Debit card account for teenager

[greencybermummy]

Any recommendations for good account for teen with a card so she can do contact less and withdraw but only if she has something in the account obviously.

My teen has an account with Santander and it gave us the option of a visa debit. No fees, unlike the GoHenry card. (though less bells and whistles than with GoHenry).

Most banks will do that sort of account but be warned - you need to jump through all sorts of hoops to set up a new account for a teen! (or maybe that was just our bank??)

We had to make an appointment (couldn't just open it there and then or just fill in a form), provide all sorts of ID etc

Just opened nationwide for dd with contactless card .
Very straightforward - made appointment, took her birth certificate, my counil tax bill for proof of address and all done very easily .
Card arrived yesterday.

Do people give a monthly amount? What sort of things do you expect your teen to buy (DD in my case)?

I think out of the high street banks, only Nationwide and Barclays give contactless cards.

Regardless of whether they are contactless or not, the card will only work with online card terminals. This means that it will usually work anywhere where Visa Electron cards are accepted. At peak times, some shops switch their terminals to offline mode to save time, and the card could be declined at these times.

I would stay away from paid accounts like Go Henry and Osper. They do basically the same thing as normal child bank accounts. They are also more difficult to transfer money into. If you want to pay money in, you have to set up an account with them, whereas with accounts with high street banks, you just transfer money via FPS as you would normally do.

DS currently has a NatWest Adapt account. When he reaches 18, he has the option of a Select or a Student account. I think that we will close it when he is 16 and then open a Barclays Young Person's Account, so that he has a contactless card and can set up Direct Debits and Standing Orders.

We applied online, and then had to go into branch with either his passport, birth certificate or EEA identity card, and my proof of address.

I expect him to save at least 10% of his money - the rest he can spend on sweets, electronics etc or save up for larger purchases.

I have a standing order set up for £20 each month to his account. We have relatives who live abroad so it is easier for them to transfer money to his account (using his IBAN and BIC) than sending cash for birthdays.

DS has a debit card from the Halifax, not contactless.

My 2 DDs had Santander accounts from about the age of 13 and they had them converted to student accounts (with a free 4 year railcard) when they went to university.

We just opened one yesterday for ds(11) at Barclays. Look on their website it is an account for 11-15 yr olds with interest and a contactless debit card if you want one. Also a fab mobile app they can check their balance etc.You have to go into a branch with passport as ID only took 15mins (I also bank there so that might have helped).

We opted out of contactless, the money takes a couple of days to leave the available amount and its open to fraud.

Metro Bank do contactless debit cards for age 11+.

You can just walk in (no appointment needed) with ID for you and the child, and walk out with the account set up and the card in your hand in about 90 minutes.

I can't recommend them highly enough.

DS just opened one today with Santander.

Older DC had nationwide but branch is a long way away now and thus difficult to pay in birthday money etc so DC3 has account with Santander... it seems to work well

its open to fraud.

With contactless, you can't make more than £90 in fraudulent purchases, because after 3 purchases you have to enter your PIN (unless you make a chip and pin transaction first). Any fraudulent purchases have to be refunded by your bank.

difficult to pay in birthday money

When DS gets cash, he usually gives it to me and I transfer the money to his account via FPS.

Nationwide. If over 14 you can set up on line then pop in with id

Barclays do this. We can transfer money to the child instantaneously using the Barclays online banking app. Had to go into the branch with proof of identity for each child - but otherwise hassle,free.

My DS is 15 and got an account with Halifax two years ago. He has a debit card which he can use to withdraw cash and pay by card. With Halifax when you make a transaction the bank 'sees' it straight away and even if it hasn't cleared it will deduct it from your available money so it is impossible to go overdrawn. You have to put your pin in for that to happen though, contactless doesn't seem to work in the same way and sometimes takes days to clear so I would actually advise a teen against using contactless as I can see it may lead to accidentally going into an unauthorised overdraft. It was easy to set up we just made an appointment at the branch and took his passport. Took about 15 minutes.

Santandar and Nationwide seem to the top rated- i don't think there is much between them. We are going for Santandar only because the branches are handier. Both 11+ with option od Visa debit or just cashline card.

www.google.co.uk/amp/www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/cards/2016/12/contactless-card-fraud-cases-continue-to-surface-following-mse-investigation/amp

Thank-you. Really useful responses and helpful to hear what others have done.

Nationwide for mine.

contactless doesn't seem to work in the same way and sometimes takes days to clear so I would actually advise a teen against using contactless as I can see it may lead to accidentally going into an unauthorised overdraft

Child bank accounts won't let you go into an overdraft. Contactless purchases with a child bank account have to be made with online terminals, so the amount is deducted straight away. This means that the card will sometimes be declined eg in vending machines.