Best Debit Card for a 10-Year-Old
By Alex Thompson, founder of Kids Financial Guide · Updated November 2026
The short answer
Greenlight is the best debit card for most 10-year-olds: from $5.99 a month for up to five kids, it lets you choose which stores the card works at, pay allowance for chores and see every purchase. If you don't want a monthly fee, Capital One MONEY is a free checking account and debit card for kids 6 and up with alerts, card lock and savings goals, but no chores or store blocks. BusyKid is the best value for several kids at $48 a year for up to five cards, and Chase First Banking has no fee of its own if you already bank with Chase. Teen accounts like the Venmo Teen Account, Axos First Checking and the Fidelity Youth Account start at 13, so they aren't open to a 10-year-old.
Ten is a good age for a first card. Most 10-year-olds can add up a small purchase, wait a week for the next allowance and understand that money on a card is real money. What they still need is a parent who can see each purchase, set limits and lock the card if it goes missing.
Every card on this page is opened and run by a parent, and every one is open to a 10-year-old. We picked them from our full reviews, which check prices and features against each company's own site. Prices change, so check before you sign up.
Side-by-side comparison
| App | Price | Chores and allowance | Spending controls | Savings or investing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenlight Kids & Teen Banking | From $5.99/month for up to 5 kids | Yes | Spending limits, store-level controls, card lock | 2% savings reward on Core (up to $5,000 per family; rate can change) |
| Capital One MONEY Teen Checking | Free | Automatic allowance, no chores | Alerts, card lock, $500 daily limit (call to lower it); no store blocks | Small variable interest |
| BusyKid | $48/year for up to 5 cards | Yes | Parent approves card loads; few store blocks | None on cash; real stock investing included (can lose value, not FDIC insured) |
| Chase First Banking | No fee; parent needs Chase checking ($4.95-$15/month unless waived) | Yes | Choose where and how much they spend; card lock | None |
| Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry) | $8/month for up to 4 kids | Yes | Weekly and per-purchase limits; blocks stores selling age-restricted items | None from Acorns; parents can pay their own interest |
| Till Kids & Teen Banking | Free plan; physical card $5 | Yes | Alerts, card lock; store blocks advertised (plan not stated) | No bank interest; parents can pay their own; 2% reward on Premium |
Prices as listed in our reviews. Check each app's site for current pricing.
How to choose
- Decide how much control you want. At 10, being able to block stores and set a weekly limit matters more than it will at 15. Greenlight and Chase First Banking let you choose where the card works, Acorns Early blocks stores that sell age-restricted items, and Capital One MONEY lets you lock it but not block particular stores.
- Decide whether you'll pay for chores and lessons. Free bank accounts give your child a real card and a place to save. Paid apps add chore charts, money pots and short lessons.
- Count your kids. Greenlight and BusyKid cover up to five children for one price, and Acorns Early up to four.
- Start small. Load the card with a week's allowance, not birthday money, and talk about each purchase you see in the app.
Our picks for a 10-year-old
Greenlight Kids & Teen Banking
The strongest parent controls for a first card: spending limits, store-level controls, an alert for every purchase and an instant card lock, plus chore-linked allowance, money split between spending, saving and giving, and short lessons. Core costs $5.99 a month for up to five kids and pays a 2% savings reward (the rate can change). The app collects a lot of family data, including location and contacts.
Capital One MONEY Teen Checking
A real checking account and debit card in your child's name with no monthly fees, opened online by a parent who can fund it from any US bank. You get alerts, card lock, automatic allowance and savings goals, and kids under 18 can spend at most $500 a day unless you ask Capital One to lower it. There are no chores, lessons or store blocks, and the card is moving to the Discover network, which some small shops don't take yet.
BusyKid
One $48 yearly fee covers up to five prepaid Visa cards, a weekly chore payday, giving to about 50 charities and real stock investing that a parent approves. It's billed yearly with no refunds, has few store blocks and charges $1.50 per ATM withdrawal. Its App Store label says identifiers may be used to track you across other companies' apps and sites.
Chase First Banking
Built for ages 6 to 12, with chores, scheduled allowance, savings goals and limits on where and how much your child spends. The kids' account has no fee, but you need a Chase checking account ($4.95 to $15 a month unless you meet a waiver), money can only come from it, and it pays no interest.
Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry)
Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry) adds 100+ short Money Missions lessons and quizzes to a card with chores, allowance, weekly spending limits and blocks on stores that sell age-restricted items. It costs $8 a month for up to four kids, charged even in months the card isn't used. Acorns says child accounts don't get targeted ads, but its App Store label lists identifiers and usage data as used for tracking.
Till Kids & Teen Banking
A free plan with allowance, chores, savings goals, alerts and card lock, and a Visa card (the physical card costs $5, and instant top-ups from a debit card cost 3%; bank transfers are free). Family and friends can send money through Give Link, so share it only with people you know, or turn it off. The bank's daily limits ($2,500 in purchases, $250 in cash) are high for a 10-year-old, Till doesn't say which plan includes store blocks, and its privacy policy allows advertising uses of data.
Frequently asked questions
Can a 10-year-old have a debit card?
Yes, with a parent. Kids' debit cards are opened and run by a parent, who owns or co-owns the account. Capital One MONEY, Chase First Banking, Acorns Early and Cash App Families start at 6, and Greenlight, Till and BusyKid set no minimum age (BusyKid is designed for 5 to 17). The Venmo Teen Account, Axos First Checking and the Fidelity Youth Account start at 13. Step sets no minimum age with an adult sponsor, but we suggest it from 13.
What is the best free debit card for a 10-year-old?
Capital One MONEY: a checking account and debit card for kids 6 and up with no monthly fees, purchase alerts, card lock and savings goals, which a parent opens online and can fund from any US bank. If you bank with Chase, Chase First Banking has no fee of its own and adds chores and spending controls, but needs a Chase checking account, which can cost $4.95 to $15 a month unless you meet a waiver. Till also has a free plan with chores, though a physical card costs $5.
How much money should a 10-year-old have on a debit card?
Start with one week's allowance and top it up each payday, so a mistake costs little. Greenlight reports an average of $8.53 a week for 10-year-olds using its app in 2025, and the $1 per year of age rule gives $10. Keep birthday money and savings in a savings goal or account rather than on the card.
Should a 10-year-old's card allow ATM withdrawals?
Most 10-year-olds don't need cash from an ATM, and some cards charge for it: BusyKid charges $1.50 per withdrawal, and Chase First Banking $3 at non-Chase ATMs. Where you can, set a low ATM limit or leave cash withdrawals to you, and check balances in the app rather than at the ATM.