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).
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Greenlight Debit Card Fees and Details Updated August 12, 2025
Pros
- Set spending limits and track transaction history
- Link transfers to achievements like chores and grades
- Cashback 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% in 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 with Greenlight are standard brokerage accounts in the parent’s name. 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 access the following features:
- Set purchase and withdrawal limits
- Set spending limits for their child
- Set savings summary
- Block unsafe 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 accepts, except for: - Bank transfers
- Money transfers
- Brokers or securities transactions
- Meeting/escort Services
- Salons
- Massages
- Lotteries
- Gambling or online casinos
- Horse racing and dog racing
- Non-sports online casinos
- Cash back on purchases
Greenlight Plan Details and Pricing
These are the four plans offered by Greenlight:
Core
Price: $5.99/month
The Basic Plan is Greenlight’s most basic option. The account offers a 2% savings rate but doesn’t offer cash back on purchases. It allows parents to schedule chores, errands, errands, 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 plan available is Max, which offers all the features of the Core plan, plus:
- 3% savings
- 1% cash back
- Investment options
- Personal information theft, purchase, and phone protection
Infinity
Price: $15.98/month
The Infinity plan offers all the features of the Max plan, plus:
- 5% savings
- Family location sharing 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 seniors. 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 program also offers additional debit cards with purchase protection for two adults.
All the features of the Infinity program are included, plus:
- 6% savings rate
- Financial account monitoring
- Suspicious activity alerts
- Up to $100,000 in fraud protection
- Up to $1 million in identity theft protection
- How does the Greenlight card compare?
How the Greenlight Card Stacks Up
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 children.
With Acorns Early, parents can set up automatic payments, 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 makes our list of the best debit cards for kids and teens, Greenlight remains the top choice. The Greenlight Max plan costs about 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 to earn 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 of any debit card for kids.
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.
