chase First Banking is powered by Greenlight and is for kids ages 6 to 17. There's no monthly fee, and it features powerful parental controls. Parents can set limits on how much their child spends in one place, opt in for alerts whenever they use their card and set ATM withdrawal limits. Chase also features a mobile app that lets you track chores, allowances and transfer funds from your personal Chase account. But to open a Chase First Banking account, you must have a Chase checking account, and you can only link one parent account at a time.
Fee
$0 per month
Age requirements
6 to 17 years old
Chase First Banking is powered by Greenlight and is for kids ages 6 to 17. There's no monthly fee, and it features powerful parental controls. Parents can set limits on how much their child spends in one place, opt in for alerts whenever they use their card and set ATM withdrawal limits. Chase also features a mobile app that lets you track chores, allowances and transfer funds from your personal Chase account. But to open a Chase First Banking account, you must have a Chase checking account, and you can only link one parent account at a time.
Pros
No monthly fee
ATM withdrawal spending limits
Chore and allowance tracking in Chase's app
Available to kids as young as 6 years old
Cons
Parents must have a Chase personal checking account
A free kids' debit card that comes with both a physical and virtual card, Till Financial gives parents three methods to contribute funds to their child's account: weekly contributions, a percentage match on each deposit your child makes or parent-paid interest. Till also features strong parental controls, requiring parental approval before kids can move money in or out of the account. Like the other accounts on this list, Till doesn't charge a monthly fee or additional fees for adding more kids. On the downside, Till may not be compatible with smaller banks or credit unions as it uses Plaid to link external accounts, and parents can only have one funding source set up at one time.
Fee
$0 per month
Age requirements
Any age
A free kids' debit card that comes with both a physical and virtual card, Till Financial gives parents three methods to contribute funds to their child's account: weekly contributions, a percentage match on each deposit your child makes or parent-paid interest. Till also features strong parental controls, requiring parental approval before kids can move money in or out of the account. Like the other accounts on this list, Till doesn't charge a monthly fee or additional fees for adding more kids. On the downside, Till may not be compatible with smaller banks or credit unions as it uses Plaid to link external accounts, and parents can only have one funding source set up at one time.
Pros
No monthly fees
Parents can contribute funds multiple ways
Virtual and physical debit cards
Kid-created savings goals
Strong parental controls
Cons
Only links to one personal checking account
Smaller financial instructions may not be compatible
The Fidelity Youth Account is a brokerage account that comes with a debit card for teens aged 13 to 17. It's free to maintain, as there are no monthly fees or minimum opening deposit requirements. Teens can invest in stocks, ETFs and mutual funds with as little as $1 — with parental supervision. Another major perk is that your teen's uninvested cash is automatically placed into a money market fund that can earn 4.44%. But just know that while parents can view all investment activity, they can't approve or prevent transactions.
Savings
4.44%
Fee
$0 per month
Age requirements
13 to 17 years old
The Fidelity Youth Account is a brokerage account that comes with a debit card for teens aged 13 to 17. It's free to maintain, as there are no monthly fees or minimum opening deposit requirements. Teens can invest in stocks, ETFs and mutual funds with as little as $1 — with parental supervision. Another major perk is that your teen's uninvested cash is automatically placed into a money market fund that can earn 4.44%. But just know that while parents can view all investment activity, they can't approve or prevent transactions.
Pros
No monthly fee
Invest in stocks, ETFs and mutual funds
Unlimited domestic ATM reimbursements for Visa, Plus or Star ATMs
Uninvested funds earn 4.44%
Cons
Parents can't deny transactions
Parents must have or sign up for a Fidelity account
Savings
4.44%
Fee
$0 per month
ATM transaction fee
$0
Foreign transaction fee
1%
Overdraft fee
$0
Savings
4.44%
Fee
$0 per month
Age requirements
13 to 17 years old
Methodology
Finder’s banking experts research over 45 kids’ cards before narrowing down the best free accounts. We consider these five factors:
$0 monthly fee
Available in most US states
No strict membership requirements
Strong parental controls
Accounts kids can continue using after they turn 18
How to choose a free kids’ card
Aside from monthly fees, consider these factors when deciding which free card to open for your kid or teen.
Age range. Many debit cards for kids have age requirements. For teen checking accounts, the age range is 13 to 17 years old. But for prepaid debit cards, there’s usually no age requirement.
Accessibility. As a parent on the account, you’ll likely want easy ways to transfer funds and manage your kids’ accounts. Some cards allow transfers via peer-to-peer payment apps, the bank’s own mobile app, QR codes or physical cash deposits. Find the one that works for your lifestyle and child.
Parental controls. Most kids’ cards come with some level of parental control, such as daily spending limits or cash withdrawal limits. Axos’ account for kids allows up to $500 per day, but if that’s too much for you, then consider finding an account with customizable spending limits or extra parental perks like spending notifications.
Financial literacy tools. While more common with paid accounts, quite a few kids’ bank accounts feature chore and allowance tracking. Others, like Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry), have games that teach kids financial literacy. Extra features may include savings goals, budgeting tools and investing options.
Are there free debit cards for 13-year-olds?
Yes, there are plenty of free teen accounts. It may actually be easier to locate a free account for that age range than it is to find one for kids under 12. Most financial institutions allow teens aged 13 to 17 to open an account with a parent or guardian present — which are often free to open and maintain.
Outside of large traditional banks, other options include fintechs, online banks and prepaid debit cards. These options are useful if you’re looking for expanded features like spending limits and chore and allowance tracking. Accounts offered by fintech or digital banks tend to have more kid-centered and educational features, whereas accounts offered by brick-and-mortar banks are very straightforward.
If none of the free kids’ bank accounts are for you, there are other debit cards for kids to consider. However, most cards with financial literacy features charge monthly or annual fees — often costing at least $4 per month. And if you have more than one kid, the fees could add up quickly.
Some paid alternative options include:
Greenlight. The core plan for
Greenlight costs $5.99 per month and features tools for saving, spending and earning. There’s a 2% annual savings reward, you can add up to five kids and access parental controls like setting up store-level limits. Other plans cost $9.98 to $14.98 per month, with extra features like cashback rewards, investing, identity theft and purchase protection and more.
BusyKid. One of
BusyKid's best features is the scheduling of chore assignments with allowance tracking. The app suggests weekly or monthly chores for you to implement. Costing $4 per month (billed annually), kids can also invest with parental approval. The monthly cost includes up to five cards, making it a good option for large families.
Mazoola. Very close to making our best list, the
Mazoola debit card and mobile wallet is a top virtual kid account. While there’s a $4.95 per month fee, it offers an exceptionally long 12-month free trial. Mazoola is also known for security, as the only kids’ account certified as compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). It features strong parental controls, customizability around spending limits, chore trackers, allowance features and no fees for ATM withdrawals.
FamZoo. Chock-full of features,
FamZoo has more than 15 customizable financial literacy tools for kids and teens, and the app accepts kids of all ages. Kids can borrow money and pay it back with interest to their parents, called mock loans. Other features include chore and allowance tracking, spending notifications, automated bill pay and subaccounts for saving and spending. Cost depends on your plan, starting at $5.99 if you pay monthly.
Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto.
Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt.
Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others.
Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio
Bethany's expertise
Bethany has written 429 Finder guides across topics including:
Greenlight and Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry) are strong kids’ debit cards, but Greenlight has a slight edge because of its extra features and competitive price.
Compare the best credit cards that minors under 18 can have as authorized users.
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We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
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