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 do just that: parents can set spending and withdrawal limits, automate weekly allowances, 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 basic plan starts at $5.99 per month, but to get all the benefits, you’ll need to upgrade to the Family plan, which costs $19.98 per month (for a limited time).

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Pricing and details updated as of December 8, 2025 for the Greenlight Debit Card

Pros

• Set spending limits and view 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
• Learn more
• 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 the best option for parents looking for a debit card for kids with a comprehensive app that lets them set up protections and track spending, as well as offer educational content for their kids.

Greenlight Debit Card Basics

The Greenlight Card is a debit card specifically designed to help kids and teens develop healthy financial habits. Greenlight offers a variety of features and is available in four different 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 interest on their savings (up to $5,000 per family on an average daily balance), plus 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 name of a parent or primary guardian. Children can explore and choose investments, but their parents must approve each transaction.

By opening a Greenlight debit card for a child or teen, parents can help their children learn to manage their finances in a hands-on manner while maintaining 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
• Adjust savings summary
• Block unsafe spending categories
• Enable real-time notifications
• Automate weekly benefits
• 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:

• Check card balance
• Review transactions
• Play Level Up, Greenlight’s financial education 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
• Dating/escort services
• Massage parlors
• Lotteries
• Gambling or online casinos
• Horse racing and hunting races
• Non-sports online casinos
• Cash back on sales

• 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 manage chores, assignments, allowances, 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 the Maximum plan, which offers all the features of the Basic plan, plus:

• 3% savings
• 1% cashback
• Investment options
• Protection against personal data, purchases, and phone theft

• Infinity

  Price: $15.98/month

The Infinite plan offers all the features of the Maximum 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)

Family Protection offers features specifically designed for seniors. Account holders can link their elderly loved ones’ accounts at most financial institutions to monitor them and set up fraud and suspicious activity alerts. The plan also offers additional debit cards with purchase protection for two adults.

Everything in the Infinity plan is included, plus:

• 6% savings rate
• Financial account monitoring
• Suspicious activity alerts
• Up to $100,000 in insurance against fraudulent transfers
• Up to $1 million in insurance against identity theft

How the Greenlight Card Stacks Up

If you’re looking for an alternative to Greenlight, Acorns Early is a good option. 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 automatic allowances, send rewards for completed tasks, receive spending notifications, 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 is about the same as Acorns Early, but allows up to five children, offers cash back on purchases, and a 3% savings interest rate. If you’re looking for a higher return on your child’s money, also check out the best savings accounts for kids and teens.