BusyKid has several features that parents must turn on from the "Settings" area of the app. These features - BusyPay, Auto-Allowance and Savings Match - are designed to provide parents with more control and children extra motivation. To find these, sign into your account and press "Settings" at the bottom of the dashboard.
This information is listed in the welcome email, but just in case, please follow these steps when you are near other family members:
Yes! BusyKid will seek approval from parents through notifications for allowances, bonuses, loading spend cards with money, donations, and buying stock. If you don't agree to accept notifications from BusyKid upon enrollment, go into your device and turn them on. If you didn't accept notifications upon set up, you can go into settings inside the app and do it from there.
A checking account, debit or credit card must be used as a funding source. We recommend linking a checking account since there will be no transaction fee associated. Use of a credit or debit card will result in a transaction fee charged by your bank or credit card company.
We will not accept PayPal, Chime, Venmo or Cash App as a funding source. We also don’t recommend savings accounts due to banks limiting the number of transactions each month.
The heart of our app is chores for allowance, but the fastest way to add money into a child account is by giving a bonus. Matter of fact, this should be the first thing you do after establishing the account and ordering a card. We recommend doing a small bonus to see how money flows in the system. Do this by:
Our financial network covers more than 90% of all US banks and credit unions. However, there is a chance that you can't find or connect the one you use. If you don't see the bank/credit union listed and it doesn't come up in the search space, you can manually connect your bank by following these steps once inside your account
Micro-deposits will show up in your bank account (generally within two banking days). Once they do, sign into your account and:
Please contact our support team for additional assistance.
The app is designed for you to stay signed in, so there is no need to exit. Once done using the app, simply close or switch to another app. BusyKid will remain signed in on the "Select Profile" page (where someone would need to enter a specific PIN to enter an account). As a reminder, never share your PIN.
If you explicitly sign out, the main parent will receive an email with instructions when you want to enter the app again.
Parents and children can follow everything done inside the BusyKid system - chores, allowance, money transfers, donations, stock purchased and where a BusyKid Spend Card is used - from the activity feed in the app. From the bottom of the parent or child dashboard, press "Activity".
Press the "Stack" icon to review all financial transactions. Press the "$" to see all completed chores and review the most recent payday.
These are funds that BusyKid has returned to you for one reason or another. These funds can be used for paydays and bonuses whenever you'd like. Our support team can also return these to you through PayPal or by bank check.
Yes, the card can be used outside the US, though an international transaction fee could be charged. BusyKid Spend Cards can not be shipped outside the US. At this time, the only currency showing in the system is the US dollar. Investing through the BusyKid app is only available to US citizens.
At this time, just contact our support team and it will cancel the BusyKid account. When you cancel, any money inside the system will be returned directly to either the funding source directly, through PayPal or bank check. Our support team will notify you of which. Any money on the BusyKid Spend Card will remain active as long as funds are on the card. You will need to close the card separately. Please see the Spend Card section for more card details. There are no partial refunds of annual subscription fees and no refunds for money spent on investments or donations.
A "Payday" is allowance that comes from completing chores. This money will always go into the Save, Share and Spend areas based upon the allocation settings.
A "Bonus" is money paid by a parent at any time. Bonus money can either go into the Save, Share and Spend areas, or be loaded directly onto a BusyKid Spend Card. Contact our support team if there are any issues.
The weekly Payday is each Friday and chores marked "Done" by a child since the previous Friday. Around 8:30 am (local time) the primary parent will receive an email notification and an in-app notification that Payday is ready for approval. Please respond on a mobile device. Once approved, the money will move to the Save, Share and Spend areas, based upon the allocation percentages.
Each preloaded chore or activity already has an allowance based upon the age of your child. However, you can change the amount you want to pay by editing the amount as you set it up.
It's bound to happen, you missed approving a payday. Don't worry because you can still approve it anytime by following these steps:
1. From the parent dashboard tap "Activity" at the bottom of the page.
2. Tap "$"
3. Tap "Review Payday"
4. Approve the payday
You can follow these same steps to pay allowance anytime.
With "Auto-Allowance", a child can be paid every Friday or twice a month (1st & 15th) with no chores required. Just set it, forget it and we'll transfer allowance into the child account (divided into save, share and spend). The "Auto-Allowance" feature can be accessed by tapping "Settings" at the bottom of the parent dashboard, then selecting this feature.
Any chores that are completed in the week will be paid on Friday.
A parent can send a bonus anytime and it will register in the child account immediately. To send a bonus:
Think of this as an IOU between the child and parent. By pressing the "Get Cash" button funds will move from the child account back to the parent funding source. These funds could take a few days to register in the parents funding source. This feature should not be used for weekly payday since it’s difficult to predict when funds will be available.
The first time a child decides to use the investment platform, the primary a parent will be asked to open an account with our brokerage service provider Apex Clearing.
To buy: A child/teen will select any title in the "Save/Invest" area of their dashboard. Once a selection is made, the parent will be notified of the request to make a purchase. The minimum stock purchase is $10.
To sell: A child/teen will select from the "My Stocks" area in the dashboard and the parent receives a notification of the request to complete the transaction.
Depending upon when either transaction is processed (during normal business hours, after hours, weekend or holiday), it will be completed as soon as possible and posted to the child account. Until fully processed you will see “pending” in the activity feed.
You can follow your holdings on the dashboard under the “Save/Invest” area of the account. When the markets are opening, the activity is live but with a 15-minute delay.
Brokerage services provided by Apex Clearing, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA /SIPC. Investments in securities: Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value. Investing in securities involves risks, and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Before investing, consider your investment objectives, charges and expenses. For more details, see our Form CRS, Broker Check and other disclosures.
Each month you'll receive an investment statement, but if you are looking for more, you can find a "Documents" section in the "Settings" area of the app. Press "Settings" at the bottom of any screen.
BusyPay allows anyone to add money to a child account. It's great for a birthday, holiday present, selling lemonade, mowing grass, babysitting or more. Your child just shares the QR code from the dashboard and money can be added quickly. There is a $1 fee (payed by person adding money) to use BusyPay plus any credit card or bank transaction cost.
It’s up to you. We have preset the percentage allocated to each area based on the age of the child, but you can easily change from inside the child profile. To change:
While on this page, you can also lock any money movement between areas by checking the box below the slider.
Yes and No. A child can press the “Transfer” button and move funds between Save, Share and Spend areas. There are no parent approvals necessary for these transfers. If the “Money Lock” feature is engaged through enrollment or from inside the child profile, a child will not see the "Transfer" button.
When Money Lock is engaged, a child can still donate, invest, "Get Cash" or load cards as normal.
Engage the "Money Lock" feature to stop your child from transferring money between the Save, Share and Spend areas. Just go to "Settings" and "Manage Profiles", and select the child you want. Scroll down the screen until you see the "Lock Money Transfers" box. Click the box and save.
Though a parent will need to move money between the Save, Share and Spend areas now, money can still be used for spending, donations or investing. The parent will just need to approve the transaction.
"Savings Match" is just as the name states - an opportunity to match a percentage of the money saved by a child each week. To do this:
1. Tab on"Settings" from the parent dashboard;
2. Select "Savings Match" from the menu;
3. Pick the child and the percentage to match each week, or add a monthly maximum to be paid. The amount will be divided equally each week.
The resulting match will be displayed in the activity feed for the child
No. When your child wants to make a donation, a message will be sent to the primary account holder for approval. Once approved, the money to be donated will move back to the funding source. The primary parent makes the donation so that the parent/family gets the donation letter.
If you didn't order a spend card during enrollment, you can do so by pressing the card image from the parent dashboard. When ordering a card, be sure to only check the box for the kid(s) you wish to get cards. Remember, each family subscription comes with one card.
When ordering a card you'll be able to select from different designs and the colors of black or white. Very soon, we'll be offering more colors.
Normally cards are created and delivered in about 14 business days (though mail delays are possible due to local weather). Due to COVID-related shortages, delivery times have increased some. We are hopeful that this will be resolved very soon. If you’ve waited more than 14 business days and the card hasn’t arrived, please contact us immediately so we can take next steps.
To check the card balance - 1) From a dashboard, scroll down to the card image and press the green "update" refresh button or 2) Go to "Settings" in the parent dashboard and "Spend Card" from the menu. Press the three dots in the upper right corner of the card image and select "Get Balance".
To activate a BusyKid Spend Card, the primary parent will have to:
1. Enter the parent dashboard and select the child
2. On the child card image touch the "Lock" to open up the next screen and enter the last 4 digits of the card # then DONE, then UNLOCK.
Once the card is activated, it's time to put money on the card. To load the spend card, make sure money is showing in the child account and follow these steps:
There are two ways to 'LOAD CARD'. The parent or child can do this.
The main parent can then select 'LOAD CARD' and select the Spend, Save or Share area to put the money onto the card.
1. Have your child go to their dashboard, then select 'LOAD CARD'. Then pick the area where money is moving from, the amount to be moved, type in the amount to be loaded and press LOAD CARD.
2. The primary parent will get a notification to approve this action. Inside the Parent Dashboard, press 'ACTIVITY' at the bottom of the app and then follow the process to approve.
3. Look at the card image from either the parent or child dashboard to make sure the card balance is right. You might need to press the recycle symbol to update the balance.
For further assistance please contact us at help@busykid.com
Parent Loading a Card (from parent dashboard):
1. Select a child and press blue "Load Card" button;
2. Select the area to load from (Save, Share or Spend) and enter the amount. Press "Load Card";
3. Money will move immediately to the card but press the green "update" button to ensure load is complete.
Child Loading a Card (from child dashboard):
1. Press the blue "Load Card" button
2. Select the area to load from (Save, Share or Spend) and enter the amount. Press "Load Card";
3. The child will see a "Success" message that indicates a parent is approving the request. The primary parent will immediately get an email notification that must be responded to on a mobile device. Once approved, the money will move instantly.
We recommend that the child become aware of this process since they may need to load money while at a store.
Also, the loading process can only use money from the Save, Share and Spend areas, so please make sure they are funded before attempting this procedure.
BusyKid Spend Cards can be used anyplace Visa® cards are accepted. Cards must have a positive balance available before making purchases. Insufficient funds could result in cards becoming inactive or decline fees charged.
If your card has been declined, most likely the card hasn't been activated, there isn't enough money on the card or you've used the wrong PIN. Please check for these situations and try again. If the card declines again, please call the number on the back of the card for immediate attention.
The fastest way to remove from a BusyKid Spend Card is to use an ATM. However, if that is not an option, please contact our support team for assistance at help@busykid.com
You are protected with Visa ® Zero Liability Policy. Our guarantee that you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your account or account information. You can always dispute charges as well by contacting our card provider at disputes@cliq.com with details on what happened. Please make sure to include the name of the card holder and the card number.
If the card is truly lost or stolen, go to "Settings" in the parent dashboard and press "Spend Cards". Tap the three dots on the child’s spend card and "Report Lost or Stolen". The old card will be canceled and a duplicate ordered. The replacement cost for the new card is $5.
If you think the card is just misplaced, you can place a 24-hour hold on it by contacting our support team during regular business hours. After 24 hours, the old card will be automatically cancelled.
As required by the Patriot Act (2001) , we use identity verification services to help determine the identity of anyone ordering a BusyKid Visa® Spend Card. Because of this, you could receive an error message while trying to ordering a card. However, the biggest are information entered wrong or not matching data which exists in other databases we check. Here are some common errors:
Address Error
This error generally occurs because an older address is on file with the verification service or because a PO Box number is used during the order. Please use your domestic street address. If you need a BusyKid Spend Card sent to a PO Box or other address, please contact our support team so we can process the order manually.
Date of Birth Error
Usually a date of birth or ID error is usually a typo. Please verify the information you used is correct.
ID Error
ID errors generally occur because of the legal name provided on the account or improper formatting of the SSN. Recently married or name changes can be a factor. Please try your former name and remove any extraneous dashes from the SSN. If you continue to receive this error, you will receive an email within a few days with instructions to complete the process. If you do not receive a notification within 3 business days, please contact our support team.
Our card provider is required by law to verify the personal information for the main parent on the account. BusyKid just passes information through to the card provider for validation purposes. Our card provider processes cards for many other companies and is entrusted by Visa® to handle private information.
If you've entered in your information and received an error message, please see our FAQ section on error messages.
The BusyKid Spend Card is issued by MVB Bank, Inc., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from VISA® U.S.A. Inc. All cardholders funds are insured by the FDIC in accordance with the FDIC’s 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.
Here are the most common fees BusyKid members may occasionally encounter:
- International Transaction Fee - $2.50 (can be assessed if it's a foreign website or store)
- Card decline - $.50 (starting on the fifth decline in a month)
- Replacing card for any reason - $5
- ATM - $1.50
For a complete description of the terms, conditions, and fees associated with the BusyKid Visa® Prepaid Spend Card, please review the official documentation.
To cancel any BusyKid Visa® Prepaid Spend Cards, please email our card provider Cliq. Cards will remain active as long as funds are available. If you cancel the card, before funds are gone, funds can be returned to you.
Note .... Closing a BusyKid account does not close any cards you may have.
BusyKid's top priority is protecting our customers. As such, we leverage bank-level security to ensure your sensitive personal information and account data are always safe.
BusyKid uses Stripe and Plaid to connect to your credit/debit card or bank account. These third-party providers have become the main players in the financial services industry and have earned a solid reputation for the highest levels of security and customer service.
We prefer you connect a checking account over any card to stay away from transaction fees. Savings accounts should not be used since your bank will have a limit on the number of transactions each month.
Still don't see a solution to your issue, click here.
Subscribe to BusyKid and if for any reason you are not happy with the performance of our app or cards within the first 30 days, we will refund your subscription, as well as, any money inside the app or on a card.
*BusyKid can not refund any stock purchases or donations made. Only the subscription paid will be refunded. This applies to new subscriptions only.*
COPYRIGHT © 2023 BusyKid®
Privacy & Terms
* BusyKid Spend 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’s 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.
BusyKid can not refund any stock purchases made. Only the subscription paid will be refunded. Guarantee applies to new subscriptions only.
Brokerage services provided by Apex Clearing, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA /SIPC.
Investments in securities: Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value. Investing in securities involves risks, and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Before investing, consider your investment objectives, charges and expenses. For more details, see our Form CRS, Broker Check and other disclosures.
Actual annual cost is $49.74 when a credit or debit card is used as a funding source. There is no transaction fee when a bank account is used.
Your entire family has access to our app, up to five BusyKid Visa® Spend Cards, our 30-day subscription-back guarantee, and investing. This is your chance to see how it fits your family without a long-term commitment.
