Greenlight aims to teach children and teens how to spend, save and even invest wisely. The Greenlight debit card and accompanying mobile app offer a wide range of features to achieve this goal: Parents can set purchase and withdrawal limits, automate allowances, connect payouts to chores, block unsafe spending categories and more. In-app educational content and financial literacy games are also available.
One of Greenlight’s more notable features is the ability to earn 1% cash back on purchases and up to 6% on savings balances, depending on the chosen plan.
The main drawback of Greenlight is its price. Pricing starts at $5.99 a month for the Core plan, but to unlock the full range of benefits, you’ll need to opt for the Family Shield plan, which costs $19.98 a month (for a limited time).
Rates and details accurate as of 08/12/2025 for Greenlight Debit Card
Pros
- Set spending limits and track transaction history
- Tie transfers to accomplishments like chores and grades
- Cash back and savings rewards
- In-app educational content
Cons
- High monthly fee
- Basic plan offers limited benefits
- No cash deposits
Who Is Greenlight Best For?
Greenlight is ideal for parents with multiple children who want to teach their kids how to responsibly manage their finances from a young age. It’s best for parents seeking a kids’ debit card accompanied by a feature-rich app that allows them to set protections and monitor spending—while also offering educational content for their children.
Greenlight Debit Card Basics
The Greenlight Card is a debit card specifically designed to help kids and teens build healthy financial habits. Greenlight offers a range of features and is available in four different plans: Core, Max, Infinity and Family Shield. Prices range from $5.99 to $19.98 a month (for a limited time), depending on the selected plan. Each plan supports up to five kids and has no minimum age requirements.
Greenlight allows users to designate spending and savings categories, helping kids effectively organize their finances. Depending on your chosen plan, your child could earn up to 6% on savings per year (on average daily savings balances of up to $5,000 per family), as well as 1% cash back on every purchase.
The Greenlight Max, Infinity and Family Shield plans also offer investment features for kids. Investing portfolios created with Greenlight are standard brokerage accounts held in the primary parent’s name. Children can research and choose investments, but their parents approve each trade.
By opening a Greenlight debit card for a child or teen, parents can help their kids learn how to manage their finances with hands-on experience, while still being in control. The card can be managed through the Greenlight mobile app, which offers different sets of features for both children and parents.
In the app, parents can access the following features:
- Set limits on purchases and withdrawals
- Set limits on where your child can spend
- Set savings round-ups
- Block unsafe spending categories
- Turn on real-time notifications
- Automate allowances
- Connect payouts to chores
- Turn child’s card on or off
- Approve money sent from friends and family
- Set up direct deposit for working teens
- Pay interest on child’s savings (up to 100%)
Children have access to a different set of features:
- View card balance
- Review transactions
- Play Level Up, Greenlight’s financial literacy game
- Receive chore reminders and check off tasks
Greenlight cards are accepted anywhere Mastercard is accepted, except for the following:
- Wire transfers
- Money orders
- Security brokers or deals
- Dating/escort services
- Massage parlors
- Lotteries
- Online casinos or online gambling
- Horse racing and dog racing
- Non-sport internet gaming
- Cashback at the point of sale
Greenlight Plan Details and Pricing
These are the four plans Greenlight offers:
Core
Price: $5.99/month
The Core plan is Greenlight’s most basic option. The account offers a 2% savings rate but does not provide cash back on purchases. The account allows parents to set up chores, jobs, allowances and direct deposit, and gives children access to Greenlight’s financial literacy game. This plan does not include investing features for kids.
Max
Price: $10.98/month
The next available plan is the Max plan, which offers all features of the Core plan, plus the following:
- 3% savings rate
- 1% cash back
- Investing features
- Identity theft, purchase and phone protection
Infinity
Price: $15.98/month
The Infinity plan offers all features of the Max plan, plus the following:
- 5% savings rate
- Family location sharing with alerts
- SOS alerts and crash detection
- Driving reports and alerts
Family Shield
Price: $19.98/month (for a limited time with a 20% discount)
The Family Shield plan offers features specifically designed for older adults. Account holders can link their senior loved ones’ accounts from most financial institutions to monitor them and set up alerts for fraud and suspicious activity. The plan also offers optional debit cards with purchase protection for two adults.
All features of the Infinity plan are included, plus the following:
- 6% savings rate
- Financial account monitoring
- Suspicious activity alerts
- Up to $100,000 in deceptive transfer fraud coverage
- Up to $1 million in identity theft coverage
How the Greenlight Card Stacks Up
If you’re looking for an alternative to Greenlight, Acorns Early is worth considering. Like Greenlight, Acorns Early (formerly GoHenry) offers a debit card and a feature-rich mobile app designed to teach children the value of money. It costs $5 per month for one child and $10 per month for families with up to four kids. The app is designed to grow with your child, offering more advanced features and financial lessons for older children.
With Acorns Early, parents can set automated allowances, send rewards for completed chores, receive spending notifications, set spending limits, block transactions at specific stores, lock and unlock kids’ savings goals and more.
Although Acorns Early also made our list of best debit cards for kids and teens, Greenlight still comes out as the better option. The Greenlight Max plan costs about the same as Acorns Early, but supports up to five children, offers cash back on purchases and earns a 3% savings rate. If earning a high rate for your child’s money is what you’re looking for, consider the best savings accounts for kids and teens as well.
Bottom Line
Greenlight is a worthwhile choice for families looking to start teaching their children responsible money management. It topped our list of the best debit cards for kids and teens, offering one of the most robust sets of features found in kids’ debit cards.
Each plan supports up to five kids, making it a suitable option for larger families. The main drawback, however, is that the more robust Greenlight plans are somewhat pricey.