Best Banking Apps for Kids and Teens: BusyKid vs. GoHenry App
Banking apps for kids have been an excellent way for parents to teach children about money management, helping them build their savings accounts and keep track of their spending habits. There are many options on the market. But if you’re looking for the best banking app for kids and teens, two stand above the rest: BusyKid and GoHenry App.
A simple glance at both apps will clarify why they’re currently a favorite in the banking apps for kids and teens marketplace. So that’s what we’re going to review today. When going through this discussion, it’s important to remember that kids will not use an app they do not like. With that in mind, we’ll look at how well each compares to parental control features, available child options, age requirements, and debit cards for kids.
BusyKid App
BusyKid is an app designed to teach kids and teens how to manage money in a digital age using banking technology. It uses the same principles of traditional banking but in a safe and controlled environment that enables parents to teach kids financial education.
Since its first appearance on the market, the app has been improved over time, and the first version was called My Job Chart.
Features
BusyKid app for kids has many features that stand out. In 2022, the app was one of the National Parenting Products Awards winners. It is a virtual money jar for children that helps them learn the basics of money management. It’s a chore and allowance app that helps parents teach their kids financial literacy in a real-world banking app.
Allowance is divided into three categories. Each of them can be customized, and it’s based on the percentage of the total allowance received. These include:
- Save – Invest
- Share
- Spend
The save and invest feature permits your child to keep a certain percentage of money each time they receive funds. They can also experience investing with a vast selection of companies, and there are no commissions for stock transactions. The investing platform is backed by Apex Clearing Corporation, a subsidiary of Apex Fintech Solutions, a FINRA-registered Broker/Dealer.
The share feature allows kids to give back to the community, and there are more than 50 charities to choose from. The list keeps growing as each parent can suggest a charity through the BusyKid email.
The Spend feature enables kids to enjoy the delayed gratification they have been anticipating. Whether shopping in online stores, withdrawing money via ATMs, or buying something in-store, BusyKid Spend Card allows them to experience virtual money in the real world.
Parental Control Features
BusyKid has a preset age-appropriate chore chart that parents can easily customize. They can assign chores and set an allowance for each task a child completes. Assignments are paid out weekly, and you can set automatic payments or review each task and release funds accordingly.
But there is also a bonus feature. As often happens, parents can award good behavior or grades with an additional bonus sum through the app. So, for example, if you notice that your child is dedicated to saving, you can match their savings up to 100% to encourage them further.
Losing track of all these actions is fine. BusyKid offers a detailed history of chores, paydays, and transactions, including the BusyKid Spend Card, and you get real-time insight into your child’s activity. Additionally, any action on a child’s account, including financial decisions such as donation, or stock shopping, is visible to a parent through push notification and requires approval. You can also turn on Money Lock to prevent kids from moving money between the categories independently.
Child Profiles
From a kid’s perspective, the chore chart is a simple list. They can mark their chores and tasks as done to get their allowance approved. Then, they can request money from their profile, and once you agree, the funds will transfer to their account.
They can move these between the categories save/invest, spend, and share unless you set it differently. Additionally, BusyKid has a unique feature for transferring funds. BusyPay is a type of QR code that relatives can use to send your kids money without typing in anything except the amount of money and credit card information. The service is charged one dollar per transaction.
In addition, when you subscribe to BusyKid, your family gets up to five debit cards for kids, also known as BusyKid Spend Cards. So you can teach your kids to use a debit card like in the real world. The only advantage here is that their funds on the card are limited by the amounts you give them weekly.
Card Type and Payment Network
BusyKid Spend Card is a Visa debit card you can get after downloading the app and entering your details. It takes 7–10 business days for the card to arrive.
Safety
As we already mentioned, anything your child does with the funds, you get a push notification on your phone. However, let’s talk about debit card safety. BusyKid Spend Card is FDIC insurance with a Zero Liability protection policy in case of any unauthorized charges and if your kids’ card is lost or stolen.
Minimum Age Requirement
BusyKid is intended for kids and teens ages 5 and 17.
BusyKid Subscription Fee
BusyKid offers a 30-day free trial to all new users. The subscription fee is $4 per month for a family of up to five children, and the amount is billed annually.
GoHenry App
The GoHenry app is designed to help kids and teens learn how to earn, save, and spend responsibly. In combination with mobile and debit cards, the company provides an experience of managing money in a safe environment.
The company was established in 2012 in Hampshire, United Kingdom, as GoHenry Limited by two co-founders, Executive VP Dean Brauer and COO Louise Hill.
Features
GoHenry is a mobile application for children’s education on financial literacy. GoHenry has an app, debit card, and in-app missions to teach kids about money management. In essence, it’s a chore and allowance app.
Parents can set amounts of allowance for each child. Parents can send funds automatically or based on completed chores. However, you can select the spending limits weekly or daily. Moreover, you can limit where your child spends money, thus allowing them to use GoHenry debit cards in the stores you allow.
The GoHenry card is customized and has your child’s name on it. Apart from spending, the app allows your kids to set savings goals. There is no limit to the number of these goals, and each is divided into pods. As a result, your kid can visually see the progress.
GoHenry also allows your kids to share their allowance with charities. In addition, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America has partnered with GoHenry, and all transactions go through them.
Last but not least, GoHenry has in-app money missions. In other words, these are the videos and quizzes that unlock missions. They earn points and badges while watching educational content.
Card Type and Payment Network
GoHenry Kids debit card is a Mastercard you can get in 45 custom designs and your child’s name. This custom card upgrade costs $4.99.
Safety
GoHenry Mastercard has FDIC-insured accounts with Zero Liability Protection.
Minimum Age Requirement
GoHenry is designed for kids and teens aged six to 18.
Subscription Fee
GoHenry’s monthly subscription fee is $4.99 per child and $9.98 for families with up to four kids.
Conclusion BusyKid vs. GoHenry App
BusyKid and GoHenry are two great options that offer many features to help teach your child or teen more about finance.
However, once you dive deeper into the specific features, pricing plans, and learning opportunities – the BusyKid app comes out on top. It is one of the best banking apps for kids and teens for those looking to learn about finance and earn a bit of pocket money while doing it.
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* BusyKid Debit Card is issued by MVB Bank, Inc., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa®️ USA Inc. Cliq® is registered ISO/MSP of MVB Bank, Inc. All cardholders funds are insured by the FDIC in accordance with the FDIC applicable terms and conditions. For more information about your card terms and conditions including the VISA Zero Liability policy go here. Cliq®️️ is registered ISO/MSP of MVB Bank, Inc
