Greenlight aims to teach kids and teens how to spend, save, and even invest wisely. The Greenlight debit card and its mobile app offer a wide range of features to help them achieve this goal: parents can set spending and withdrawal limits, automate benefits, link payments to chores, block safe spending categories, and more. The app also features educational content and financial literacy games.
One of Greenlight’s standout features is the ability to earn 1% cash back on purchases and up to 6% on savings balances, depending on the plan you choose.
The main downside to Greenlight is its price. The Core plan starts at $5.99 per month, but to get all the benefits, you’ll need to upgrade to the Family Shield plan, which costs $19.98 per month (for a limited time). Fees and exact details as of August 12, 2025 for the Greenlight Debit Card
Pros
- Set spending limits and track transaction history
- Link transfers to achievements like chores and grades
- Cash back and savings rewards
- Educational content in the app
Cons
- High monthly fee
- Basic plan offers limited benefits
- No cash deposits
Greenlight Card Review
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Greenlight website
Product
Debit card, savings tools, investment platform
Monthly service fee
$5.99 to $19.98
ATM network
None
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Who Is Greenlight Best For?
Greenlight is ideal for parents with multiple children who want to teach them to manage their finances responsibly from a young age. It’s ideal for parents looking for a debit card for kids with a comprehensive app that lets them set up protections and track spending, while also offering educational content.
Greenlight Debit Card Basics
The Greenlight Debit Card is specifically designed to help kids and teens develop healthy financial habits. Greenlight offers a variety of features and is available in four plans: Core, Max, Infinity, and Family Shield. Prices range from $5.99 per month to $19.98 (for a limited time), depending on the plan selected. Each plan supports up to five children and has no minimum age requirement.
Greenlight allows users to set spending and savings categories, helping kids effectively manage their finances. Depending on the plan selected, your child can earn up to 6% annual savings (with an average daily savings balance of up to $5,000 for a family), as well as 1% cash back on every purchase.
Greenlight Max, Infinity, and Family Shield plans also offer investment options for children. Investment portfolios created through Greenlight are standard brokerage accounts in the parents’ names. Children can explore and choose investments, but their parents approve each transaction.
By opening a Greenlight debit card for a child or teen, parents can help their children learn to manage their finances through hands-on experience without losing control. The card can be managed through the Greenlight mobile app, which offers a variety of features for both children and parents.
In the app, parents can:
- Set purchase and withdrawal limits
- Set spending limits for their child
- Set savings summary
- Block risky spending categories
- Enable real-time notifications
- Automate benefits
- Link payments to chores
- Activate or deactivate a child’s card
- Approve money sent by friends and family
- Set up direct deposit for working teens
- Pay interest on child’s savings (up to 100%)
Kids have access to a variety of features:
- View card balance
- Review transactions
- Play Level Up, Greenlight’s financial literacy game
- Receive homework reminders and mark completed tasks
Greenlight cards are accepted anywhere Mastercard is accepted, except for the following:
- Bank transfers
- Money transfers
- Brokers or securities dealings
- Matchmaking/escort services
- Massage parlors
- Lotteries
- Gambling or online casinos
- Horse racing and greyhound racing
- Non-sports online casinos
- Cash back at point of sale
Greenlight Plan Details and Pricing
These are the four plans offered by Greenlight.
Core
Price: $5.99/month
The Basic plan is the most basic version of Greenlight. The account offers a 2% savings rate, but does not offer cash back on purchases. The account allows parents to schedule homework, assignments, chores, and direct deposits, and gives kids access to Greenlight’s financial education game. This plan does not include investment opportunities for kids.
Max
Price: $10.98/month
The next available plan is Max, which offers all the features of the Core plan, plus:
- 3% savings
- 1% cashback
- Investment options
- Protection against personal information, purchases, and phone theft
Infinity
Price: $15.98/month
The Infinity plan offers all the features of the Max plan, plus:
- 5% savings
- Share family location with alerts
- SOS alerts and crash detection
- Vehicle notifications and alerts
Family Shield
Price: $19.98/month (limited time, 20% off)
The Family Shield plan offers features specifically designed for older adults. Account holders can link their elderly loved ones’ accounts at most financial institutions to monitor them and set alerts for fraud and suspicious activity. The plan also offers additional debit cards with purchase protection for two adults.
Everything in the Infinity plan is included, plus:
- 6% savings interest rate
- Financial account monitoring
- Suspicious activity alerts
- Up to $100,000 in fraud protection
- Up to $1 million in identity theft protection
How the Greenlight Card Stacks Up
If you’re looking for an alternative to Greenlight, Acorns Early is worth considering. Like Greenlight, Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry) offers a debit card and a feature-rich mobile app designed to teach kids about the value of money. It costs $5 per month for one child and $10 per month for families with up to four children. The app is designed to grow with your child, offering more advanced features and financial lessons for older kids.
With Acorns Early, parents can set up automated allowances, send rewards for completed tasks, receive spending alerts, set spending limits, block transactions at specific stores, lock and unlock savings goals for kids, and more.
While Acorns Early also made our list of the best debit cards for kids and teens, Greenlight remains the top choice. The Greenlight Max plan is pretty much the same as Acorns Early, but supports up to five children, offers cash back on purchases, and earns a 3% savings interest rate. If you’re looking for a high interest rate on your child’s money, also check out the best savings accounts for kids and teens.
Bottom Line
Greenlight is a great option for families who want to teach their kids how to manage their money responsibly. It topped our list of the best debit cards for kids and teens, offering one of the most comprehensive features available for a kids’ debit card.
Each plan supports up to five children, making it an ideal option for large families. However, the main drawback is that the more comprehensive Greenlight plans are somewhat expensive.
