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Original poster

Best pre paid debit card for a 12 year old please

32 replies

Ilovechoc12 · 08/12/2022 19:24

Hello,

I don't want to pay for a Henry or the likes.

Please what is the best debit card (limited funds that the parent could hold say £100 on)

Thank you x

OP posts:
POTC · 08/12/2022 19:26

Just get them a child's bank or building society account. Much better way of doing it.

fivepies · 08/12/2022 19:29

Agree with previous poster, just open a children's bank account. My DD (11) has a debit card and linked savings account that both she and I can see through the banking app. No need to pay for an account.

LegoLady95 · 08/12/2022 19:35

I use a Hyperjar card for my son. Completely free and easy to use/control.

sheepdogdelight · 08/12/2022 19:41

Agree with others - just get a normal bank account. We did this for our DC and just paid them in monthly pocket money.

lookersnoopy · 08/12/2022 19:43

Yes a bank account is what you are looking for

UnderPowered · 08/12/2022 19:55

Yes, just get him a normal bank account. Kids can have them from age 11.

FunctionalSkills · 08/12/2022 19:57

Starling. It's a really good card and bank a/c
Works like hyperjar with the app etc bur os an actual account.

ParbadosBeach · 08/12/2022 20:01

Yes, definitely time for a normal bank account.

Original poster
Ilovechoc12 · 09/12/2022 06:14

Thank you for the suggestions - He's got a normal Lloyds bank account which is linked with mine - but he can be quite careless (forgets items etc) - so that's why I just wanted a random bank that I could put £100 max and then if he missed the school bus at least he can get the train ..... If it was his Lloyds account then maybe he would have access to all his b day money for the last 12 years - as he has saved quite a stash - which I don't want 😂😂😂 on random large purchases walking through town.

OP posts:
Whycanineverever · 09/12/2022 06:25

Ilovechoc12 · 09/12/2022 06:14

Thank you for the suggestions - He's got a normal Lloyds bank account which is linked with mine - but he can be quite careless (forgets items etc) - so that's why I just wanted a random bank that I could put £100 max and then if he missed the school bus at least he can get the train ..... If it was his Lloyds account then maybe he would have access to all his b day money for the last 12 years - as he has saved quite a stash - which I don't want 😂😂😂 on random large purchases walking through town.

Just set up a separate current account. You need to pay monthly fees with go Henry.

My dd had nationwide from 11. She has contactless can use it one line etc. it's linked to apple pay. (Not sure if that was when she was a little older that you can do that.

BooksAndHooks · 09/12/2022 06:30

Set up a separate account or move birthday money etc to a savings account not a current account. Mine have had a Nationwide current account and card from as soon as they are 11. The leisure centre, cinema etc don’t take cash so as soon as they wanted to go out with friends in secondary school it was essential. I just transfer money as and when they need it so there’s no access to large amounts of money. All other money is in a separate savings account.

SunflowerOrange · 09/12/2022 07:06

I'd still use Starling.

I did similar with a chunk of cash for a holiday and it was so easy to use. The app shoes you all your spending in an easy visual format.

lookersnoopy · 09/12/2022 08:07

Ilovechoc12 · 09/12/2022 06:14

Thank you for the suggestions - He's got a normal Lloyds bank account which is linked with mine - but he can be quite careless (forgets items etc) - so that's why I just wanted a random bank that I could put £100 max and then if he missed the school bus at least he can get the train ..... If it was his Lloyds account then maybe he would have access to all his b day money for the last 12 years - as he has saved quite a stash - which I don't want 😂😂😂 on random large purchases walking through town.

Mine had current and savings accounts. I was able to move money about online so keeping the current account low and transferring the bigger amounts into savings.

sheepdogdelight · 09/12/2022 08:23

Ilovechoc12 · 09/12/2022 06:14

Thank you for the suggestions - He's got a normal Lloyds bank account which is linked with mine - but he can be quite careless (forgets items etc) - so that's why I just wanted a random bank that I could put £100 max and then if he missed the school bus at least he can get the train ..... If it was his Lloyds account then maybe he would have access to all his b day money for the last 12 years - as he has saved quite a stash - which I don't want 😂😂😂 on random large purchases walking through town.

Why is he not allowed to spend his own birthday money?

Presumably if people are giving him money they are not giving him presents? If it was meant to be "money for a savings account", then set him up a savings account and move the money into that ...

CloudPop · 09/12/2022 08:36

SunflowerOrange · 09/12/2022 07:06

I'd still use Starling.

I did similar with a chunk of cash for a holiday and it was so easy to use. The app shoes you all your spending in an easy visual format.

Can you use Starling for under 16's ?

ShipwreckSunset · 09/12/2022 08:37

Hyperjar works well for this.

Original poster
Ilovechoc12 · 09/12/2022 08:37

He can spend every penny he wants ... however he never spends anything. Likes to save. He's got no desires - quite an easy child .... he's got everything he likes (he's not a flashy child)

He has £125 in his money box at home - he just doesn't spend ..... I always say let's go to town and spend your money but just doesn't want to.

I was the same when I was younger always liked to save haha

OP posts:
sheepdogdelight · 09/12/2022 08:47

Ilovechoc12 · 09/12/2022 08:37

He can spend every penny he wants ... however he never spends anything. Likes to save. He's got no desires - quite an easy child .... he's got everything he likes (he's not a flashy child)

He has £125 in his money box at home - he just doesn't spend ..... I always say let's go to town and spend your money but just doesn't want to.

I was the same when I was younger always liked to save haha

So I'm slightly confused why you want to stop a child that never spends anything ... from spending anything ...

However, to the case in point, my DC had bank accounts and linked savings accounts from age 12. They didn't get birthday money to save, so we encouraged them to split their monthly allowance into their current account (to be spend on whatever random stuff took their fancy) and savings accounts (mostly to encourage the habit as they didn't really have much to save - they tended to use the savings account for buying family presents).
You can obviously set up a separate savings account with more control round it if you don't want to do that - however it's worth thinking about when you will let your child have control over their own money (particularly as, in your case, it doesn't sounds like he's a spender anyway). My DS tended to spend every penny he had on rubbish, but he did learn from that and now, at 18, he is very frugal!

Trounlet · 09/12/2022 08:48

Lloyd's do a children's account that the parent has online access to the account statement which works really well for my 12yo

Original poster
Ilovechoc12 · 09/12/2022 08:53

As I can imagine him withdrawing large amounts of cash and giving it to homeless people ..... he's a kind considering boy and not street smart....

OP posts:
JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 09/12/2022 08:55

Go Henry is good - you don't have to pay a monthly fee if you don't want the whistles and bells account. I like it because I get an immediate notification when DD spends anything. So it gives the added bonus of letting me know exactly where she is!

hedgehoglurker · 09/12/2022 09:00

Hyperjar

BarbaraofSeville · 09/12/2022 09:04

Can you put his savings in an account that only you can access then if he does decide he wants something, you can just transfer it. You can do it on your phone so, for the next few years at least, there's unlikely to be a situation where he needs to spend the money now and you're not available to send the money to him. Just get whatever account pays the most interest with easy access.

Or if he does have a decent amount of money and no desire to spend most of it, maybe even put some in an investment account? Are Junior ISAs still available?

If he doesn't want to spend it, that's fine. He can just save it. Presumably he'll want to go to university, buy a car and driving lessons, go travelling or leave home and need a deposit/set up costs in the future? So he can just use his money for that, rather than spend on things that he doesn't want now?

If you think he'd like to give some away, you could help him set up a direct debit or two to Shelter or the Trussell Trust, then he knows he's helping people, should he really have a desire to give it all to homeless people.

ScornedChicken · 09/12/2022 09:09

fivepies · 08/12/2022 19:29

Agree with previous poster, just open a children's bank account. My DD (11) has a debit card and linked savings account that both she and I can see through the banking app. No need to pay for an account.

^We do this. It's linked to my account so I can top her account up and she moves across money from her spending to saving herself. She can log onto her internet banking and use her card. She's lost her card a few times 🙄 but it's easy enough to sort that.

Original poster
Ilovechoc12 · 09/12/2022 09:12

Rang Lloyds and to get a card you have to visit the branch with the child - that's far too much hassle. So going else where.

I'm going work down the suggestions ! Thank you

OP posts: