How does your 11 year-old pay for things in shops?

[icloudornot]

Currently, my 11 year-old has an old phone of mine which he plays games on and talks to his friends using WhatsApp. However, he is beginning to get more independent and likes to go on errands. We are about to put a SIM card into the phone. I’ve created an Apple ID account for him. Thinking that was the right thing to do. However, I now realise he won’t have any access to Apple Pay as he is under the legal age of 13. He’s also looking a bit annoyed that he will have to re-download all his games and sign in again. What did you do for your kids? How do they pay for things in shops? I don’t really want him carrying around a cash card. You can buy a key ring that through an app can take funds out of a designated bank account. But now I’m wondering whether it’s easier to just leave him on my Apple ID until he is 13. Whenever he uses Apple Pay, I get a notification and so can see whether he is abusing the privilege. He’ll be at secondary school in September. While he’s on my Apple ID, I don’t think I can set up parental controls. This isn’t such an issue while he’s just playing Roblox, but it might be more of an issue once he’s a teenager. There’s nothing on my phone that I mind him seeing. Advice please, how do other people deal with this?

My kids use cash.

it Was Covid when mine was 11. Once she actually got to shop, we got a new credit card and made her an authorized user. Only she used that card so it was easy to track, but it is technically mine.

I opened kids current accounts for mine at 11, they got debit cards with the account. Children’s accounts are protected more than adults so minimal risk of fraud and no risk of becoming overdrawn. They only had a small amount of money in the account at that age anyway.

Hyperjar card, or similar

She pays with cash

Rooster card

Monzo card. I get notified of every purchase and its easy to transfer money in and out.

You have to set up an account for yourself but its very easy and simple. We actually used the Adult Monzo card abroad to avoid fees. It was great and its now our travel payment card. So double benefit.

Cash!

Cash or NatWest Rooster card.

There's only ever around £20 on the card unless she's specifically going somewhere that means she might need more money. The account can't go overdrawn and I get a notification every time there's a transaction.

All very easy and convenient.

Cash is convenient.

Kite card, although he is a little younger.

Cash.
Then they had to go to the effort of getting it out of a cashpoint to spend which slowed up impulse buying.
Moved to a debit card about age 14 or so iirc.

At that age Go Henry.

We could set limits on spending and on total individual purchases, we could switch atm, debit card or online purchases on and off and got notifications of everything.

Later they transitioned to bank cards.

Go Henry

Cash, it helps build tangible money, math and life skills imo

I’ve got a starling card and you can add a child space to it, they then get their own card and you can get notifications on what they spend and where. He used the physical card until 13 and we’ve now been able to add his starling card to his Apple wallet so can now use his phone.

Started with Go Henry when DS was younger, but the monthly fees are a rip off. He now has a Revolut card and app (Apple Pay is >15 where we live). I can track his spending, transfer his pocket money and he has a 2% savings account attached. Multi currency, so great for travel (no fees).

Kite card

My kids used cash but there’s a couple cash free places around me so we got them Hyperjar cards around 10. They don’t have lots of money on them so no fuss if anything happens

I have a monzo account and opened both my kids a card through that. I get notified every time they spend money and it’s really good at stopping certain transactions (although sometimes can be annoying when they want a chocolate bar from a sports bar they’ve been at after playing footie and the card won’t let it as it’s classed as a pub/bar) easy to transfer money into and can set up own pin so can remember etc

Go Henry or child monzo acct attached to an adult one, although had a few issues with go Henry with allowing her to buy from auto subscribe sites, fabthletics etc

Revolut card. She has a kids account and we automatically get a notification if she spends any money. I also have her card loaded on my Google pay so if we're out and about and she's not got her card she can still pay.

@TomatoSandwiches I totally agree. I think it's critical that they use cash first, so they definitely understand how to count it. So many kids now have no idea how to calculate how much 2 items cost, or how much change they're due, because they have never handled cash.

You could say it doesn't matter, because, like memorizing phone numbers, it's no longer necessary. I made my kids memorize mine and their father's phone numbers when they were 5 because you never know! It's actually been handy a few times.

But it's life skills!!

I am now going to go off on a tangent because this really bothers me, the way society is gradually de-skilling itself. I know old people have been complaining about change since the beginning of time, but... There are so many things people don't bother to teach their kids anymore that used to be so basic.

Like telling the time. Too many kids now can only tell the time using digital and have no idea how to tell the time from a clock face.

Ditto shoe laces - when I was little, we all learned to tie shoelaces by 5 because school shoes with velcro didn't exist. But now, tying shoelaces is a dying art. I saw a thread on here the other day suggesting 11 as being the minimum age a child should reasonably be expected to be able to tie shoelaces! Not in 1984 it wasn't... In fact, a lot of kids now need help to put on velcro shoes, because they're used to slip ins...

And don't even start me on handwriting...

His bank card, cash isn’t really a thing here.

Cash and used to have a go henry but fees were ridiculous so created him a lloyds 11-15 account with a card.