Compare the options
Selected products, in an editorial order. No paid ranking. Costs shown for one child, excluding usage fees.
FlexOne
A current account with a choice of debit or cash card
- Age at opening
- 11–17
- Product type
- Child’s own current account
- Monthly subscription
- £0.00
- Annual subscription
- £0.00 on monthly billing
- Parent bank requirement
- No requirement for the accompanying adult to hold a Nationwide account is listed; ages 11–12 apply in branch with an adult with parental responsibility.
- Parent controls
- Parent dashboard not confirmed; check with provider
- App
- Child banking app and internet banking
- Savings
- Variable current-account interest; access to a FlexOne Saver
- Spending controls
- Check provider terms
- Cash withdrawals
- Cash withdrawals; choose a debit card or cash-only card at opening
- Apple Pay
- Not confirmed
- Google Pay
- Not confirmed
- Learning
- Dedicated learning programme not confirmed
- Money protection
- A building society current account; eligible deposits are subject to FSCS rules. See the provider’s depositor information.
Who it suits and what to check
May suit: Families who want a child-owned current account and can meet the application requirements.
Consider: A cash-only card cannot pay in shops. No pocket money app-style parent dashboard is established in this comparison.
Account opening ages are 11–17; FlexOne can be retained until age 23.
Adapt
Child’s own current account from age 11
- Age at opening
- 11–17
- Product type
- Child’s own current account
- Monthly subscription
- £0.00
- Annual subscription
- £0.00 on monthly billing
- Parent bank requirement
- Ages 11–15: parent or guardian must have a NatWest current account. Ages 16–17 can apply independently with the required ID.
- Parent controls
- Parent dashboard not confirmed; check with provider
- App
- Child mobile banking app
- Savings
- Variable interest on the current-account balance
- Spending controls
- Check provider terms
- Cash withdrawals
- Debit card cash withdrawals
- Apple Pay
- Not confirmed
- Google Pay
- Not confirmed
- Learning
- Dedicated learning programme not confirmed
- Money protection
- A bank current account; eligible deposits are subject to FSCS rules. See the provider’s depositor information.
Who it suits and what to check
May suit: Children ready to run their own account, with a NatWest parent at ages 11–15.
Consider: Do not assume the parent dashboards and spending controls of a pocket money card are included.
App payments to friends are advertised for ages 13+.
Monzo Under 16s
No subscription, with daily spending controls
- Age at opening
- 6–15
- Product type
- Parent-owned bank account
- Monthly subscription
- £0.00
- Annual subscription
- £0.00 on monthly billing
- Parent bank requirement
- Parent or guardian needs a Monzo current account.
- Parent controls
- Spending notifications; Card freeze; Daily spending limits
- App
- Child app and parent Monzo app
- Savings
- Pots, goals and a separate Under 16s savings account
- Spending controls
- Switch online payments and cash withdrawals on or off
- Cash withdrawals
- Cash withdrawals available, subject to limits
- Apple Pay
- From 13
- Google Pay
- From 13
- Learning
- Dedicated learning programme not confirmed
- Money protection
- The parent legally owns the balance. Eligible deposits count towards the parent’s personal FSCS allowance across Monzo accounts.
Other costs: Lost or stolen replacement card: £5. Check ATM and overseas limits before travelling.
Who it suits and what to check
May suit: Families happy to use Monzo for the parent account.
Consider: This is a parent-owned account. It is not a current account owned independently by the child.
New accounts open at ages 6–15; existing cards can continue after 16 until expiry, but are cancelled at 18.
What changes at 11?
Starting secondary school often means bus fares, lunch money and more independent purchases. A current account can help your child practise managing these costs. A prepaid card or parent-linked account can still be suitable if you need closer controls.
Choose the card carefully: Nationwide offers a cash-only card as well as a debit card. If your child needs to pay in shops, a cash-only card will not do that.
Opening the account at 11 or 12
For Nationwide, arrange a branch visit with an adult who has parental responsibility and bring the required ID. NatWest asks a parent with a current account there to help apply. Check the current document list before starting.
The opening choices and key conditions at 12 are the same in the providers checked here. That is why this guide covers both ages, with one checklist you can use together.
Do you need to see every payment?
A child-owned current account is different from a parent-controlled pocket money app. Do not assume an adult gets transaction notifications or can set spending limits. Ask the bank what the parent can see and do.
If those controls are essential, compare Monzo Under 16s or the pocket money cards in our main guide. Agree a small weekly budget and when you will check the balance together.
Leave room for a savings habit
NatWest and Nationwide advertise variable interest on their current-account balances; Nationwide also offers a related saver. Monzo separates spending and saving with Pots and a savings product. Compare terms and ownership before moving larger sums.
An everyday spending balance is for day-to-day use. A long-term savings decision deserves its own comparison of access, rates and who owns the money.
Questions parents ask
Can an 11-year-old get a debit card?
Yes, the checked NatWest Adapt and Nationwide FlexOne products offer debit cards from 11. Nationwide also offers a cash-only option, so select the card type your child needs.
Does the parent need an account at the same bank?
NatWest requires this at ages 11–15. Nationwide lists a branch application with an adult for 11–12s, without listing a parent-account requirement.
Is the advice different for a 12-year-old?
The core eligibility and opening routes in this comparison are the same at 11 and 12. At 13, wallet eligibility and some app features change; see our separate guide.
Keep comparing
Back to the cards and accounts parent guide · Try the Money Finder · Explore FamilySave Money
Sources for this comparison
5 links
- www.nationwide.co.uk/current-accounts/flexone (opens in a new tab)
- www.natwest.com/current-accounts/childrens-accounts/adapt_account.html (opens in a new tab)
- monzo.com/current-account/under-16s (opens in a new tab)
- monzo.com/help/monzo-for-under-16s/under-16s-understanding-account-web (opens in a new tab)
- monzo.com/help/monzo-for-under-16s/under-16s-fscs (opens in a new tab)
Official product, pricing and help pages checked for this guide. Unconfirmed details are labelled in the comparison.
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