9 best free debit cards for kids and teens in September 2024 (2024)

Step

• 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 5.00% 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 5.00% 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

Current teen banking

• 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.

• Pros

  • No monthly fee
  • Automatic savings round-up
  • Store-specific spending limits
  • Parents can block ATM access

  Cons

  • Requires parent to have a Current account
  • 3% foreign transaction fee

• Fee	$0 per month
  ATM transaction fee	$0
  Foreign transaction fee	3%
  Overdraft fee	$0

Cash App for kids

• This card and account is best for teens aged 13 to 17 years old who have a parent who uses Cash App. There are no monthly fees or balance requirements. To start, adults will need to become a sponsor of the teen. Teens can send peer-to-peer transactions, design and get their own Cash Card, receive direct deposits and use investing features with their parent's permission. Sponsors can track activity in the app, enable or disable specific features, and set custom limits. Teens are restricted from using their card on certain purchases, like hotels, bars, cigar stores, or the lottery. However, there's a $2.50 ATM withdrawal fee. ATM withdrawals are free at some MoneyPass ATMs if the teen sets up direct deposit for at least $300 per month, and they'd also get one out-of-network ATM withdrawal fee reimbursem*nt. Once teens turn 18, they have the option to convert their account into a full-access Cash App account.

• Pros

  • No monthly fees or opening deposit
  • Strong parental controls
  • P2P, direct deposit and investing options
  • Teen account converts once they're 18

  Cons

  • No financial literacy education
  • $2.50 ATM fees without direct deposit

• Fee	$0 per month
  ATM transaction fee	$2.50

Revolut <18

• Whether you're a globetrotting family, you're sending the kids off for schooling overseas, or you have family outside the US, this international account can be a great option. Revolut accounts support spending and ATM withdrawals in 120 currencies, and you can send, receive and exchange over 25 different currencies. With no monthly fees, chore and allowances features, savings goals and the ability to send money to other Revolut accounts with no fees, it's a solid free kids' debit card even if you don't travel. With Revolut <18, this account is suited for kids under age 17. For kids under age 12, parents need to create a Revolut account for them, and kids over 13, can create an account alone but with parental approval. On the downside, Revolut doesn't offer any educational tools, such as gamified lessons or educational videos.

• Pros

  • Supports multiple currencies
  • $0 monthly fees
  • Chores and allowance features
  • Send funds to Revolut accounts with no fees

  Cons

  • No educational content

• Monthly fee	$0
  ATM withdrawal	$0
  Card replacement fee	$0
  Card type	Prepaid
  Card network	Mastercard

Axos Bank First Checking

• This Axos teen checking account has no monthly fee and is for ages 13 to 17. Like most Axos accounts, teens can access over 91,000 ATMs and up to $12 a month in ATM reimbursem*nts. Another standout feature is the 0.1% APY, which teens can earn on their entire account balance. There are no overdraft or nonsufficient funds fees, either. Parents can rest easily with the daily transaction limits, up to $100 in withdrawals and $500 for debit card transactions. But paper statements cost $5 per month, and there's a $10 account closure fee.

• Pros

  • No monthly fees or overdraft fees
  • $12 in monthly ATM reimbursem*nts
  • 0.1% APY on entire balance

  Cons

  • $5 for paper statements
  • $10 account closure fee

• Savings	0.10% APY
  Fee	$0 per month
  Nonsufficient funds fee	$0
  ATM transaction fee	$0
  Foreign transaction fee	1%
  Overdraft fee	$0
  Paper statement fee	$5

Chase First Banking

• 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
  • You can only link one parent account

• Fee	$0 per month
  ATM transaction fee	$0
  Foreign transaction fee	3%
  Overdraft fee	$0
  Paper statement fee	$6

Finder AwardTill Financial

• 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
  • Parents can't set spending limits

• Fee	$0 per month
  ATM transaction fee	$0
  Foreign transaction fee	3%
  Overdraft fee	$0
  Paper statement fee	$0

Alliant Credit Union Free Teen Checking

• Open to teens aged 13 to 17 years old, the Alliant teen checking account has no monthly service fees and features a fair 0.25% APY — the highest we've seen among free checking accounts for kids. Earning the APY is simple: Opt in for e-statements and set up direct deposit. There's also no minimum opening deposit, and you'll get $20 in monthly ATM reimbursem*nts and access to a network of 80,000 free ATMs. There's a limit of $500 for daily ATM cash withdrawals and card purchases. Parents can perform standard ACH transfers for free and set up outgoing transfers. If you don't qualify for membership, you may need to make a one-time $5 donation to the nonprofit Foster Care to Success to qualify.

• Pros

  • No monthly fee
  • Earns 0.25% APY
  • Up to $20 in monthly ATM reimbursem*nts

  Cons

  • Membership eligibility requirements

• Savings	0.25%
  Fee	$0 per month
  Nonsufficient funds fee	$0
  ATM transaction fee	$0
  Foreign transaction fee	1%
  Overdraft fee	$0
  Paper statement fee	$1

Fidelity Youth Account

• 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 4.97%. 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 reimbursem*nts for Visa, Plus or Star ATMs
  • Uninvested funds earn 4.97%

  Cons

  • Parents can't deny transactions
  • Parents must have or sign up for a Fidelity account

• Savings	4.97%
  Fee	$0 per month
  ATM transaction fee	$0
  Foreign transaction fee	1%
  Overdraft fee	$0