Banking Checking Accounts

Greenlight vs. Current [2026]: Is a Kids' Debit Card Worth It?

Q: What are some alternatives to Greenlight and Current?

Besides Greenlight and Current, FamZoo, GoHenry , and BusyKid are other prepaid debit card options you could consider using to teach children and teens how to manage cash. These cards offer similar features to Greenlight and Current, like budgeting tools, spending controls, instant money transfers, and more.

Kids' debit card accounts help young spenders and savers learn how to manage money early, though extra features often come at a higher cost.

By Taylor Medine and Jennifer Calonia , Edited by Melinda Sineriz, ABFP®

Updated Sept. 15, 2026

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Earn up to 4.00% APY on up to $6,000¹ Boost Bonuses are credited to your Savings Pods within 48 hours of enabling the Boost feature and on a daily basis thereafter, provided that the Savings Pod has accrued a Boost Bonus of at least $0.01. The Boost rate on Savings Pods is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed rate is effective as of August 1, 2023. Must have $0.01 in Savings Pods to earn a Boost rate of either 0.25% or 4.00% annually on the portion of balances up to $2000 per Savings Pod, up to $6000 total. The remaining balance earns 0.00%. A qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more is required for 4.00%. No minimum balance required. For more information, please refer to Current Boost Terms and Conditions. ² The product and annual percentage yield (APY) data displayed on this website is gathered from various sources and may not reflect all of the offers available in your area. Although we strive to provide the most accurate data possible, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. Always verify account details and availability with the financial institution before opening an account.
No monthly maintenance fees
Cash deposits at over 60,000 retail locations
Automated savings features
Rewards points for Current Build Visa cardholders

Our view

Debit cards give kids a safe way to practice managing money with parent or guardian support. Greenlight and Current both offer educational tools, kids' debit cards, and parental controls. Greenlight provides far more features for both parents and kids, but Current may be better for teens (and it doesn't charge a monthly fee).

Think of it this way: A Greenlight debit card offers training wheels that keep your child or teen steady as they learn about money. With a Current debit card, your teen has more independence in their spending, but you can act as a backseat driver with spending controls and alerts to course-correct. Greenlight's better for beginners and families, while the other is better for older users with a little bit more experience.

After in-depth research, I chose Greenlight for my kids (ages 8 and 11) to help them manage their money. But when they're older, an option like Current might make more sense. Before choosing one, determine what you want. Are you looking for a robust platform that will grow with your kid, complete with investing, instant transfers, and paid interest, or a real-world card they can rely on for daily expenses? The answer will make a big difference in your decision.

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We know checking and savings accounts can be critical tools for managing your money. They're one of the financial tools you use the most. That's why the features offered by a bank matter so much and we've taken that into consideration in our evaluations.

We consider the annual percentage yield (APY), account features, minimum opening balance required, fees, customer service, and FDIC insurance. The best banks also offer a variety of account types and the support you need to you make the most of your money.

We intensively research all products and services we review, and our team members personally use a wide array of financial products. Our product rankings and scores are based on objective measurements and product features as well as expert opinions from our editorial team.

Key takeaways

Greenlight lets kids of all ages manage their money and learn about personal finance under their parent's or guardian's supervision.
Current offers a teen account that can help older kids manage their money with slightly fewer guardrails than Greenlight.
Greenlight's monthly fee of $5.99 to $19.98 may be worth it if you can use all the platform's features and want to teach your child about investing.
Current's fee-free account keeps more money in your teen's pocket but comes with fewer features.

Compare Greenlight vs. Current

	Greenlight	Current
Best for	Robust money tracking + financial education tools	Teenagers + parents on a budget
Bank accounts	Core Max Infinity Family Shield	Teen Account
ATM access	Any ATM with Mastercard®, Visa® Interlink®, or Maestro® logo	40,000+ fee-free Allpoint ATMs
Customer ratings	Mobile app: 4.8/5 stars (App Store), 4.7/5 stars (Google Play) Trustpilot: 3.3/5 stars BBB: B rating	Mobile app: 4.8/5 stars (App Store), 4.4/5 stars (Google Play) Trustpilot: 4.4/5 stars BBB: A- rating
Year founded	2014	2015
Minimum age requirement	N/A	13
Parental controls?	Yes	Yes
Features for chores and allowance?	Yes	Yes
Earns interest on savings?	Yes	No
Cash back on debit card spending?	Yes	No
Offers educational games?	Yes	No
Offers investing?	Yes	No
Monthly subscription fee?	Yes, $5.99 to $19.98	No
Supports more than one child/teen?	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes, 30 days	No
FDIC insurance	Yes	Yes
	Visit Greenlight Check out our full Greenlight review	Visit Current Check out our full Current review

Both companies offer parent-friendly features that help your child learn and practice smart money habits within guardrails that you set. They also include a savings option that helps young savers set money aside for personal savings goals, whether it's for their annual yearbook or new headphones.

But Greenlight and Current differ in several ways — primarily in cost and features.

Greenlight plans cost $5.99 to $19.98 per month, while Current teen accounts don't have a monthly fee. But you get what you pay for, and Greenlight provides a far more comprehensive experience for both parents and kids than Current.

Is Greenlight good for you?

I'd pick Greenlight for you if:

You want to access as many parental controls and perks for kids as possible.
You have a child or children under 13.
You want your kids to learn smart money skills.
You want your kids to earn interest on their savings.
You want your kids to start investing.

If you also want instant transfers, educational content, and the ability to teach your child how to invest, Greenlight offers these features and more.

I have the Greenlight Core plan, which pays 2% APY on funds in my kids' savings accounts. Greenlight also lets you add parent-paid interest to encourage saving. This is a great way to show your family the value of compound interest.

You can also set your kids up for success by introducing them to the concept of cash back on their debit card spending. It's similar to how the best rewards credit cards earn. Greenlight offers this feature on the Max, Infinity, and Family Shield plans, but not on the Core plan.

I'm a firm believer that real-life experience is the best way to learn about budgeting, but fun educational content is also valuable. Greenlight's games, podcasts, and Kahoot lessons are engaging and among the most impressive you'll find in kids' banking.

It may sound scary to let a kid invest, but Greenlight requires parental consent for all investments.

Is Current good for you?

Greenlight can get pricey and only offers paid plans, but Current doesn't charge a monthly fee. It also has no minimum balance requirements. Current is the better choice for your family if:

You have a teen over 13.
You don't want to pay for a kids' banking app.
Your teen is mainly focused on spending with a debit card.

Current is better for older kids and teens with a bit more experience managing their own money. The app is designed for kids over 13, so there's a bit less hand-holding. You and your teen might both appreciate that the Current platform more closely resembles a typical bank account.

What is Greenlight?

Greenlight is a fintech company that offers debit cards for kids, plus tools to help parents teach lessons on earning, saving, and investing.

Greenlight offers four plans, with the most expensive Family Shield plan being the most full-featured, and the least expensive Greenlight Core plan being the most basic.

But compared to other kids' debit card and budgeting platforms, even Greenlight's most basic plan is more robust than the competition. It's been ideal for my younger kids, but I may decide to upgrade as they get older and more independent. Greenlight is one of the most comprehensive money apps for kids and teens, and it supports kids of all ages, unlike many competitors — so my children can keep using their accounts until they're adults.

How it works

Parental controls

With Greenlight, you can:

Track your child's spending
Set controls on where they can shop
Turn the card on and off
Set up direct deposit for your teen's paycheck
Set up purchase round-ups
Instantly add money from a linked bank account
Set up automatic weekly transfers
Set up required chores tied to an allowance

Features for kids/teens

The tools and features kids can use with Greenlight depend on your plan. Greenlight Core offers up to 2% interest on savings, kids' debit cards, chores and allowance, and educational games. All other Greenlight plans build upon these features.

Upgrading your account to Greenlight Max or Greenlight Infinity unlocks additional features and protections. Under the Greenlight Max plan, for instance, your child unlocks investing and cash back on their debit card spending. Greenlight Infinity comes with family location sharing and other protections.

I like that my pre-teen can check their own balance using the Greenlight app on their tablet, giving them more independence. And I can monitor everything from the Greenlight app on my phone.

Funding

To fund your child's Greenlight account, you'll need to transfer money from your parent account with the platform. You can set up one-time transfers as needed, schedule recurring allowance transfers, and use chores to pay them when they complete tasks.

I've also moved money from my kids' accounts to my parent account if they forgot their Greenlight card and wanted to buy something. It's saved us many arguments in museum and zoo gift shops.

Visit Greenlight | Read our Greenlight review.

What Greenlight does better than Current

Kids earn interest on their savings
Kids can earn cashback on their purchases
Educational content
Kids can invest

Even if you don't pay parent-paid interest, kids can earn a small amount of interest on their balance no matter the plan you choose with Greenlight. This is a great way to show kids the value of compound interest as their earnings grow.

You can start early, teaching kids the value of cash back even on necessary purchases. Who knows, you may set them up for a lifetime of enjoying the best rewards credit cards.

What is Current?

Unlike Greenlight, Current is an online financial institution for anyone, not just teens³ Current is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Member FDIC.. . However, it offers one of the best free debit cards for kids as a Teen Account that includes a debit card and an app with parental controls.⁴ You may earn Points in connection with your everyday spending and by completing other actions that Current designates as subject to the Current Points Program. The amount of Points granted for different actions as well as the purchase requirements necessary to earn Points will vary, and is subject to Current’s sole discretion. After qualifying, please allow 3-5 business days for points to post to your Current account. The Current Points program is not available to Teen Account holders. See Current Points Terms and Conditions.

How it works

Parental controls

With Current, you can:

Choose how much your child can spend per day
Limit shopping at certain merchants
Set up automatic transfers
Create a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly allowance
Set up direct deposit for your teen's paycheck
Get immediate release of gas station authorization holds

Features for kids/teens

Teens can earn allowances and complete chores you assign, spend with their debit cards in person and online, use ATMs, and add funds via direct deposit (a great option you won't see with every teen debit card that could be handy if your child already works).

They won't earn interest on their savings, but they can create different Savings Pods for their goals. Teens can't invest or earn cash back with Current.

Funding

Parents have two ways to fund a Current Teen Account:

Link an external bank account to transfer funds, which can take three to five business days
Open an individual Current account to transfer funds instantly

Visit Current | Read our Current review.

What Current does better than Greenlight

No monthly fee
Supports independence

Greenlight can get pricey and only offers paid plans, but Current doesn't charge a monthly fee. It also has no minimum balance requirements.

Compared to Greenlight, Current is better for older kids and teens with a bit more experience managing their own money. The app is designed with kids over 13 in mind, so there's a bit less hand-holding. You and your teen both might appreciate the fact that the Current platform more closely resembles a typical bank account.

Greenlight vs. Current: Compare banking

	Greenlight checking	Current accounts
Account types	Core Max Infinity Family Shield	Teen account
Perks	Plans include high-yield savings Greenlight Level Up financial literacy games Integrated investing and cash back depending on plan Family safety features	Savings and Giving Pod included Automated allowance and chores setup Receive instant SMS purchase alerts
Minimum deposit	$0	$0
Monthly fee	$5.99 to $19.98/month	$0
Instant transfers	Yes (from debit card, PayPal, and Venmo)	Yes (from Current account only)
Cash deposits	No	Yes, at partner retailers

FAQs

Is Greenlight legit?

Greenlight is a legitimate company offering Mastercard debit cards that parents can control through an app. Community Federal Savings Bank, an FDIC-insured bank, issues Greenlight cards. FDIC insurance guarantees up to $250,000 in your account if the company fails.

Is Current legit?

Current is a legitimate company that offers online banking, mobile payment services, and Visa debit cards to adults and teens. Choice Financial Group is the Current card issuer and is an FDIC member. As such, FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000 of your money.

Does Greenlight or Current have a savings account?

Both Greenlight and Current offer accounts that kids can set up to stash away savings. You can fund their debit card first to give them spending money, and then move money to other accounts to meet savings goals.

What are some alternatives to Greenlight and Current?

Besides Greenlight and Current, FamZoo, GoHenry, and BusyKid are other prepaid debit card options you could consider using to teach children and teens how to manage cash. These cards offer similar features to Greenlight and Current, like budgeting tools, spending controls, instant money transfers, and more.

Bottom line

You can't go wrong with Greenlight or Current because opening either account means you're teaching your kids about money. Although hypothetical lessons about money may be a good starting point, at some point, it'll be time for them to get some practice with their own cold, hard cash.

Greenlight and Current both make it easy to introduce children and teens to managing money with your oversight. Current teen banking could be a good choice if you want an account with parental controls that let you transfer cash and teach everyday spending lessons.

Greenlight offers the option to invest, and that could make it the better choice if your goal is to teach them about long-term saving and wealth-building. Greenlight is also open to kids of all ages, not just teens, so it could be a better fit if your kid is under 13, like mine.

2026 AWARD WINNER Best Checking for Kids and Teens

Earn up to 4.00% APY on up to $6,000¹ Boost Bonuses are credited to your Savings Pods within 48 hours of enabling the Boost feature and on a daily basis thereafter, provided that the Savings Pod has accrued a Boost Bonus of at least $0.01. The Boost rate on Savings Pods is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed rate is effective as of August 1, 2023. Must have $0.01 in Savings Pods to earn a Boost rate of either 0.25% or 4.00% annually on the portion of balances up to $2000 per Savings Pod, up to $6000 total. The remaining balance earns 0.00%. A qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more is required for 4.00%. No minimum balance required. For more information, please refer to Current Boost Terms and Conditions. ² The product and annual percentage yield (APY) data displayed on this website is gathered from various sources and may not reflect all of the offers available in your area. Although we strive to provide the most accurate data possible, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. Always verify account details and availability with the financial institution before opening an account.
No monthly maintenance fees
Cash deposits at over 60,000 retail locations
Automated savings features
Rewards points for Current Build Visa cardholders