My daughter wants a card

[appleandblackcurrent]

My daughter is 12 in a few weeks and she said that she wants to get a debit card. Apparently some of her friends have one. I don't know if I should get her a card. On 1 hand it will teach her responsibility but I don't want her spending her money foolishly. Should I get her one?

[gingercat02]

11-13 you have to open a Santander mini 123 account in a branch with a parent 13 and over you can do it online

[Oblomov20]

Of course it's a good idea. Nationwide has an account specifically for this age group and teens.
Debit card, On line visibility of account. It's perfect. What's the problem?

[TW2013]

11th birthday or thereabouts we go to the bank and set up a current account. They swear not to launder money on it which always makes everyone chuckle. At first I usually sign them up for a cash card which they can only use at a cash point, mainly because I don't want to deal with the fall out if it is stolen and they lose their money. Once they hit teenager and more confident with money then we swap it to contact less. They cannot go overdrawn on it and I think that the cash card can not be used online either.

[TheSmallAssassin]

Both my children got one when they were 11. They have to learn through experience how to budget, and this is a safe way to do it as they can't go overdrawn.

I don't agree with controlling how they spend their money, either it's theirs or not, it's up to them what they buy! There's nothing like a bit of regret about buying something a bit silly to teach you to think more carefully.

[BlueJava]

We got our 2 DSs cards when they were around that age. Provided it's the right account for their age and no overdraft facility I think it's a good thing.

[merryhouse]

My son wanted one because he likes to buy presents, books, computer stuff and so forth on line and didn't want to have to keep asking us (particularly for presents).

Presumably she's capable of not spending all her money at once when it's in cash?

[cakeandchampagne]

Get a card for her.
If she might make foolish money mistakes, this is a good age to learn!

[justtb]

I didn't have my own bank account until I was 16 cos my mum lived in the Middle Ages! She only set it up cos I got a bursary from sixth form

[Headbangersandmash]

Bows a great time to learn to budget. There will be a few difficult choices like whether she buys something at New Look or goes to Nando's but you don't want her getting to University age and unable to budget

[cornersteps]

We she vent spend any more than she has which is just the same as cash. She needs a savings account to run along side her current account so she only has pocket money in he spend account. All savings stay put.

[cornersteps]

She CANT

[doodleygirl]

How else are you planning to teach her how to budget?

[Tigertrees]

It's very handy to not have to look around for change for lunches etc. I've had many a text saying "mum! I've no money for lunch!" Which is quickly solved on my phone (nimbl card).

[ReluctantHillCrester]

I suggested a pre-paid card due to the parental control, you can see where and what they spend on some cards, block certain websites, temporarily stop the card, and limit spending so they cannot blow the entire amount in one go. For a just turning 12 child it is probably a good thing to start with.

A bank card is completely out of your control. There is nothing to stop them going to a cash machine and withdrawing their entire balance.

[dementedpixie]

They would soon learn that if they withdraw all their money in one go that they have nothing left to spend. My 2 never did that and dont fritter it all online either. They both have current accounts with debit card (age 13 and 16)

[averythinline]

We used Metro as is open over the weekend and branches not far from us. Dc like putting birthday cheques in person.
The only thing we struggle with is online shopping as not keen on debit cards online.
Works well....

[cornersteps]

A bank card is completely out of your control. There is nothing to stop them going to a cash machine and withdrawing their entire balance.

Of course there is. It's called the parent. Ensure the current account balance is only pocket money and have any big monies in a savings account. That's good practice for being an adult.

[Headbangersandmash]

A bank card is completely out of your control. There is nothing to stop them going to a cash machine and withdrawing their entire balance.

I assume op would put her dc pocket money into the account attached to the card. If the child withdrew the cash then they'd have to wait until next month for it to be replenished.

[Hello1290]

With the santander account debit card would the card be rejected if there wasn't enough money for the transaction in the account ?

[RippleEffects]

My DS's have Barclays debit cards and mobile ap on their phones. We've turned off touch payments as this is the quickest way for an opportunist to blow through their funds with a lost card.

They have savings acounts with Barclays too. I put £5 by DD into their spending account and we transfer amounts over £100 to savings. Big purchases or transfers out of savings are discussed.

Birthday money mostly goes straight to savings. So they don't have full money control but enough to learn and make a few over indulgent splurges the bank is bare life lessons.

[Toomanycats99]

My daughter has the nationwide one. It's great I pay her pocket money in as her dad and that's her money. She doesn't get anymore so if she goes out with her friends there's no nagging. To be honest I have no idea what she spends it on - mainly sushi I think it she cannot go overdrawn and it's her responsibility to manage.

Think she has also just used it to buy some sims expansion packs as well as she hasn't been going out.

Some can only be used in a cashpoint but hers in class tactless as well so she can use it in al shops.

[WeAllHaveWings]

ds(16) has had his since around 12. I have a direct debit to his account each month for his pocket money/school lunches/circuit training classes/giff gaff phone contract and netflix subscription. He decides if he wants to keep netflix/up his phone package or keep the money for going out with friends. He tops up parent pay for school lunches himself from his account. During school holidays he doesn't have school lunches to buy so can use that extra money towards going out instead.

So he needs to think about how much money he has in the account and what is coming out. He has been told if he overspends and cant pay for giff gaff he wont have a phone. Or if he overspends and cant pay for school lunches I will give him a loan, but it will come out of his next months pay-in until the loan is paid off.

He's been good with managing it and never overspent yet, it is low risk as there is no overdraft facility so unlikely to go into the red.

[ColaPip]

Bookmarking for these recommendations - thanks!

[Bunnyjo]

DD has a NatWest account with debit card and has done since she was 11, she’ll be 13 in August. All of her birthday money and pocket money goes into that account and she is learning to budget accordingly - she built up quite a healthy balance over her birthday and Xmas, and transferred most of it to her instant savings account.

I have a younger DS who will get the same NatWest account when he is old enough.

Both DC have an instant savings account and a trust account each. We deposit regular amounts into the trust accounts, as do my parents. They won’t have access to their trust accounts until they are 18.

With regards to the likes of Go Henry and others with monthly/annual fees, I’m not sure why anyone would pay for something that is available from many high street banks for free.