My daughter had a Halifax savings account for a number of years. However, the bank doesn’t offer a product/s, where she can earn interest and have a cash card so we had to look for something else.

Savings accounts with cash cards for children

I’m with HSBC myself and discovered its MySavings account for 7-17 year-olds. It has an interest rate of 5% on balances up to £3000, which is the best on the market currently. From the age of 11, children can also have a current account (MyAccount). This account combined with the savings account forms a package called MyMoney.

MyAccount provides the all-important cash card (HSBC Visa Debit Card), which can be used in stores, online and at cash machines. You are able to transfer money into the current account from the savings account and vice versa. However, we’ll fund it separately with money that isn’t earmarked for savings. The current account doesn’t pay any interest so we won’t be putting too much in it. Our main objective is to save

Opening the savings account

Parents or guardians who are existing HSBC customers (current account) can apply online otherwise you need to go in branch. If your child is under 16 you have to be present to open the account.

When I opened an account for my eldest, we did have to go in despite me banking with HSBC customer (this has subsequently changed ). It was a good experience for my daughter. She answered quite a few know your customer (KYC) questions, signed an official document (she hasn’t had to use her signature on anything important before so this was pretty major) and filled in a paying in slip. Finally she had to go to the counter and make her first deposit on the new account.

She can do internet, phone and mobile banking, which is very exciting stuff!

Key facts

• Get 5% interest on balances up to £3000 and then 2.25% interest on anything over that
• Open the account with just £10
• A current account is automatically opened on child’s 11th birthday so they get a debit card
• 7-10 year olds get a money box on opening the account
• Ages 11 and up can use online, mobile and phone banking to check their balance and send money between their savings account and current account
• With the current account they can only use/withdraw the money that’s in there

Find out more here: https://www.hsbc.co.uk/savings/products/mysavings/

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