BusyKid - The secure debit card for kids and teens in the USA

The BusyKid debit card offers children and teenagers a great way to make their first safe experiences with money. The BusyKid app also offers many practical tools: saving, gifting, and investing. Parents can monitor and control their children's spending through the app and pay them allowance for completing chores. Caution: The use of BusyKid is only available for U.S. citizens!

The credit card itself is free. You receive it at no cost when you join BusyKid. To use the BusyKid credit card and app, parents must pay a small fee. For $4 per month (billed annually), you have full access to all app features and can request up to 5 BusyKid debit cards.

Children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 17 can manage their money with BusyKid and the associated app. The legal guardians are, of course, the ones who must authorize and apply for the use of the credit card.

To open an account with BusyKid, you must have U.S. citizenship, a U.S. phone number, and a U.S. bank account. If these requirements are met, opening an account is easy through the BusyKid website. Download the app and open an account by providing the email address, date of birth, social security number, and address of the legal guardian. For the child, only the date of birth is required. After verification, the account is activated, a PIN can be set, and the registration process is complete.

With the BusyKid app, your children can manage their money in three different categories: saving, spending, or sharing/donating. Parents initially transfer money from their account to their children's prepaid card and can distribute the allowance among the three categories. If parents make no specifications, BusyKid allocates 40% for spending, 50% for saving, and 10% for sharing.

The BusyKid app offers a wide range of investment opportunities for children and teenagers. With the app, children can choose from over 4,000 stocks and ETFs for their investments. Parents must approve their children's investment proposals through the app before they are activated. There are no trading fees, and investments can be made with a budget of as little as $10.

The "Donate and Share" function allows children and parents to allocate part of the allowance for charitable purposes. They can choose from over 50 different nonprofit organizations in the USA, such as the American Red Cross or the Special Olympics, to support financially.

The app also allows parents to reward children for completing tasks like homework or household chores. Parents can enter the tasks and the desired reward amount in the app. When the child completes the task, they confirm it in the app and receive the set allowance on their prepaid card.

The BusyKid prepaid card offers a wide range of payment options similar to a Visa. Here are the key points:

Since BusyKid cards are Visa prepaid debit cards, they can be used anywhere Visa is accepted. Thus, they can also be used in most online shops. Parents see every transaction and can thus control their children's spending.

Opening a BusyKid account is only possible for U.S. citizens. However, the credit card can be used outside the United States. A fee is charged for international transactions, typically between $2 and $3 per transaction. Additionally, the only currency displayed in the system is the U.S. dollar.

Since it is a prepaid card that parents must load, the account cannot be overdrawn, preventing it from going into the negative.

Parents can control how much their children spend and how and where they invest through the app. Each transaction requires parental approval, ensuring regulated spending. As the BusyKid credit card is a Visa, the information on it is protected by high-security measures, just like any "normal" credit card.

To find the right credit card for their children, parents should compare several providers. Find out what you need to consider in our guide!