The money habits of a child are already formed by the age of 7 (according to Research from Cambridge University) which is a lot younger than you’d expect. It really shows the earlier you start your child’s financial education, the better. Thanks to fun, educational fintech companies like GoHenry, you don’t need to just rely on the retro Piggybank pocket money container to teach your children the value of saving. In this article, I review GoHenry, the innovative digital pocket money/financial tool for children aged between six and 18, and for their parents. I cover the pros and cons of joining GoHenry and provide an overview and a 2-month free promo code. The below is just my opinion, not advice. *This article also includes affiliate links, so I can get a small commission if you join up top GoHenry.
What is GoHenry?
GoHenry was founded in 2012 by a small group of parents who wanted a simple, meaningful and engaging solution to help kids understand money management in an increasingly digital world. GoHenry has over 2 million customers that teach children the value of managing their money through a Prepaid Debit Card and Mobile App. Their service gives smart parental controls, letting their parents monitor their children’s spending by issuing them prepaid Visa debit cards. Children can spend, earn and save with the GoHenry Prepaid Debit Card and Mobile App. Their goal is to create generations of independent, confident young adults, armed with money skills that will set them up for life. The BBC interviewed one of the founders, Louise Hill. GoHenry is a prepaid debit card for children aged 6-18. It allows parents to set up allowances, chores, and rewards, and track their children’s spending. The card is accepted in over 30 million locations worldwide, including online and in stores. In April 2023 GoHenry and Pixpay combined with the US saving and investing app Acorns to deliver financial wellness for families across the world, serving nearly 6 million people globally.
What age is GoHenry for?
GoHenry is aimed at parents with children aged between 6 and 18.
How does GoHenry work?
Parents just set up an account and then create sub-accounts for up to four children. Funds are sent by bank transfer or standing order from the parent’s account to their children’s ones on set dates, or as one-off payments as when you like. All the family, in fact, can send pocket money to the kids. Anyone (like extended family) can use a unique link allowing them to send funds via GoHenry.
What are GoHenry features?
Features that parents will have access to on GoHenry include:
GoHenry has a number of features that make it a good choice for parents who want to teach their children about money management. These features include:
Instant Notifications – Parents will receive notifications via the GoHenry app each time their child uses their bank account.
Apple Pay – You can add your GoHenry card to Apple Pay, so you can tap and pay in an instant
Spending Limits – These can be placed to ensure your child does not spend more than a set figure per week.
Savings goals: Parents can help their children set savings goals and track their progress.
Education: GoHenryoffers a variety of educational resources to help children learn about money management.
Rewards – GoHenry offer rewards in exchange for completed tasks. Money can be paid directly into an account once their child has completed their homework or tidied their room
Age Restrictions – GoHenry automatically blocks certain spending activities such as pub purchases, betting shops and age-restricted websites.
45+ designs to customise for your child – You can also include their name and sometimes new movie franchises, like Spiderman. The price is £4.99
Is GoHenry free?
There is a two-month free trial, with no contract. It is then £2.99 per month per child.
The rate includes free payments and free cash withdrawals in the UK, plus the parents are also able to transfer money from the parent account to the child’s account once a month for free. Any additional transfers will cost a further 50p per transaction. (Stop auto top-ups to avoid this).
Using the card abroad incurs a 2.75% currency exchange fee. Each cash withdrawal from a foreign cash point will cost £2. Replacing a lost or stolen card would cost £5 per card.
GoHenry Fees
GoHenry has a monthly fee of £2.99 per child. There is also a £5 fee for the physical card. However, GoHenry offers a free trial so parents can try it out before they commit.
GoHenry Account
GoHenry is a debit card and app for kids and teens that helps parents teach their children about money management. With GoHenry, parents can set up regular pocket money payments, track their child’s spending, and block the card if it’s lost or stolen. Kids can use their GoHenry card to make purchases in stores and online, and they can also set savings goals and earn rewards for good behavior.
To open a GoHenry account, parents need to create an account on the GoHenry website or app. Once the account is created, parents can add their child’s details and order a debit card. The card will arrive in the mail within a few days.
To add money to a GoHenry account, parents can use a bank transfer, debit card, or credit card. Parents can also set up regular payments so that their child’s pocket money is automatically added to their account each week or month.
Parents can use the GoHenry app to track their child’s spending, set spending limits, and block the card if it’s lost or stolen. The app also has features that help parents teach their children about money management, such as money missions and savings goals.
How to cancel GoHenry?
To close your account, please contact their Member Services team on 0330 100 7676 or send an email to [email protected] between 8 am – 8 pm, seven days a week.
How do I pay into a GoHenry Account?
Log into the Gohenry account on your mobile App or the website. Then click on the ‘Quick Transfer’ button. Then select the child you wish to pay, fill in the amount and click the ‘Transfer button’.
The positives of GoHenry
One-month free trial – You can trial the GoHenry month for a free month with no contract at any part.
Refer a friend & make £20 – If you are enjoying the service. You can recommend a friend and you both get £20.
Useful if you don’t carry cash – Since COVID’s cashless focus (for good or for bad), you may be strapped for spare pocket money change. If so, you can simply set up the amount of pocket money you’d like to pay and GoHenry can send on the pocket money digitally.
Earning money like a grown-up – If your child is too young for a part-time job, you can teach them about the relationship between work and money by setting up paid tasks in your GoHenry app. Jobs could range from tidying their room, washing the dishes, and doing gardening, once you tick complete, they get their wages.
Full parental controls – This is probably the key feature vs a children’s bank account. You can set transaction limits and weekly spending limits and then add, amend or remove these at any time. Notification will give you visibility of their spending.
Children learn about saving – If your child is looking to save for a new gaming console or something healthier, like a bicycle, they can set up savings goals. Your child can create a saving goal in their GoHenry app, then set up a regular transfer to put a portion of their pocket money into their savings every week. They could develop a sense of achievement when they save up for that new shiny trendy playground gadget, like a 2022 Pokémon (if that makes a comeback).
Relatives can send money to the children – Giftlinks are a convenient way for family and friends to send money straight to your child’s GoHenry account. Once you’ve created your link you can share it with family and friends, who can use it as a safe alternative to sending cash or voucher.
The Money Missions App can educate – Each child with a pre-paid card will get the Money Missions App with the ability to take money quizzes. Mission covers money basics, investing, compound interest, borrowing, giving and more. The children will learn saving habits, money safety, borrowing and credit, jobs and earning and budgeting.
Free ATM withdrawals – Useful for school trips, when your child may need to withdraw money for expenses.
Manage up to 4 children’s accounts – This is useful if you have a large family, however, the £2.99 fee will apply four times each month
The negatives of GoHenry
No interest – There is no interest provided for any savings for your child.
Only one free top-up to the child account each month – A bit of planning will save on the additional cost of 50p each time. However, when most pocket money is paid weekly, the 50p charge could be annoying and add up.
Safe, but not a bank – Deposits are not protected by the Financial Service Compensations Scheme (FSCS). This is because GoHenry is not considered a bank. However, GoHenry does offer a certain level of security. Their cards are provided by IDT Financial Services, which is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The card is also protected by a PIN.
The monthly £2.99 fee – As GoHenry is not a bank or credit card, they can’t make money from mortgages and overdrafts and savings products, so need to cover their staff wages and company costs with this fee and other charges (E.g. 50p charge per top up each month, after free first one).
App limitations: Some features are only available in the app
Not ideal for older children: There are interest-earning bank accounts with no monthly fees suitable for older children, who have learnt the value of money.
GoHenry UK review
Currently on the top review site Trust Pilot, has a rating of 3.7/5, which is positive. The positive comments mainly focus on GoHenry being a great way to get children into saving and engaging with their money, plus the parental control element. The negative comments are mainly around the slow customer service and the monthly fee of £2.99 a month (as banks are generally free). One theme GoHenry brings to life is that “92% of parents said their children are more money confident since using GoHenry.”
GoHenry promo code
GreatDealsMadeEasy has a promotional code for either a 1 month free + a free custom card – enter code (AFUKFNACC) or 2 months free – enter code (AFUKFNA2M)
GreatDealsMadeEasy GoHenry Review
GoHenry is rated at 7.5/10
Overall, GoHenry is a good option for parents who want to teach their children about money management. It is easy to use, has a variety of features, and offers a free trial. The App and prepaid credit card are a useful way to give pocket money to your child digitally and help them save. Although it is not the cheapest option and those that can’t afford £2.99 a month on top of paying pocket money, should steer clear. It could be helpful for school trips and times when you need to send money to your child. GoHenry’s key benefits are the full parental control, the cashless convenience and the money-saving lessons it provides children.
It could be a good option to do a free trial (see below) and see if your child/you are both benefitting from the prepaid card and the GoHenry App, then decide if it is worthwhile.
1 month free + a free custom card – code (AFUKFNACC) or 2 months free – code (AFUKFNA2M)
Other referral codes
*Enjoy a free coffee, free beer and almost a free pizza on me with some free codes to enter.
*Need a new energy supplier? Earn a special £50 joining bonus with ethical energy company Octopus Energy.
*Looking to invest your extra money? Consider a £50 joining bonus with Wealthify, if you invest £250.
*Rent out your spare space (from parking space to a spare room) with Stashbee and get £50 when you host your space.
*Grab a free share (up to the value of £200) when joining FreeTrade.
*Remortgaging or looking at a first-time mortgage? Enjoy a £100 Amazon voucher when using the Trussle mortgage site.
