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Debit card

spendsafe contactless debit card for kids

SpendSafe debit card is helping kids go contactless

By Debit card, SpendSafe

Pocket money has been going digital for a few years now and cash is as cool as wired headphones (not at all, if you weren’t sure). Shopping and paying have naturally become ‘less-contact’, but COVID-19 is encouraging families to be totally contactless.

The SpendSafe debit card is a great way for you and your family to go contactless when out and about. Our prepaid debit cards use the same technology and security features you will find on contactless Visa or Mastercard credit and debit cards. Your kids get all the convenience of a modern debit card with the security of prepaid. 

We make sure kids get the most wholesome experience of managing money, while still having a safety net. “Besides,

this just isn’t cool anymore, mom!”

Truly contactless with our prepaid debit card for kids

We want to make cash allowances obsolete! Convenience and accessibility are built right into the SpendSafe card. Find out how contactless our card makes everything.

Contactless payments at the point-of-sale

Whether at the Gap, EB Games, or ice cream store, the SpendSafe reloadable debit card for kids can be used at the same contactless payment machines that accept Visa and Mastercard. Just look for this symbol. Don’t worry parents, you can still limit exactly where the card can be used to make payments.

Shopping online

What’s more contactless than going to the store? Shopping online! Tweens are growing up with the understanding that everything can be ordered online. Order food delivery on UberEats, shop on Amazon, pay for PlayStation games and so much more.

Subscribing to magazines online

With so many magazines going digital-only after COVID-19, online subscriptions are super important. Our debit card can be used to subscribe to monthly magazines and other recurring purchases like any other debit card.

In-app purchases

It’s the bane of many a parent’s existence but in-app purchases are an unavoidable headache.   Better to let your kids run out of money on a reloadable debit card than racking up sneaky hundreds on your credit card. (Also, you can restrict spending on apps of your choosing).

Transferring money to friends online

Borrowing and lending are part and parcel of growing up. It’s how kids learn to manage their savings, build relationships, collaborate with others. The SpendSafe debit card and app can be used to transfer money directly. The card can also be used with other apps to transfer money.

Add it to your digital wallet (Google Pay, Apple Pay, etc.)

Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay (very original naming scheme, guys) have become super popular. They add another layer of privacy and are just cool (there’s that word again). Connect our prepaid debit card like you would any other credit card or debit card to start paying touchless-ly with the phone.

Learn how the SpendSafe debit card works.

spendsafe debit card card safety tips

Giving your child a debit card for the first time? Here are some safety tips

By Debit card, Educating

Debit cards are useful in terms of learning financial knowledge, especially being taught how to use them from a young age. They can be a powerful tool for building a strong foundation for finances in the future. If used irresponsibly…would be more like building foundation on quicksand. 

If you have already set your kids up with their own SpendSafe debit card, speak with them about common types of scams. Read ahead for safety tips, your kids should be aware of.

Frauds and Scams Awareness

With no exposure to online scamming and phishing, kids are not able to tell what is fake. The fact of the matter is, keep all personal banking information to yourself. Talk about these common scams that can take place:

  • Shoulder Surfing: The phrase used when a scammer sneakily looks over someone’s shoulder to get their card information. Kids should know this is easy to avoid by keeping it to themselves, and covering the PIN number when making payment.
    Voice phishing (‘vishing’): Calls (and robocalls) pretending to be from ‘debt collector’ or the ‘government’ are forever trying to steal your personal information. We know to ignore the false sense of urgency they create, children don’t. Tell your kids never to share personal or financial information over the phone till they have discussed it with you.
  • Unrealistic Deals: The moment your child begins to shop online, it might be best to advise them on deals that sound too good to be true, and might not actually exist. Scammers use the information applied on their website to steal personal details.

Learn About it Together

Prepare for the future by learning safety tips together, giving you and your kids a chance to actively engage and plan out scenarios. As a parent or guardian, it’s a great opportunity to refresh safety tips you may already know. 

Remind your kids that debit card information has to be kept private. Even though they would like to tell their friends their personal details, this plastic card is not a toy. It holds all the money they have worked hard for. Encourage them to memorize their PIN number, debit card number and login information. Maybe even learn to keep the personal information a fun secret for themselves.  

A Safe space for your SpendSafe debit card

If you decide to hand over a debit card to your children, make sure your child is attentive about where they place the cards, as this is their own money. Teach your kids to be independent, and learn from their real life actions. 

Lost card support

We understand, losing your card can be frustrating. Be sure to log into the parental control app, where you and your kids can lock the debit card. At SpendSafe, we want  kids to easily keep track and learn the fundamentals of money management. Parents should provide guidance as conversations come up about saving money. A great learning experience with convenience, apply for a SpendSafe Kids Debit Card today!

Are reloadable debit cards safe to use?

By Debit card

Reloadable debit cards, or prepaid debit cards as they are widely known as, are emerging as a great alternative for cash as they are safer than carrying cash and offer more convenience. Offline or online transactions with these cards are as secure as using standard credit and debit cards; as they offer all the important security measures such as remote card blocking & theft protection facilities to safeguard you from the threat of unauthorized transactions.

Pre-approved vendors where you can use the card

 SpendSafe offers parents further peace of mind as they allow you to pre-approve a list of vendors where your child can use their prepaid debit card; an additional convenience which cash can’t offer. Parents or legal guardians can choose to reload their child’s Spendsafe card via the mobile application. Reloadable debit cards have thus also become a popular gifting option for kids since they work just like gift cards and also allow your young ones to learn about important money management skills. Such platforms also allow you the facility to track and monitor your child’s spending and understand their spending patterns.

No risk of debt accumulation with a prepaid debit card

The Spendsafe kids debit cards also offer security acting as a safety net for your financial future as you can only use the amount loaded on to it; safeguarding you from the risk of accruing huge amounts of credit card debt and ending up with a bad credit rating. Parents have begun to give their young ones prepaid debit cards instead of making them an authorised user of their personal credit cards to protect their own credit ratings as well as allow their children to become financially responsible and judicious right from a young age. 

Protecting your financial information

A huge benefit of opting for our Spendsafe kids debit cards is that it protects you from data-theft since a prepaid debit card isn’t linked to your bank account, thereby securing sensitive information from potentially getting exposed. If your child loses the card or accidentally shares details about it online then the card can be locked immediately. If someone does try to use the card fraudulently they will only be able to access the amount loaded in the card – not your entire bank account.

Learn more about SpendSafe and our prepaid debit cards for kids.

How do debit cards for kids work?

By Debit card

If you are a parent or a guardian who wants their child to inculcate sound financial habits right from a young age, then a debit card offers an intriguing and secure way of introducing your young one to the world of finance. Most major banks have begun to offer debit cards for kids as young as 14 years of age.

How to reload a debit card for kids

A debit card for kids is prepaid in nature, and requires a parent or a legal guardian to pre-load it. Parents can do it simply through our mobile app, their online banking site or even their credit card – there’s no need to pay a visit to the bank branch for this. In essence, these cards work just like any other debit card, and are a lot more secure way of carrying money. Prepaid debit cards come with the same chip-and-pin technology as yours do; and they have a set amount of funds, which makes them safe to use.

Benefits of having a pre-loaded amount on the card

The biggest advantage of using a prepaid debit card is that it allows your child the time to develop sound spending habits over time. Since it functions in a prepaid format there is no way your child can spend beyond the pre-loaded amount, thus making it a safer option than giving your child your personal credit card. Also, allowing your child to have a savings account from a young will help them understand the importance of savings.

Monitor your child’s activity on the app

Apart from offering several safety features and overall convenience, prepaid debit cards also offer parents several other significant advantages. Prepaid debit cards allow you to monitor your child’s spending via your bank’s app. Moreover, you can also set spending limits for them and also choose where they spend the money, thus offering you more accessibility and control than cash. This also allows you to learn about your child’s spending habits and thereby further help them with their spending patterns by advising and guiding them. In recent times, effective platforms such as SpendSafe have emerged, which prevent your kids from making illicit purchases by allowing them to shop only from pre-approved vendors, to further alleviate your stress and offer you enhanced control over your child’s spending.

Spendsafe kids debit card or a prepaid debit card 

Prepaid debit cards for kids are also gaining popularity because of their versatility as these cards can be used for their transactions. These cards function in a similar fashion to gift cards and are thus becoming a popular gifting option. Most prepaid cards offer several other interesting perks such as rewards programs, cash backs and additional discounts at certain outlets.

While choosing an appropriate prepaid debit card for your kid it is important to keep in mind that every bank has its own set of policies with respect to the minimum age of the applicant and interest rates. If you opt in favour of a debit card for your kid, then your bank may charge you basic fees at regular intervals, these fees may skyrocket in comparison to the obvious benefits of adding on a Spendsafe debit card for your kids.

To know more about SpendSafe and our prepaid debit cards, click here.

Best way to control online shopping and in-app purchases

By Debit card, SpendSafe

The biggest reason for choosing a SpendSafe debit card over a bank debit card or ‘prepaid credit card’ is the ability to monitor spending. With regular cards you have to log onto each bank account separately to view transactions and then isolate them from your own; this isn’t even possible with most reloadable cards. 

Best way to control online shopping and in-app purchases?

With the Spendsafe app, encouraging parents to monitor their child’s spending habits on their debit card. We believe it’s truly important for parents to devote time, have conversations about spending habits early and offering their guidance. This is the reason why Spendsafe offers a seamless user experience, for parents with multiple children to fund and access their accounts from one platform. With features like activity monitoring of your child’s debit cards to scheduling allowance payments through the same app, it provides full transparency. Teach your kids to become budgeting pros.

The benefit of using the app is the amount of control you have. If at any point your child accidentally misplaces the debit card, there is an option to lock the card and protect the funds on it. This option may also be useful to prevent children from overspending. You can approve where any money can be spent – physically or digitally. Online shopping, ‘app stores’ and in-app purchases have become one of the most common points of sale for kids these days. Using a combination of SpendSafe parental controls in our app and the on-device parental controls you can determine where children can spend money, and how much. Convenient push notifications by our app straight to your phone keep you informed at all times and save you from the dreaded ‘bill shock’, something that’s become all too common for parents who simply hand over their credit card to children.

Someday your children will thank you for the financial discipline you instilled in them from an early age. By choosing SpendSafe, your child will receive hands on-experience with money. Parents will be able to start an early on educational home lesson on budget spending. By spending their own allowance and chore money, they will realize the value of money. It reduces their urge to spend money on impulse.

Protected and Trusted.

The SpendSafe reloadable card experience has been designed, first and foremost, to be easy to navigate. We want parents and children to be able to transact conveniently, while still maintaining boundaries. Spending limits, pre-approved merchants, alerts warning you if your child tried to use the card somewhere they were not permitted to are just a few ways the safety of your child’s transactions are protected. The payment process is secure so parents have nothing to worry about, the debit card is powered by mastercard and insured by CDIC. With encrypted security software, SpendSafe is looking to eliminate stress from parents’ minds about their kids’ purchases. This leads to trust and open communication between parents and children on whether they are making the right decisions.

What is the right age to get your child a debit card?

By Debit card

Some children are able to handle decision-making skills from an early age, however others may need guidance. It’s better for children to learn from their mistakes under their parent’s control, where slight hiccups can be treated as a lesson. Give your child a head start on learning to be conscious about their money spending and saving habits.

 Why Give Kids a Debit Card?

There comes a time when children need to take a more hands-on role in making purchases at a store. A debit card can be the key method to guiding children to explore the basics of finances. Such as by tracking expenses, monthly spending using their own allowance and chore earnings. As well as understanding the difference between their wants and needs. Eventually, this makes kids interested in the topic of budgeting and finances. By being aware of their own purchase choices they will have a better understanding of what things should cost and the value of looking for items on sale. 

Moving from cash to a debit card to a credit card is a process. It’s not uncommon for a number of kids to lack the knowledge of how to save money. With parents who look after their every purchase, kids move onto becoming teenagers unaware of how much things cost and how to handle money. By choosing to make a digital leap, parents can discuss spending and saving to kids, which leads to them becoming more conscious of their money spending habits. It also gives them the opportunity to grasp the concept from an early age. Financial responsibility has to be taught in order to build a solid foundation of financial knowledge. That way when they are ready to live on their own, they will be able to reach a level of financial wellness. 

What Age to Give Kids a Debit Card?

Ultimately, the choice to give a child a debit card is a personal decision. It is between the parents’ judgement and the child’s maturity. By learning money management skills from a young age, kids are able to move forward in society with the basics of modern banking. They practice simple electronic banking before entering the globalized economy. Our intention at SpendSafe is to introduce a child-friendly debit card to teach kids about budgeting money. Banks will traditionally offer a normal bank account, however SpendSafe kids debit card features work with the whole family. If taught from a young age on proper spending habits, they will make positive long-term life decisions. 

SpendSafe has designed a debit card for kids, managed by parents. There is no hassle when going cashless, it’s even viewed as the easiest method to teach your kids real-world lessons on financial responsibility. With the convenience of one app, parents can manage the money together with their child. Kids may have the freedom to spend, but they will be under parental supervision with features like spending limits. The best method to learn about your child’s spending habits is to see where their allowance or chore earnings are going. Parents are encouraged to be part of this platform, as kids are taught by actions.

Read more about SpendSafe debit card and find out how we help parents introduce children to managing money in the 21st century safely.

spendsafe 5 reasons why your kid will love their new debit card

5 reasons why your kid will love their new debit card

By Debit card

For parents, having the ability to constantly monitor their children’s spending habit is probably the best thing about giving their kids a prepaid debit card.  Although easy transfers and approvals might be the motivation for choosing a prepaid card as parents, that probably would not seem very exciting for your kids. For kids, prepaid debit cards are the gateway not just to financial independence but freedom in general. Here are five reasons why your kid will love their new SpendSafe prepaid debit card.

Buy anything, anywhere – Unlike cash, prepaid debit cards allow kids to shop on any platform be it ecommerce platforms, app stores and at brick-and-mortar shops. This gives kids the ability to purchase a wide selection of items. While physical shops contain products of limited variety, online platforms open up the potential to conduct product research, compare prices, scan for discounts and only then make a purchase.

Easy to reload – Kids, especially teenagers, hate to ask for money from their parents! And what’s even more awkward than asking parents for money is doing it on a regular basis. Thankfully, prepaid debit cards are not just easy to use they are extremely easy to top-up. As our cards can be controlled through an app, parents can directly transfer money to their kids’ accounts at the touch of a button.

Sense of Independence –  More than money, kids love the sense of independence they get when they are free to spend their money whenever and wherever they want.  Most kids start learning about the importance of money from an early age. Owning their own debit card is like a stamp of approval from adults. It makes feel them important and grown up. Knowing that parents trust them with money makes kids feel secure and confident.

Save for bigger items – Using prepaid debit card services such as SpendSafe, kids can deposit all their savings, allowances and chore earnings in a single account that is linked to their cards. Pooling all their resources boosts their saving capabilities so that over time they can afford to make bigger, more expensive purchases without having to ask for money from parents.

Personalized Accessory – Most parents know that ‘status’ is a big concern of teenagers. For them, a prepaid debit card is not just about money, but a valuable social accessory. And there is nothing a young-adult values more than personalizing their prized possessions. Our prepaid debit services allow our customers to personalize their cards. Bearing their own name and customized display, teenagers can now design their newfound financial independence to stand out from the rest.

Want to know reasons you would love a prepaid debit card for your child? Register now and find out more.

spendsafe Need a debit card for your teen Best features you should look for

Need a debit card for your teen? Best features you should look for

By Debit card

In the modern world, most individuals and businesses use some kind of digital payment method or another. To make sure that their kids are active participants in this global online market, more and more parents are opting to get their kids a prepaid debit card. Prepaid debit cards enable youngsters to purchase products online in a well monitored and secure environment. Teenagers are free to spend their money without the risk of carrying cash and parents can finally breathe a sigh of relief as they can assess their child’s spending habits at the click of a button. Here are some features that you can consider if you are planning on getting your kid a prepaid debit card.

Ability to monitor financial transactions – Perhaps the biggest benefit for parents getting children prepaid debit cards is the amount of oversight they can exercise. Using our services, parents can pre-approve shops and set specific limits so that their teenage kids are unable to use their cards elsewhere. Our easy, user friendly interface allows parents to monitor transactions, track spending habits and prevent their children from making unwanted or illicit purchases.

Eliminates risk of carrying cash – Operating completely on a digital interface, prepaid debit cards absolutely wipe out the need for cash and all worries that are associated with it. While lost cash is not replaceable, lost cards are immediately blocked and easily replaced. This would come as huge relief for parents as carrying a lot cash can be a bit risky, especially for teenagers.

Easy transfers between accounts – As the accounts of their parents are linked to theirs teens can easily receive money from parents through dedicated and free app services. Regular reminders ensure that they never miss their monthly allowances.

Limit and pre-approve purchases – A big worry for many parents is the spending habit of their teenage wards. By using our services, parents can pre-approve vendors and shops. This ensures that the card won’t work in any other store other than approved ones. In order to limit spending capabilities, parents can cap budgets on those shops and their kids won’t be able to use more than allowed.

Single interface monitoring – If raising a single teen seems difficult, teaching a bunch of them financial responsibility might seem impossible. Thankfully, our services allow parents to monitor multiple accounts from a single digital user-friendly interface.

With more awareness, cashless transactions are on their way out. Register with SpendSafe to know more on the benefits of our prepaid debit service and how it can empower your child with online financial management.

spendsafe blog manage back to school spending prepaid debit card

Managing back to school expenses with a prepaid debit card

By Debit card

A pre-paid debit card may be just what you need to manage back to school spending this year. Usually this is the time when parents heave a huge sigh of relief, as children return to school. This year that’s not a given, with some schools and universities permitting physical classes and others sticking to online classes.

The start of a new academic year is a time of out of control spending for many parents. For school-going children books, stationery and sneakers are big ticket items, but for college freshmen, get ready to splurge on laptops, online subscriptions and furniture!

The SpendSafe debit card is here to bring order to this madness. Give your child the freedom to spend on things he or she wants, but retain the ability to rein in their excesses. Find out how a prepaid debit card for teens helps you manage back to school spending this year.

How the SpendSafe debit card helps you manage your children’s spending habits

Prevent overspend – Load the card with a finite amount of funds which you can replenish. You can even set limits on the total spend allowed, after which transactions must be approved by you.

Set merchant limits – Worried your kid might spend on games instead of books? Parents can set limits at which stores (and how much) money can be spent.

Save for later – Our prepaid debit card for teens lets them save for big ticket items too. It’s a great way to develop the important like skill of saving.

No credit card shock – Save yourself from the shock of huge credit card bills. Our card lets you see how much is being spent and manage spending in real-time.

Earn extra – Find chores, errands and good behaviour to reward children for. It’s a great way to build some good habits and letting them splurge on things they want.

For most parents who are constantly worried about what their child is spending on, a parent-controlled debit card is a godsend. Large dollops of money and the ‘unlimited’ freedom of a credit card has contributed to many a child discover bad habits. The worst part is parents don’t discover these things till the end of the month, till they finally see their credit card statement. Not so with a prepaid debit card, where you can see how much has been spent.

Using SpendSafe to manage spending

Fun! That’s what we make back to school shopping. Register with SpendSafe to make a list with your kids of all that you need to buy, negotiate spending limits for everything and then let them do the shopping the way they want to.

Portrait of a shocked little girl in hat and skirt

Kids learning the difference between debit and credit cards

By Debit card, Educating

The piggybank is usually how children are introduced to money. The jar becomes heavier and heavier with coins till one day it is broken open to reveal its treasures. Welcome to Savings 101.

Romantic as that sounds, it is a hopelessly out-dated way to teach children how to handle money – unless you want them stuffing their mattress with notes once they grow up. Much better, get a kid’s debit card instead and teach them how to manage ‘plastic’ money from an early age.

Debit cards and credits cards are the two primary means of payment today; and though they look similar they couldn’t be any more different. That’s why first time credit card users are so often lured into a ‘credit trap’, as they struggle to manage the seemingly endless piggybank that it seems to be.

Reminding ourselves of the differences between a debit and credit card

It’s not just kids who need to learn about debit cards vs. credit cards. As adults we have become so accustomed to whipping out the “Visa” or “Mastercard” or “Amex” we too have forgotten that using a credit card is not actually spending our own money. Here’s a quick refresher on the basics of a debit card and credit cards:

Debit cards – Linked directly to a savings or checking account; money is withdrawn directly from the account for transactions; you can spend only as much as is available in the account.

Credit cards – Withdrawals and spending are a ‘borrowing’ against a line of credit; you can spend up to your credit limit; it has no correlation with how much money you have in the bank.

Why kids need to learn the difference between a debit and credit card

For a child learning to distinguish between the two is the first step to financial maturity. For parents, too, it can mean fewer surprises in their credit card bills – though getting a SpendSafe debit card for their 12 year old will achieve the same thing.

Spend what you have – Debit cards let children spend up to what they have and no more. The first “Payment Declined” message may be embarrassing but it teaches them to manage their spending better.

Parents not picking up the tab – A parent’s credit card seems like an endless well of money to a kid. Giving them ‘unlimited’ spending power (when you quietly pay the statement at the end of the month) hurts their ability to weigh-up the value of purchases.

No unexpected fees – Credit cards have fees and interest rates attached to almost everything. Didn’t pay your statement balance? Pay monthly fees. Did you withdraw cash with a credit card – there’s a cash transaction fee for that. Debit cards have far fewer fees and a far more transparent fee structure.

Same convenience – Debit cards and credit cards are accepted at virtually all the same places. In fact, parents can reload the SpendSafe debit card in a pinch so you know your child is never without money.

Educate and empower your child for the financial future of today. Kids’ debit cards offer a safe space for children to learn to spend on their own and manage their own money. With the parental controls we offer, the SpendSafe debit card is even suitable for kids under 12 years old!

 

Try out SpendSafe and register for a personalized debit card for your child today.

Monitor spending | Set spending limits | Reload the card instantly