A Debit Card for Kids

I first heard about Greenlight debit cards for kids from a friend who got them for her kids. “If my kids want something, they have to buy it using their own money.”Sounds simple, right? She explained her kids have chores and earn money, and that the Greenlight app and debit card keep track of it. Intrigued, I did a little bit of research and found that Greenlight Debit Cards are popular for a reason: they make it easy to teach kids how to manage money. I signed my kids up. IT IS AMAZING. Here’s what you need need to know!

• Greenlight Debit Card Review
• The Greenlight App
• How parents control the kids’ Greenlight account
• Greenlight Debit Card Fees
• Chores for Kids to Earn Money
• How the Greenlight app teaches kids to earn and save

When I’m out and about with kids, I get worn down with requests. Better moms than me will say “no” when I say “Yes” to win silence. Now, the answer to “I want that” when my kids are shopping with me at Target: “use your own debit card!”

Before Greenlight, we were using a purple legal pad and a pencil to track chores and allowance – NOT an effective way to track. Many times, I’d forget to add the few dollars I’d promised as a reward for the chore performed. It also didn’t really have the same effect as seeing an account balance.

Greenlight Debit Card Review

Full disclosure, if you decide to sign up for Greenlight after reading this review, I will get a commission. And thank you! Greenlight offers a referral program so if you try it and love it like I did, you can also earn 🙂 I will say, like always, on this blog because it’s a hobby, I really only recommend things I love.

The first thing to know: Greenlight is a debit card for kids with an app. It is not a credit card. They can use it just like any debit card by using it for purchases, but it has an app designed specifically for kids to help teach them to manage money and track chores to earn money.

The Greenlight App

The Greenlight Debit Card has an app – one for parents, one for the child – making it so easy to manage money.

The app is intuitive and easy to use.

How parents control the kids’ Greenlight account

Parents add to the kids’ wallet by connecting their bank account, and transfer funds to the parent account (one transaction.) Then, parents can dispense from that amount to their kids for allowance and chores. For example, I added $50 to my Greenlight account – charged to my bank like anything else – and then can add to my kids’ account as needed. I’m the bank! But instead of my bank account getting charged small amounts everytime I pay my kids for chores or their allowance, I’m charged once.

Parents have their own account to create settings, load money, and monitor spending for the kids. Then, the kids have their own account to check off chores and view their balance. Here’s the best part: the entire app integrates chores into earning an allowance. Work for pay, just like the real world. The apps makes it easy to add chores, add an allowance, and track spending. You can even set how much of the allowance goes into spending, saving, and giving – I have ours set to 80% spending, 10% saving, 10% giving.

Greenlight Debit Card Fees

Greenlight plans start at $4.99 per month and include debit cards for up to five (5) kids.

Chores for Kids to Earn Money

I’ve offloaded so many chores using this new debit card. Our six year old keeps her room straight. Our 11 year old is in charge of the dishes, keeping his room clean, and reading. I can add more chores for extra, but have started out with just a few for a set allowance to get started.

Kids love a task. Kids really love a task they can check off their Greenlight chore list to earn allowance.

You can set chores for each day, so some could be weekly or twice a week and some can be daily. You can also add one-time chores and set an amount for that, too!

• Load / unload dishwasher
• Fold laundry
• Put away laundry
• Clean room
• Vaccuum
• Dust
• Swiffer the floors (kids love to swiffer!)
• Make your bed
• Water plants
• Wipe counters
• Set the dinner table
• Take care of pets
• Yard work
• Help clean the car

How the Greenlight app teaches kids to earn and save

Greenlight Savings Reward lets kids earn money in their savings account. The basic plan (4.99/month) earn kids 1% on savings. The highest plan, Greenlight Max ($9.98/month) lets kids earn 2% on savings.

Kids can set a savings goal for something they want to purchase. They can set the item and amount, then transfer money from spending or their savings account over to their savings goal. What an awesome way to teach kids the power of saving and earning, and not spending their entire allowance on small things!