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Banking

Chase First Banking: The debit card for kids.

Select breaks down what you need to know about the debit card for kids ages 6–17.

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Many of our financial habits we learn as children. Learning about how to save and how to budget are important to building the strong financial foundations that can carry you into adulthood.

According to Policygenius, nearly 63% of parents are teaching their children about allowances, budgeting and even the importance of some bank accounts — and your kid doesn't even need to be 18 before they can have their own bank account and start taking a hands-on approach to learning about money.

The Chase First BankingSM account is a debit card meant for kids ages 6–17 and parents won't have to worry about their teen racking up any service fees.

Here's what you need to know about the Chase First BankingSM account.

Chase First Banking Review

Chase First Banking℠

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
  • Monthly maintenance fee

    $0. You must be an existing Chase checking customer to open the account for your kids ages 6 to 17.

  • Minimum deposit to open

    $0

  • Minimum balance

    $0

  • Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

    N/A

  • Free ATM network

    14,000+ Chase ATMs

  • ATM fee reimbursement

    None

  • Overdraft fee

    $0

  • Mobile check deposit

    Yes

Terms apply.

Pros

  • No monthly fees, no minimum deposit and no minimum balance required, making it a genuinely no-cost account for kids aged 6 to 17.
  • Access to 16,000 Chase ATMs nationwide, giving your child plenty of fee-free options for cash withdrawals.
  • Parental controls include spending limits and money request approvals, so you stay in control while your child builds independence.
  • Top-rated mobile app makes it easy to monitor your child’s account and manage settings on the go.

Cons

  • No APY, so the account won’t earn interest on your child’s balance.
  • ATM withdrawals are capped at $100 at both Chase and non-Chase ATMs, which may be limiting for older teens.
  • Only available to existing Chase checking customers, so you’ll need a Chase account of your own to open one for your child.

Chase First Banking APY

Deposits won't earn interest with the Chase First BankingSM account. However, you can receive up to 0.25% APY* from some of the other accounts on our best no-fee checking accounts list.

Access to your cash

Even though the debit card will have the child's name on it, the Chase First BankingSM account must be opened under a parent's existing Chase checking account, including the *Chase Secure BankingSM, *Chase Total Checking®, Chase Premier Plus CheckingSM, Chase SapphireSM Banking, Chase Better Banking®, Chase Premier CheckingSM, Chase CheckingSM or a Chase Private Client CheckingSM account. Children and parents will be able to download the mobile app to have access to their account details.

Parents will also be able to set limits on how much their teen can spend on certain things, like $25 on restaurants and $40 on shopping. This feature lets parents help their kids get comfortable with the idea of budgeting. And if your kid needs to withdraw money, they can do so easily at any Chase ATM without paying a fee — parents can even set a limit on how much money their child can withdraw.

Parents will also be able to set up alerts so they can be notified about what purchases their teen makes. And if a child needs to request additional spending money, parents will be able to deny or accept the request all through the app.

In addition to the debit card features of the account, kids can also use the app to set savings goals and start putting money toward them. The app doesn't pay interest on any money saved or deposited, so if you're looking for an account that'll let your child earn some interest on their balance, you might consider a high-yield savings account. Ally Bank offers an account with a 3.00% APY and no minimum balance requirement. And, it has a "savings bucket" feature that lets users create different buckets for different savings goals.

Ally Bank Savings Account

Ally Bank® is a Member FDIC.
  • Annual Percentage Yield (APY)

    3.00% APY

  • Minimum balance

    None

  • Monthly fee

    None

  • Maximum transactions

    Unlimited withdrawals or transfers per statement cycle

  • Excessive transactions fee

    $10 per transaction

  • Overdraft fee

    None

  • Offer checking account?

    Yes

  • Offer ATM card?

    Yes, if have an Ally checking account

  • Terms apply.

The Chase First BankingSM app also makes it easy for parents to transfer money to their child's account so they can quickly get paid for, say, completing all their chores for the week. Recurring transfers can also be automatically set up for parents who want to give their kids a regular allowance.

Chase First Banking does not allow for direct deposits and does not support peer-to-peer transactions, including services like Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App. Additionally, the account's debit card cannot be added to fund these types of transactions.

Deposits cannot be made at ATMs, and account users will also only be able to withdraw up to $100 from ATMs per day.

Fees

There are no monthly service fee when using the Chase First BankingSM account. This way, neither you nor your child has to worry about maintaining a certain minimum balance at all times.

There aren't any overdraft fees, so you won't have to worry about seeing a charge on your child's account if they accidentally spend more than they have. Just be aware that when withdrawing money from an ATM, there will be a $3.00 for inquiries, transfers and withdrawals while using a non-Chase ATM in the US, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. Fees from the ATM owner/network still apply. $5 per withdrawal and $3.00 for any transfers or inquiries at ATMs outside the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Fees from the ATM owner/network still apply.

Bottom line

The Chase First BankingSM account can be a low-stress way to give your kids a hands-on way to build their money management skills. Having their own account and a debit card with their name on it can make your child feel like they have some financial freedom, while the parental controls (like setting spending limits and the ability to accept or deny money requests) allow parents to teach their kids about budgeting and keep an eye on how they're managing their money.

There's also a lot of flexibility with the mobile app in terms of making both recurring and manual transfers. And the savings feature allows kids to get a jump start on tucking away money for some of their goals. Keep in mind that this account is meant for children ages 6–17, so if you have a college-aged kid who is 18+, they won't be able to open an account. However, they might instead consider the Discover® Cashback Debit Checking, which has no monthly maintenance fee, no minimum balance requirement and no overdraft fees.

*Interest rates are variable and subject to change

Information about the Chase Total Checking®, Chase Better Banking, Chase Premier Checking, Chase Checking, Chase Private Client Checking, Chase Premier Plus Checking, Discover Cashback Debit Account, and Chase Secure Banking℠ has been collected independently by CNBC and has not been reviewed or provided by the bank prior to publication. Chase Bank is a Member FDIC.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.

Chase First Banking Account Review

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