Best bank cards for kids: Debit and prepaid cards

Starling Kite Account

9.7 Excellent

Our top scorer among prepaid cards. Starling Kite has no fees for overseas spending, zero. So you can rest easy when your child is spending their holiday money that they won’t get tripped up by foreign transaction fees on their card. Kite also has a daily limit for ATM withdrawals, which can be set by parents, and blocks on certain merchants such as nightclubs and bars. While not the only card with no fees for spending abroad, Starling Kite has its own kids app where they can track their spending and start budgeting. You’ll also be able to keep an eye on things from your own Starling app.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • No fees for topping up the card’s prepaid account.
  • Robust parental controls.
  • Easy for parents to manage from their existing mobile banking app.

  Cons

  • Parents already need to be a Starling account holder to order and use Kite.

• More details

  UK cash withdrawal fee	£0
  Loading fee	£0
  Replacement card fee	£5
  Network	Mastercard
  How many child accounts	6
  Freeze and unfreeze card

NatWest Rooster Money Account

9.3 Excellent

As your child learns about money, you’ll want to keep a close eye on them. NatWest’s Rooster Money has a range of flexible parental controls which you can adjust to suit how you want your child to manage their money. You can choose where and how much your kids can spend. The Rooster Card also has a dynamic CVV to keep your child’s money safe, where a new CVV is generated for each online purchase. All you need to do is go to your dashboard and request one. Meanwhile, you can take advantage of the app’s Contactless Counter which helps you keep track of whether your child is near their contactless limit. If they hit it and have forgotten their PIN, you’re able to reset contactless via your family dashboard and they can continue to tap away without any issues.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Great educational value; a slick app with lots of features to personalise the way you teach your children about finance.
  • Children as young as 4 years old can use it (6 for the card).
  • Total control over where your children use the card and how much they can spend.
  • Safe and secure. The card can be frozen from the app.
  • No fees for using the card (including abroad).
  • One-month free trial.

  Cons

  • Annual fee to access the full range of features, including the card.
  • Parents topping up card limited to 3 loads a day/10 a month for free.
  • Spending abroad on the card is free up to £50 a month, then it’s 3% of the transaction.
  • No interest paid on the account balance.

• More details

  UK cash withdrawal fee	£0
  Loading fee	3/day or 10/month free, then £0.50
  Replacement card fee	Free for the first replacement (per household), £5 thereafter
  Network	VISA
  How many child accounts	No limit
  Other fees	£0
  Freeze and unfreeze card

Monzo for Under 16s

9.3 Excellent

Monzo for Under 16s is a prepaid debit card for kids aged 6–15. Parents or guardians need to have a Monzo current account to open an account for their child. Once open adults can control and oversee it through their own Monzo app.

The account comes with no monthly fees, transaction fees or cash withdrawals fees, though there is replacement fee if the card gets lost or damaged.

You can create savings pots as well to help kids learn about saving regularly, but they don’t pay any interest so kids won’t be able to learn about compounding even if they enjoy the habit of seeing their balance grow through regular saving.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Parent has full control and oversight
  • Choice of card colours
  • Free to open and no account fees

  Cons

  • No interest on linked savings pots
  • Lack of educational features

• More details

  UK cash withdrawal fee	£0
  Loading fee	£0
  Replacement card fee	£5
  Network	Mastercard
  How many child accounts	5
  Freeze and unfreeze card

GoHenry Account - with £20 pocket money and 2 months free

9.2 Excellent

GoHenry is known for its focus on financial education and has put its money where its mouth is with its Money Missions. These are bite-sized lessons for every age range, with more advanced modules for older children. There are tutorials and gamified quizzes where your child can earn a reward and a badge when they achieve each skill. Topics include banking basics, savings, interest, borrowing and much more. Alongside this, GoHenry also has savings goals and the ability to set chores so your child can earn their allowance. All of which feeds into your child having a greater understanding of how money works.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Full parental control thanks to instant notifications and spending limits
  • One-month free trial
  • It can be used by children as young as six
  • Reward system for completed tasks
  • Children learn about personal finance in a controlled environment
  • Relatives can also send money to the children
  • You can manage up to four child accounts from the same parent account
  • No fees to spend or withdraw cash abroad - these were scrapped in 2020

  Cons

  • Monthly fee
  • Only one free top-up to the child account a month
  • Safe, but not as safe and regulated as a bank
  • It doesn’t pay any interest
  • There are cheaper cards available

• More details

  UK cash withdrawal fee	£0
  Loading fee	1 free/month, then 50p each
  Replacement card fee	Free, or £4.99 if changing the card design
  Network	VISA
  How many child accounts	4
  Other fees	£4.99 for a customisable card or Eco Card
  Freeze and unfreeze card

nimbl Account

7.8 Great

Building a savings habit early on can help your child in later life. Nimbl makes this easy to do with its micro-savings feature. This allows children to automatically save between 5p and £5 every time they spend on their card. While other kids’ prepaid cards have savings goals and automatic transfers, Nimbl is unique in offering this type of saving feature. It’s more akin to the round-up savings tools found on adult current accounts.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Full control on how children spend their money thanks to spending control settings and instant notifications.
  • Children as young as six years old can use it.
  • It helps you to educate your children to manage their finances.
  • You can turn off online payments or cash withdrawals.
  • Safe and secure. The card can be blocked online or via the app.
  • You can manage more than one Child Account from the same Parent Account.
  • No fees for topping up the Parent Account or child’s card, or for “Gifting”.

  Cons

  • While most mainstream bank accounts for children are for free, nimbl charges a monthly fee.
  • You cannot top up the account using cash.
  • With nimbl, children earn no interest on any savings.

• More details

  UK cash withdrawal fee	£0
  Loading fee	£0
  Replacement card fee	£5
  Network	Mastercard
  How many child accounts	4
  Other fees	£0
  Freeze and unfreeze card

Revolut <18 Account

9.8 Excellent

This Revolut card is perfect for older kids who want a taste of freedom, but with sensible co-parenting tools in place at no extra cost. Co-parents can then top-up the account, manage activity and, with Revolut’s Premium or Metal plan, set challenges and create goals for their child. There are also plenty of direct benefits for the young card owner: they can pay friends, link the card to Apple Pay or Google Pay, and enjoy discounts and rewards with top brands. Depending on what plan you have, you can get up to 5 linked accounts, whether you’re the lead parent or the co-parent.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • A parent can digitally top up their child’s account with spending money.
  • Instant parental notifications are generated whenever the child makes a purchase with the prepaid debit card.
  • Parental controls mean rules can be set on where the child’s card can be used.
  • The child gets their own account and payment card, which helps teach them financial skills.
  • The dedicated Revolut children's app lets kids check their account balance and transactions.

  Cons

  • The parent has to be a Revolut account holder.
  • If you have more than one child and want more than one Revolut
  • There are charges for ATM withdrawals exceeding £40 per month.

• More details

  UK cash withdrawal fee	£0
  Loading fee	£0
  Replacement card fee	£5
  Network	Mastercard
  How many child accounts	1
  Other fees	2% ATM withdrawal fee after £40 month
  Freeze and unfreeze card

Santander 123 Mini Current Account

7.8 Great

If you’re looking for a kids’ account that pays interest on balances, Santander’s 123 Mini Current Account is a good option. It offers a tiered interest rate, which peaks at a market-leading 3% AER. On balances up to £999.99, your child can earn 1% on the entire balance. This jumps to 2% AER between £1,000 and £1,499.99 and tops out at 3% AER once the balance is £1,500 up to £2,000. The account can be opened at any age, but for children under 13 there must be a trustee in place and the trustee must have their own Santander personal account.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Can be opened from the age of zero
  • No monthly fee
  • Interest paid on balances
  • Choice of debit card and cash card

  Cons

  • Interest only paid on set amount
  • No standard savings account for children

• More details

  Minimum age	13 Years
  Maximum eligibility age	Under 18 Years
  ATM withdrawal limit	£300
  Debit network	Visa
  Currency conversion withdrawal for overseas cash withdrawal in Europe (EEA)	2.95%
  Currency conversion withdrawal for overseas cash withdrawal in non-Europe (EEA)	2.95%
  Currency conversion charge for Europe (EEA)	2.95%
  Currency conversion charge for non-Europe (EEA)	2.95%

Lloyds Bank Smart Start Spending Account - Age 11-15

8.5 Great

Lloyds Bank’s Smart Start account is a spending and savings account in one. It helps children learn how to manage their own money. One of the key ways it does this is by giving parents complete oversight. As a parent, you can keep an eye on your child’s account through your own mobile banking app or online banking. You can also rest easy in that spending is not allowed in over-18 outlets like off-licences. Just bear in mind you’ll need a Club Lloyds Current Account in order for your child to be eligible to apply for Smart Start.

As they are also part of the Lloyds Banking Group, you’ll find that the Halifax Smart Start and Bank of Scotland Smart Start accounts have the same features.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • No monthly fees
  • Spending controls
  • FSCS protected
  • Children can manage the account online or using the mobile app

  Cons

  • Parent or guardian will need a Club Lloyds Current Account
  • No current account or prepaid card for children under 11

• More details

  Minimum age	11 Years
  Maximum eligibility age	15 Years
  ATM withdrawal limit	£500
  Debit network	Visa
  Currency conversion withdrawal for overseas cash withdrawal in Europe (EEA)	2.99%
  Currency conversion withdrawal for overseas cash withdrawal in non-Europe (EEA)	2.99%
  Currency conversion charge for Europe (EEA)	2.99%
  Currency conversion charge for non-Europe (EEA)	2.99%

HSBC MyAccount - Age 11-17

8.4 Great

HSBC’s MyAccount comes with automatic access to its MySavings account, which has a highly competitive interest rate on balances up to £3,000. Both the MyAccount and the MySavings account can be accessed and managed through online and mobile banking. Meanwhile, if your child wants to withdraw money from their savings account, they can do this using their cash book at any one of HSBC's branches. You can help your child start their savings journey from just £10 using HSBC’s MySavings account.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • No monthly fees
  • Interest on savings up to £3,000
  • FSCS protected

  Cons

  • Cash withdrawals limited to £100
  • Must be at least 11 to apply

• More details

  Minimum age	11 Years
  Maximum eligibility age	17 Years
  ATM withdrawal limit	£100
  Debit network	Visa
  Currency conversion withdrawal for overseas cash withdrawal in Europe (EEA)	2.75%
  Currency conversion withdrawal for overseas cash withdrawal in non-Europe (EEA)	2.75%
  Currency conversion charge for Europe (EEA)	2.75%
  Currency conversion charge for non-Europe (EEA)	2.75%

Nationwide FlexOne Account

8.3 Great

As your child grows they will want to explore more of the world. Be it on a school trip or that post GSCE holiday with friends, you’ll want to make sure that they can spend their money abroad without any issues. A large part of this is avoiding costly fees. With the Nationwide FlexOne account, there are no fees for making a payment or withdrawing cash from an ATM while overseas. The account also offers interest on balances. Plus, your child can keep it until they are 23 when they’ll be moved across to a FlexAccount or a FlexDirect account.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Account is free to open and manage
  • Fee-free transactions abroad
  • Interest paid on credit balances
  • Choice of cash card or Visa debit card
  • FSCS protection

  Cons

  • Interest only paid on balances up to {{ MONEYFACTS.INCREDIT1_RATE1_UPPER }}
  • Must be at least 11 to apply
  • Accounts for 11 and 12 year olds can only be opened over the phone or at certain branches with a tablet
  • No specific app for children

• More details

  Minimum age	11 Years
  Maximum eligibility age	17 Years
  ATM withdrawal limit	£300
  Debit network	Visa
  Currency conversion withdrawal for overseas cash withdrawal in Europe (EEA)	0%
  Currency conversion withdrawal for overseas cash withdrawal in non-Europe (EEA)	0%
  Currency conversion charge for Europe (EEA)	0%
  Currency conversion charge for non-Europe (EEA)	0%

Starling Current Account - Age 16-17

9.8 Excellent

If you have a teen or are a teen, and are looking for an account to help you with your money management, take a look at the Starling Teen account. Specifically for those aged 16 and 17, it does nearly everything Starling’s main current account does but doesn’t have an overdraft option. It can be set up in minutes through the app and has all the money management tools Starling is known for, including instant pay notifications, spending insights and dedicated Savings Spaces. Alongside this, you can settle payments with friends by sending payment links directly from your mobile. Or by using Starling's “Settle up with Nearby Payments” feature, which lets you transfer money to someone sitting next to you, with no bank details needed.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Account is free to open and operate
  • App is packed with features to help young people better manage their money
  • 24/7 customer support

  Cons

  • Account can only be operated via the app
  • Your teen will need to have a mobile phone
  • Only available to 16- and 17-year-olds

• More details

  Minimum age	16 Years
  Maximum eligibility age	Under 18 Years
  ATM withdrawal limit	£300
  Debit network	Mastercard
  Currency conversion withdrawal for overseas cash withdrawal in Europe (EEA)	£0
  Currency conversion withdrawal for overseas cash withdrawal in non-Europe (EEA)	£0
  Currency conversion charge for Europe (EEA)	£0
  Currency conversion charge for non-Europe (EEA)	£0