Is there a bank account for an 11yo with app to track spending?

[BehindATractor]

I’ve been looking, and it seems that there are plenty of current accounts for kids 11+, but the linked banking apps to keep track of spending are 13+. Since I want 11yo dd to learn to keep track of her spending, I really don’t want to get her an account where she can’t see what she spends.

I will get a Nimbl card for the next two years if I can’t find a proper bank account with an app she can use, but I wondered if anyone had found one (or a way around the 13+ app issue, given they will have her DOB).

Ds is 12 and has the Santander app for his Santander 123 account

My kids have Hsbc accounts with a debit card and can check transactions and balance on the app

Must have changed it though as I don't have a Santander account whereas it says now that the parent needs one

That’s interesting. As long as they don’t check that the child is over 13 before allowing them access to the app, that would be fine. I just assumed that the account would show their DOB and thus automatically not work with the app. But it sounds like this isn’t the case for HSBC and Santander - I’ll have a look at those.

How much is she going to be spending realistically? Ideal chance to teach her how to do it manually imo.

pool I don’t want her to have to faff around with a notebook when she stops at the station to buy a bar of chocolate on her way home from school. I’d like her to get into the habit of getting home, using her phone to see what she’s spent on her Oyster card, what she’s spent on her debit card, what she has left for the rest of the week. She’s sensible, but so far has had money for birthdays (which she usually saves) and not much opportunity to spend, and I want to set her off with good habits. I don’t think anyone balances a cheque book any more, I certainly don’t!

I have seen adverts for Go Henry on TV recently but there is a fee of £2.99 per month.

tiny There’s a good MSE page comparing Nimbl, GoHenry and other prepaid cards, they recommend Nimbl overall so that’s what I’ll go with if I can’t find a bank account with an app she can use. But the advantage of the bank account is that it’s free, whereas, as you point out, GoHenry etc all charge a monthly fee.

My 11 yo has a NatWest account linked to an app. Works perfectly but doesn't have contactless

don’t want her to have to faff around with a notebook when she stops at the station to buy a bar of chocolate on her way home from school.

Oh. I didn't realise you meant for her to use the bank account for small daily purchases. What's wrong with cash for a bar of chocolate?

You wouldn't really use a card to buy a chocolate bar, would you? I certainly dont. Maybe use it in the cash machine to get cash out and then once that has gone, restock at the machine and check the balance

I used contactless for everything now - in central London its the default and you can see people tutting if you slow the queue up by using cash. So yes, I would expect her to use plastic rather than cash for that sort of purchase. Though I’ll make sure she has an emergency £10 in her school bag, too.

hairy That’s useful to know. I hadn’t thought to check if they are contactless. I want app and contactless, if that’s an available combination.

To update, if anyone is interested, I’ve gone with Nimbl for the next two years and will upgrade to a proper bank account plus app when she’s 13. It feels like an easy and low risk way for her to learn to use a card, and I don’t mind paying just for a couple of years.

What's the difference between an app and just checking your account online?

My 11yr old has a nationwide current account that she can check statement/balance on the website. So she can access it from phone, tablet, computer, wherever
Pretty much all banks do that, no?

DD uses contactless card with the nationwide account

Do not get Go Henry, it's the biggest con and waste of money. They charge you for the use of using a debit card which you could get free from a bank!

Too late for you now OP, but yes, nationwide kids flex account offers contactless debit card and phone app from 11. He can also access his nationwide savings account via the app.

xyz Dd doesn’t have have an internet browser on her phone (deliberately), so she couldn’t check an account online. I could reinstall one, but since I’d rather hold off on full internet access, I wanted to find another way, if I could.

Useful to know that Nationwide does a contactless card, though, thanks! I’ll probably get that once she’s 13.

Sunflowers I had a look at mse and they thought Nimbl was better than GoHenry, because of Go Henry’s higher fees. But while I could get a card free from a bank, I did also want an app and contactless, and I couldn’t get all of those for an 11 year old. But I do resent paying the yearly fee, and will stop when dd is 13 and can have the app (or if I let her have a browser with full internet access on her phone before that).

WhatWould Ah, bother! I thought I’d looked at all the childrens current accounts but I missed this one. I may well upgrade to this before dd is 13. She’s feeling very excited about using her new card now (and is over her worry about having so much responsibility) so I’ll leave it a few months, and see how she’s doing with using Nimbl. Thanks for the tip, though, its useful to know it’s there.

DD2 got a Barclays account with contactless card and app at 11. She can even personalise her card, so that she's certain she gets her card back if she puts it in a machine (it's an anti-fraud measure). Her card has a picture of a horse on the front.