What are the best debit cards for Teens? In choosing the best debit card for your Teen, there are some important features you need to look out for, these include minimal fees, flexibility in reloading funds, and parental access (especially for younger teens). Older teens with a part-time job and responsibility for their own cell phone bills or other charges may also benefit from features such as bill pay and direct deposit. The best debit cards for teens offer these services for free. The ability to check their account balance online or through a mobile app is also a plus.
To make the job of finding a car easy, we have outlined the 7 best debit cards for teens below;
01 Best Overall: FamZoo Prepaid Debit Card
FamZoo Prepaid Debit Card is the first on this list and the best overall for teens. Both parents and teens can have access to the FamZoo prepaid debit card. Money can be transferred between accounts on a recurring basis if necessary.
For parents who want to start building responsibility, the card can be tied to jobs and chores. FamZoo gives parents the ability to lock and unlock the card either to control access to the card or as an extra layer of security to protect against fraud and unauthorized purchases.
FamZoo doesn’t charge fees for reloads, but some providers may charge their own fees.
There’s also no fee for direct deposit. Parents may choose to have some of their pay directly deposited to the FamZoo card as a source of funds. This is especially beneficial since transfers between cards are free and instant.
There is a monthly subscription fee of $5.99 per month per family. Families can order up to four FamZoo prepaid cards as long as the subscription is active.
02 Best for Earning Interest on Savings: Mango Prepaid Mastercard | Best Debit Cards For Teens
Teaching teens to build good saving habits is just as important as helping them learn to develop good spending habits. Opening a Mango Prepaid Mastercard gives teens the option to also open a savings account with up to 6 percent Annual Percentage Yield (APY) and the option to make six transfers out each month.
The Mango Prepaid Mastercard doesn’t charge a fee to sign up, activate, or load funds via bank transfer. Other fees are minimal: $3 monthly, $2 to withdraw from an ATM. It can be used wherever Mastercard is accepted. Teens can manage their account with a smartphone app.
To qualify for the 6 percent APY, Mango requires signature purchases of at least $1,500 and a minimum balance of $25 by the end of the month. Teens who have direct deposit from a part-time job may be able to take advantage of the high rate savings account.
03 Best for Cash Reloads: American Express Serve FREE Reloads | Best Debit Cards For Teens
American Express has three different versions of its Serve prepaid debit card. The FREE Reloads version charges no cash reload fees. The reload network has over 45,000 locations across the country. Reloads can be made at convenient locations such as CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Rite Aid, Walmart, 7-Eleven, and more.
Teens can also reload funds from a bank account.
While there is a $4.95 monthly fee in most states, there’s no charge for card replacement, subaccounts, customer service, or withdrawals from a MoneyPass ATM. The card itself is free if you order online or $3.95 when purchased from a retail location. Other free services include online bill pay, fraud protection, and early direct deposit.
04 Best for Big Spenders: American Express Serve Cash Back
If you are a heavy spender, you will benefit a lot from American Express Serve Cash Back. This card offers unlimited 1 percent cash back on purchases. Cash rewards are added to your card right away and they can be redeemed at any time.
Of course, it takes a little more discipline to manage a prepaid debit card that pays rewards. Teens have to learn not to overspend simply so they can earn additional rewards.
The American Express Serve Cash Back has a monthly fee of $5.95. Cash reloads are up to $3.95 depending on the retailers. Other perks of the card include no-fee early direct deposit, free in-network ATM withdrawals, fraud protection, as well as 90-day purchase protection on purchases up to $1,000.
05 Best for Multiple Teens: Akimbo Prepaid MasterCard
If you have a family consisting of more than one teen, you can use the Akimbo prepaid debit card to manage all of your teen’s accounts. Akimbo lets you open several separate prepaid cards that are all tied to a master account. Each prepaid card can be managed from within the Akimbo app.
The first subaccount card is free. Additional subaccount cards have a one-time fee of $4.95 each. Each card can be enabled and disabled from within the app and parents can receive a text update after each update. This feature is great for parents who want to monitor their teens’ spending.
Fees on the Akimbo Prepaid Debit Card are minimal. There’s no enrollment or monthly fee and no fee on signature purchases. There is a $.99 fee for PIN transactions, a $1.98 fee for ATM cash withdrawals, and a $.33 fee for ATM balance inquiries.
06 Best for Online Security: Movo Virtual Prepaid Visa Card
In choosing the best debit cards for teens, online shopping safety is a key factor to consider. Online shopping safety is important for teens and adults alike. The Movo Virtual Prepaid Visa allows users to create a secondary disposable account number that can be used to make online transactions. This keeps the primary account number from being exposed in a hack or a data breach.
There’s no monthly or activation fee.
The Movo Virtual Prepaid Visa Card also doesn’t charge a fee on purchases, ATM withdrawals made at any of the 6,000 in-network ATMs or for an inactive card. Teens have to be careful not to attempt to withdraw more than the balance on the card – Movo will charge a $1 fee if an ATM transaction is declined. Out-of-network ATM transactions are also charged a fee.
Teens or parents can reload funds via direct deposit, bank transfer, Paypal or Venmo balance, debit card transfer or via cash at certain retailers. Reload times can take up to three business days depending on the method.
07 Best Checking Account Debit Card: BB&T Debit Card | Best Debit Cards For Teens
If you have an older teen and live in one of 16 states with a BB&T location, the BB&T debit card is a good option. You don’t actually have to live near a bank branch – you can open the account online. Teens can’t apply on their own; at least one applicant must be 18 to 21 years old. One applicant must be the legal age in the state where the account is being opened – also 18 to 21 in most states.
Most prepaid card services are completely free. There’s no fee for transactions, direct deposit, bill payments, mobile banking, and withdrawals at BB&T ATMs. The prepaid card can be used wherever Visa cards are accepted.
There’s a monthly maintenance fee of $3 and a fee for using a non-BB&T ATM to make a withdrawal. Teens have to take care to keep up with their card: there’s a $10 fee to replace the card and $15 to replace the card with express delivery.
