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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:
CheesyWeez · 04/01/2022 16:34

We don't take cash in the shop I work in. When people come to collect the things they have ordered they pay by card or we get them to do a bank transfer.

My teen has an HSBC teen debit card, the lady in the bank spent maybe an hour with him setting up his account and explaining things to him, I was impressed. When he turned 16 they automatically sent him a new 16+ card and when he is 18 I believe they will again renew the card (as a teen card does not let them buy adult things, such as alcohol) and if he goes to uni he can have it changed to a student card.
His savings get a small interest payment which he was very interested in.

After a month or so of the HSBC card he cancelled his Go Henry card as he realised it was costing him a monthly fee.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 04/01/2022 16:35

@2022willbebetter

Proper bank account to learn proper banking. Need debit card, online banking and app so when he goes to university or starts earning money he is used to living within budget and if possible moving money to /from low level savings account. My DC are with Nationwide and I think it's brilliant.
University is another good point.

He'll need to be able to manage a debit card and online banking so he can do things like pay his student loans, pay his rent, pay for things like gym membership or subs for various clubs etc.

Yes, you can pay in cash but you won't receive your student loan in a cash-stuffed envelope Grin

Worldgonecrazy · 04/01/2022 16:36

DD has a Starling debit card. No overdraft facility and I can check what she is spending, and she has savings spaces within the account to budget for Christmas and holiday spending.

VelvetChairGirl · 04/01/2022 16:37

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

parking is a niche thing, as is online payments.

I really wouldn't call parking or online payments niche, lol.

I dont know any shop that doesnt take cash, what shops?

I'm not going to out my location, but plenty of small independent shops don't take cash as it's a security risk (theft) and costs them time and money to bank it, especially with the closure of many high street banks and post offices.

I live in london, not been in a single shop that doesnt take cash, yes a few may have self service tills that dont but they also have manned tills in the same stores that do and TBH theres only two shops I can think of that have self service that are card only, co-op and M&S, so I really want to know what shops dont take cash as a policy.
fairylightsandwaxmelts · 04/01/2022 16:45

so I really want to know what shops dont take cash as a policy.

Again, I'm not going to out my location as all the shops concerned are independents and easily found on Google.

I live in rural Cumbria if that helps.

CheesyWeez · 04/01/2022 16:46

I keep a tenner in my phone case for emergencies where I might need cash but I only have to use it once a month or so. Even our poppy seller from the British Legion had a card reader out in November. The busker in the market square also has a card reader.

Sorry VelvetChairGirl but the world is changing and I think COVID made it change faster as people ordered more stuff online and sent virtual money for birthdays. Our kids will cope, it is their world now.

My family has a small business and has started putting up a sign saying "WE TAKE CASH" because most businesses in their line of work don't now. It has actually attracted some customers. My family don't want cash especially as the bank charges them for taking it in but some customers still want that service.

Bayleaf25 · 04/01/2022 16:48

Proper bank accounts here for secondary age kids. No overdraft obviously but can use debit card for online purchases/transferring money to us or friends as needed. Basics getting them used to managing money.

One child has Santander 123 mini, the other has TSB (think they offered the best deals at the time and Santander was very easy to switch to student bank account with free railcard on going to uni).

elfycat · 04/01/2022 16:53

We're using GoHenry (one DC in Y6, the other in Y8) and it's working well for us. DD1 is 13 soon and I might talk to her about a proper bank account and start the transition.

Most of their spending is online and often I pay with PayPal and they transfer the money back to me on the app. They have a basic level of pocket money, and then tasks that pay more (or would if they ever did them). Their understanding of the fact there is real world money behind tapping a card on a contactless reader has really taken off. DD1 sweeps a lot of her money into the savings part of the app, though she has no goal at the moment.

DiamondBright · 04/01/2022 17:01

I just set DD up with a current account at the same bank I use, with a proper debit card and online banking app.

Apple Pay is ideal for teenagers who are glued to their phones but don't necessarily want to carry a purse or wallet.

DiamondBright · 04/01/2022 17:09

@BeaLola

Huge thanks to you all for taking the time to comment & add info

I was wanting a d/card as it annoyed me that Go Henry was paid for etc but DH (older) was way more cautious than me about it all

Yes he may go wild but that said he will then learn the hard way if he blows it on sweets , etc - I said to DH - when he' at uni come 18 he can do all sorts without us knowing - hopefully though we have bought him up with correct values & boundaries that he will be okay ,

When DD gets larger amounts of money, like Christmas, I keep it in a savings account and transfer it to her as and when she needs it, so it's not just sitting in her account being frittered away on online games. Spending money goes straight into her account and she has to manage it.

I find this just mitigates the risk of her wasting money a bit, she doesn't have to run purchases past me, but it's still an extra step that hopefully makes her think about what she's buying.

Comefromaway · 04/01/2022 17:31

And he’s studying music at college and goes on theatre trips several times per year. His friend he often goes with is entitied to access prices.

downtonupton · 04/01/2022 17:56

DS is Y10 and has been using a Rooster card for ages - we're happy with it - cheaper than Go Hentry (small annual fee £10) and we have had no issues with it at all.

Much easier for me when I get a panicky call that he has lost the card because I can manage it all with the parent app - stop the cards and re-start when he finds it. Other people can pay money to the card as they could any other bank account.

When he asks to have a proper bank account we will sort it out but DD had a regular back account from 11 and it was much more awkward as the apps weren't as good and we had little control or access to it. We had a lot of faff and hassle to get her a debit card when she was old enough rather than just a cashpoint one and the Rooster card has just been no hassle at all - can use it online, as contactless and with a pin.

The money management in the child and the parent app is great - we can set goals, he can save and put money in pots for different things and we can set chores etc his pocket money goes in once a month and I get a notification every time he uses it.

newname12345 · 04/01/2022 18:23

@downtonupton Rooster card is now £25/year if you want the card. Seems expensive when a proper bank account with a debit card is free.

KleineDracheKokosnuss · 04/01/2022 18:28

Over age 11 I’d do a proper bank card. GiHenry is great for my 9 year old, but the fees are a lot!

over2021 · 04/01/2022 18:29

I'm shocked that at 14 he doesn't already have a proper bank account and card! My daughter has had a debit card with her HSBC account since she was 11. She has the online banking app and can see her account and savings account on the app. Her pocket money is paid monthly (£40) by standing order. She didn't get pocket money before 11 - just the odd £1/2 here and there for an ice cream.

I wouldn't use any service that charges for using your own money.

downtonupton · 04/01/2022 18:39

[quote newname12345]@downtonupton Rooster card is now £25/year if you want the card. Seems expensive when a proper bank account with a debit card is free.[/quote]
maybe because we renewed or perhaps there was some deal when we signed up? we only paid £10 though

BarefootHippieChick · 04/01/2022 20:45

parking is a niche thing, as is online payments

It's really not! Many 17 year olds drive. My city centre car park only accepts card payments. There are many, many online stores, for which card payment is easier and simpler. I've been in 2 restaurants in the last month that don't accept cash. velvetchairgirl in the nicest way I can say this, maybe you are only able to use cash or maybe you just prefer it, but the rest of us are happy with debit cards and banking apps and are still able to manage our money just fine, as are our teens.

SommerTen · 04/01/2022 20:47

I know my 2 local coffee shops & at least 1 pub only accept card payments.

BarefootHippieChick · 04/01/2022 20:57

The thing is, whether we like it or not, card payments and app payments are the future. Eventually cash will be used for very little. Todays children and teenagers will be at the forefront of any new technology regarding money payments. Remember those things called cheques we all used to write 20 years ago? That will be cash in years to come...everyone has some in a drawer somewhere if they can just be bothered to hunt for it 😁

Chasingsquirrels · 04/01/2022 21:01

Honestly at 14 I'd expect them to be making their own banking decisions.
Mine both sorted themselves out a Mini Santander account at around that age, DS1 because of the interest and then DS2 because he takes his financial advice from DS1!!
I certainly wouldn't be paying the Go Henry fees.

strawberry2017 · 04/01/2022 21:05

To me you should never have to pay fees for banking.

MaebeaorNot · 04/01/2022 21:10

Monzo is great as helps them budget if they need to pay for sports/treats/clothes etc

My 13 year old started using mine (as I could put low balance on) and now has one of her own.

PatriciaHolm · 04/01/2022 21:17

None of the buses locally take cash - DD got thrown off one a year or so ago because she forgot her card and only had cash; and that's since before lockdown.

A significant number of shops/leisure are cashless - all Prezzo restaurants, for example, the London Village Inn pub group, most Burger Kings ;-)

According to Which?, around a third of people have had payments in cash refused since the first lockdown started.

Mine have Nationwide debit cards, which is the same as me so setting them up was very easy through the app.

NeverForgetYourDreams · 04/01/2022 21:27

Bank account. We had go Henry for when DS Was under 12. Then opened bank account with debit card. No fees ...!

Hesma · 05/01/2022 00:06

Go Henry is a rip off. If you don’t want to have a proper bank account then look into hyperjar which as no fees. I use for my DDs as too young to have a debit card bank account yet

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