1. The Greenlight app and debit card for kids
With Greenlight’s help, you can teach your kids to earn, save and invest. More than a kids’ and teens’ money app, Greenlight offers products for all of your family’s needs.
One of Greenlight’s most exciting products is their debit card for kids. That’s right, kids and teens get their own spending cards. Their name goes on the card, and even their own picture (if you choose to customize it for a fee). Talk about making them feel extra special.
Kids will also get their own in-app experience while parents get a Parent's Wallet, keeping balances private and secure. Parents and guardians can send money from their Parent’s Wallet to their kids’ debit card in real-time.
Kids can then choose to spend, save or propose to invest their dollars. Kids and teens can also check and manage their balances right from their devices. And parents can make sure they’re using their money on a budget with parental controls and real-time notifications.
Greenlight tip: We recommend setting time to talk with your kids about debit cards and why people use them. Convenience, safety and security. Check, check and check.
2. A chores app with allowance for kids
Want your kids to chore more? Greenlight lets you manage chores and monitor progress. Kids can use the Greenlight app to check off chores and get chore reminders. You can celebrate their wins by giving them an allowance — or not. Completely up to you.
Kids can learn to take on responsibility when you customize their chores. Choose recurring chores, like making the bed, or one-time chores, like donating clothes.
Parents can also choose when their kids are paid. Pick a day and decide how often you’d like their payout to hit. The best part? It's automatic. Set it on autopilot, sit back and watch them chore more.
And with allowance allocation, kids can divvy up their earnings between Spending, Savings and Giving. Yep, that’s right. Kids choose where their money is going.
Not a chores type of family? That’s OK. Greenlight lets you use allowance on its own. Set their allowance to pay out weekly, biweekly or monthly — without tying it to chores.
3. Set Saving Goals and Parent-Paid Interest
Saving for short and long-term goals can be challenging, especially when the satisfaction of taking a full piggy bank to the local teller is a figment of banking past. Did you know? Greenlight kids save 3x more than the national average. That’s because Greenlight families are always encouraged to start money conversations and provide kids with real-world scenarios to encourage saving.
With the help of Greenlight's Savings Goals, it is easier for you to empower your kids to establish healthy, lifelong financial habits. Your kids can create Savings Goals to save for specific purposes — like a new bike, phone, game, or trip!
While we reward them for saving, parents can monitor and make decisions with parental controls. This way, you can be involved in the money conversations that matter most — continue to save or spend their hard-earned money? You help them decide.
Kids can also watch their savings grow when parents add Parent-Paid Interest. With Parent-Paid Interest, you have the opportunity to set and pay an interest rate of your choice from 1-100% to reward saving, with growth at a much faster pace than a traditional bank account.
This will show your kids how their money grows each month when they make responsible saving decisions. Bet your old piggy bank couldn’t do that. 🐷
4. Teens 13+ can earn with Greenlight
Does your teen want to earn some extra cash? Now they can — right from their phone. Teens 13+ can refer friends with their unique referral links and earn cash rewards. The more friends they share Greenlight with, the more they’ll earn!
(P.S. — Parents can earn referral rewards, too!) Ready to start earning? Join Greenlight to start collecting cash rewards today.
5. Set up direct deposit for your teens
Direct deposit automatically places teens' hard-earned paychecks into their Greenlight accounts. This makes it easy for them to use their Greenlight card as soon as they get paid. It’s convenient, safe, secure, and saves everyone a trip to the bank.
6. Use parental controls to set spending limits
We’re better than your average prepaid debit cards. What sets us apart? Parents are always in the driver's seat with ATM controls and real-time spending notifications.
Kids have their own debit cards and can send money requests, but parents are always the approvers. Get notified when they’re close to hitting their spending limit and track the categories your kids are spending the most on.
7. Educational content. Right in the app.
Did you know? 93% of teens believe they need financial knowledge and skills to achieve their life goals, and 97% of parents agree. Empower teens with Greenlight’s financial content.
Find videos, quizzes and other educational content in the Greenlight app. It’s made to be engaging and fun for the family — so you can navigate the world of financial literacy together.
8. Get started with an easy set-up process
Now that you know why your kids need the Greenlight app — are you ready to get started? One of our favorite things about Greenlight is how easy it is to onboard your kids and teens. After creating a parent account, you’ll be able to complete your kid’s profile in a few simple steps.
If your little one doesn’t have a cellphone, it’s no problem. They can use a username and password to log in. And any app-enabled device will do — iPhone, Android, iPad, Kindle, you name it! If you’re ready to put real-world money lessons right in their hands, you can sign up for Greenlight today.
1Digital Federal Credit Union members are eligible for the Greenlight SELECT plan at no cost when they connect their Digital Federal Credit Union account as the Greenlight funding source for the entirety of the promotion. Subject to minimum balance requirements and identity verification. Upgrades will result in additional fees. Upon termination of promotion, customers will be responsible for associated monthly fees. See terms for details. Offer ends 11/12/2026. Offer subject to change and partner participation. The Greenlight® prepaid card is issued by Community Federal Savings Bank, member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International.”
This article is republished with permission from Greenlight. All rights to the content are reserved.
Please note, membership is required to open any account or loan with DCU. Visit our membership eligibility page for more information.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as legal, financial, investment or tax advice or indicate that a specific DCU product or service is right for you. For specific advice about your unique circumstances, you may wish to consult a financial professional.
