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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Teenager debit card or Go Henry card ?

138 replies

BeaLola · 04/01/2022 11:57

Yes I am in posting here but really need traffic and experience from others please

DS is 14 We pay for all his clubs/activities and phone contract , clothes etc and are happy to do so.

He gets £10 pocket money each week - invariably over last year he doesn't get hard cash and it mounts up to go towards paying off his debt for his very expensive pc - we paid just over hslf and the rest he saved up birthday and op jet money for.

So to allow him more independence , help teach him a bit more re value of money, let him make his own mistakes etc we are thinking of him having a debit card that we put the £40 a month on & could add odd gift money to etc

I hear a lot about Go Henry , not so much about Santander 123 - any thoughts please ? Thank you v much

OP posts:

daimbarsatemydogsbone · 04/01/2022 12:03

You "hear a lot" about Go Henry because they spend a lot on advertising.
DD has an HSBC account and debit card - cost zero.
Go Henry has a monthly "membership fee" and potentially other charges such as for loading the card.

Ponoka7 · 04/01/2022 12:05

I think a bank account card is better, it introduces early banking/saving.

Bagamoyo1 · 04/01/2022 12:05

DS has a bank account with debit card through Nat West. It’s free. He rarely uses the card as he has the app on his phone and can spend money that way.

BarefootHippieChick · 04/01/2022 12:06

My teens have Natwest debit cards. Teaches them how to save, keep their card safe, etc. from a young age. They also have Google pay which is great if they want to go somewhere after school, but don't want to risk taking their card into school.

SlowBoiledFrog · 04/01/2022 12:07

Over 11 a proper bank card and app

Edinvillian · 04/01/2022 12:08

My 9 year old had his own card with HyperJar. No fees with it and he can use it online too. I get a message every time he spends something.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 04/01/2022 12:09

Go Henry is for little kids, get him a proper bank account and a debit card.

Triotriotrio · 04/01/2022 12:09

Normal bank account, why pay for one thing you can get for free?

Turquoisesea · 04/01/2022 12:10

My DD(13) has a Lloyds bank debit card, all her friends have debit cards, totally free and no overdraft so she can’t overspend.

DinosaurGarlicTin · 04/01/2022 12:10

My twins turned 13 last month and we’ve just opened them Santander 123 minis. They had GoHenry for about 18 months and we opened NatWest Adapt in the summer (nightmare to open and can only use debit card, not able to set up external payments until they are 16 so they could not pay us back if they borrowed something).

Santander was really easy to open online (I already have an account with them so don’t know if that makes it easier), documents can be uploaded, bank card and pin arrived within a few days. Online banking IDs arrived at the same time for one of them. Unfortunately due to a problem with our post we’ve not received these for the other child. Payments can be set up, basically it operates like a normal bank account.

MasterOfOne · 04/01/2022 12:11

Proper bank account. Trying to transition DD to a. Normal current account and cannot believe how difficult GoHenry are making it to close the account. Plus new account is free!

Gingerbreadrules · 04/01/2022 12:11

My 15 has a Hyperjar card which is the same as Gohenry but free. She has a bank account with debit card but I encouraged her to move to a Hyperjar card because I didn't like the fact I had no idea what she was doing with her money (concerns about self harm, cigarettes, alcohol etc). When we set up the bank account I assumed I would be able to link it to my account and have it on my banking app etc but was told as it's in her name I can't. Hyperjar can be used anywhere MasterCard is, you can set up regular payments or random one offs. So can add money instantly in an emergency etc. And if the card is lost can immediately revert all money back to my card.

Tee20x · 04/01/2022 12:12

14 is quite old. Get a normal account and card.

Gingerbreadrules · 04/01/2022 12:12

Others can also pay money straight to it as it has a sort code and account number.

Bagelsandbrie · 04/01/2022 12:14

Normal bank account. Before you know it he’ll be 18 and off to university or getting a proper job and he can just continue with the same bank account rather then set off to university with a Go Henry

londonmummy1966 · 04/01/2022 12:14

DC have both had accounts with Halifax since they were 14 - accounts are free and there has been no problem with them at all. Had the option of paper statements so we were able to teach them how to check them etc. Both now moved to online but it was handy in those initial months.

StrictlySinging · 04/01/2022 12:18

Hyperjar has been fab. Free. You can have oversight of spending. Ds (age 11) uses his on gaming and in shops. His pocket money is paid automatically.
If you need any parents oversight I don’t think you can with a bank account.

Angel2702 · 04/01/2022 12:19

Debit card is free and much easier. Ours had a Nationwide debit card as soon as they were 11. Very handy especially now a lot of places such as the leisure center and cinema are card only. Visa is widely accepted and can transfer funds when they are out via our banking app rather than having to use yet another third party app to manage it.

LondonWolf · 04/01/2022 12:21

Debit card. Go Henry was a faff. Couldn’t be bothered with it.

edwinbear · 04/01/2022 12:21

DS has had an HSBC Junior account since he was able to (11). I can't see any reason to pay for a GoHenry once they are allowed to have a 'proper' bank account. He can't go overdrawn and I don't feel a need to monitor his spending, i.e. if his pocket money is going on sweets or the Playstation - the outcome is the same once it's all gone and he has two weeks with no money!

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 04/01/2022 12:22

Both mine had bank accounts with a debit card.

Seeline · 04/01/2022 12:23

Mine had TSB bank accounts with debit cards. Neither were contactless - had to use a PIN which i liked. They could also put a temporary stop on the card via the app if they 'mislaid' the card, rather than actually lost it.

DSs was automatically converted into a student account for uni.

CatFaceCats · 04/01/2022 12:24

Mine are 9 and 10 and we use HyperJar. Once they hit 11, it will be proper bank accounts.

Winniemarysarah · 04/01/2022 12:27

Go Henry is complete crap. It’s meant to be able to be used like a normal debit card, I got one each for each of my 3 children. But none of them worked in the dozens of atms we tried so they could never take out cash. They got declined in multiple shops. None of the discount codes they gave you for certain shops or activities never worked. And they kept taking random charges out of my account every month, it was a different amount every month and kept increasing so I cancelled it in the end

Dottyteapot · 04/01/2022 12:31

Mine have had proper bank accounts as soon as they were 12, it means they can check their accounts online and learn how to use proper bank cards.

Before 12, they just had cash as I wouldn’t pay for a card like go Henry- just wait for a free bank account.

Hsbc do a teen bank account and saving account with a good saving rate, mine like that they can easily swap money over to savings or take it out when they need it, it’s great for us to just bank transfer pocket money too.

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