BusyKid

What is BusyKid

BusyKid lets you use allowance to teach your kids all about modern money management. BusyKid is using technology to modernize the ancient system of allowances, allowing kids to have their weekly chore wages direct deposited and giving them tons of modern money management options, like saving their money, donating it to charity or even investing it in the stock market.

Kids check off chores as they are completed, and come payday (every Friday), kids receive their allowance for a job well done. The app is connected to a parent’s bank account and parent approval is required before money is transferred to the child’s BusyKid account - which is safely held at an FDIC-insured bank. Parents get to set when payday is, approve chores that kids have done and see when and where kids are using their money.

Parents determine each week’s allowance and can allocate their child’s earnings into three categories: save, share, and spend. BusyKid suggests preset allowances based on a child’s age. (For example: For a nine-year-old, BusyKid suggests allocating 40 percent to save, 10 percent to share, and 50 percent to spend—but parents can change these percentages at any time.) Parents also have the option to give bonuses for kids who go above and beyond.

Using the app, kids easily track the money they earn and are able to move money around in their BusyKid account. From the spend account, kids have the option to request cash or buy a gift card for more than 200 retailers. The money can also be transferred to a BusyKid Visa Prepaid Spend Card for the child to use, with a $5 yearly fee. Kids may also choose to invest in stocks or donate money to a charity. Parents must approve all spending, and are able to monitor their child’s activity - chores, earnings, and spending - at any time.

Is BusyKid free?

BusyKid is free to download on iOS and Android devices.

How much does BusyKid cost?

BusyKid costs $3.99 per month or $38.99 per year for a family subscription, following a free 30-day trial. There are no fees for loading money, domestic transactions and inactivity.

BusyKid Features

Here are some of the key features you can expect when you open a BusyKid account for your child:

Chores and Allowances

Parents can assign chores and set allowance amounts for each task. Allowances are paid out weekly. You can also pay allowances with no chores and send bonuses as a reward.

Spend Debit Card

This card can be used anywhere Visa cards are accepted. Kids can use the card to make purchases in stores and online as well as make contactless payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay. This card is also eligible for ATM withdrawals but there is a $1.50 fee.

Parental Controls

Control options are limited compared to other apps. Parents control how money is divided between Spend, Save, and Share. Parental approval is also needed each time the card is loaded. But once the money is on the card, your kid can spend it any way they want.

Notifications

You'll get a push notification each time your kid needs parental approval for allowances, bonuses, loading the card, donations, and stock transactions. You can also get card balance notifications to avoid declined purchases.

Charity

Your kid can make a donation to nearly 60 charities. You can view all the supported charities here.

Parental Matching

Parents can match their kid's savings up to 100% each week to encourage them to save more.

BusyPay

Friends and relatives without a BusyKid account can still put money in your kid's account. All they need to do is scan a QR code, enter a dollar amount, and provide their credit card information. But keep in mind that it costs $1 per transaction to use this service.

BusyKid Investing

For as little as $10, kids and teens can start investing their allowance from over 4,000 stocks and ETFs available. They won't pay any commissions and there's no need to upgrade the plan to use this feature.

How old does my child have to be a BusyKid Debit Card?

BusyKid can be used by kids from age 5 to 17. 

Check out other popular banking apps for kids: GoHenry, Greenlight, FamZoo.

You may also like:

Best Debit Card for Kids

Money Apps for Kids