Debit cards for kids

Kids debit cards really make parents' lives easier. They give you peace of mind so you know your child has money for food or transport, and they're a great way to teach good spending habits from a young age.

Look for kids debit cards with spending controls, spending tracking tools and the choice of how your child can spend their card to give yourself total visibility on what they're doing with your money.

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Looking for a prepaid card for your kid's pocket money?

Spriggy is a mobile app with a linked prepaid card which helps Australian parents and their kids to manage their money together and track their progress in a fun, interactive app.

• $30 per year for each child
• Pre-paid Visa debit card accepted anywhere
• Cards come in a range of funky, kid-friendly designs
• Keep tabs on your child's spending, saving and chores via the Parent Wallet

Try the app for free for 30 days. Sign up online in 2 minutes or less by clicking the "Go to site" button.

How do debit cards for kids work?

Kids debit cards are offered by most banks as an optional extra when establishing a kids, youth or teen transaction account. As with regular debit cards, these cards can be linked directly to a transaction account and used in place of cash to make purchases in stores, or to withdraw money from ATMs.

These debit cards are usually linked to a transactions account; either the standard transaction account offered by the bank or a dedicated youth transaction account. Most bank waive the monthly account keeping fees for customers under the age of 18 or even 21.

At what age can my child get a debit card?

Your child typically needs to be 14 years old to get their own Visa Debit card, and 16 to get their own Debit Mastercard. However, some banks offer debit card access for children as young as 9 years old. Some banks also offer their own type of debit cards. These work in a similar way to standard debit cards, however have a few more restrictions when using the card outside of Australia.

The below table shows some popular everyday bank account and the age requirements to meet in order to access the linked debit card.

Features of a kids debit card

• Spending controls. Many kids debit cards come with spending control limits that parents can set within their mobile banking app, to restrict how much their child can spend.
• Card lock. Parents can also lock the debit card via the mobile banking app or using Internet banking, if the card gets lost or you want to temporarily disable it.
• Choose how your child can spend. Parents can choose if the card can be used at ATMS or for in-store purchases.
• Spending tracking tools. Many mobile banking apps offer spending tracking tools and features to help your child learn how to manage their money.

Here's what to consider before giving your child a debit card.

• Check the fees. The costs can vary between cards and banks. Most major banks offer fee-free services for kid's cards, and it's likely that the most common fees you'll encounter are from using other-brand ATMs. Look for banks with a large ATM network in your area to get more freedom from fees.
• Spending limits and overdraft. Look for cards that let you cap daily spending, allow or disallow overdraft as desired to make sure the card is used sensibly. Some banks will offer more of these spending limit features than others.
• Shopping online. Consider whether being able to buy online is a benefit or a downside, and opt for a kids debit card that can restrict or block online spending if needed.

Pros and cons of kids debit cards

Did you have these questions about debit cards?

• When should I give my child a debit card?

  This is completely up to you and your individual experience. You might consider giving your child a debit card when:

  • They start going out for social activities without you present (e.g. going to the movies with friends)
  • When they start high school, or if they have a long distance to travel to and from school on the bus or train (a debit card will be handy if there are delays or the bus breaks down, for example).
  • They start wanting or needing to buy things when you're not with them

  Keep in mind there are age restrictions on debit cards for kids, with kids under nine years old generally not able to access the card.

• Will I receive the transaction history each month?

  You can now track transactions online for directly-linked debit cards. Many prepaid cards from major outlets (including Mastercard and Visa) will now also allow you to register your card online for tracking purposes. Most banks will default to digital transcripts, however you should contact your own banking institution to inquire about a hard copy transcript if required.

• Can I reverse a transaction?

  Fraudulent transactions, including those where a thief stole and used the card or where the seller didn't deliver what they promised, can often be reversed by contacting the bank.

• What if my child makes a transaction I'm not happy with?

  You can't request that your bank reverse a transaction unless you can prove the transaction was fraudulent. You can, however, keep an eye on your child's spending via the mobile banking app, and some accounts allow you to set spending limits to reduce your child's spending.