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Are there additional restrictions for my child on the SafeBalance for Family Banking account?
Yes. Parents can set controls on spending categories, spending and withdrawal limits. If your child misplaces their debit card, parents can also temporarily lock their child's debit card and unlock it if they find it again.
Additionally, this account has other restrictions and protections to help parents guide their child as they begin using their first bank account.
Your child is restricted from:
- Depositing cash or paper checks – As the owner of the account, only the parent can deposit money.
- Transferring money out of the account – this includes wires5, ACH transactions, transfers to another bank5 and Bill Pay.
- Use of payment apps – Child is unable to send or receive money through payment apps such as Venmo, Paypal or CashApp.
What are the requirements to open a SafeBalance for Family Banking account or a SafeBalance Banking account?
To open a SafeBalance for Family Banking account, the parent or legal guardian must:
- Be over 18 years old
- Have an existing Bank of America Consumer checking or savings account
- Have an Online Banking log-in
- Have a child under 18 years old at the time of account opening
- Open the account in Online or Mobile Banking, or visit a financial center for assistance in opening the account online.
To open a SafeBalance Banking account,
- Teens ages 16+ may open the account sole-owned. Save time by scheduling an appointment. Bring the following identification with you:
- Government issued photo ID: Examples: U.S. driver's license, state ID card, passport
- Secondary forms of ID Examples: student ID, work ID, debit card or credit card from another financial institution
- If teens under 18 years old cannot meet the ID requirements above, they can still apply at a financial center with a parent or guardian.
- Children under 16 years old may also open with a parent co-owner at a financial center.
- International students also need proof of US residency and may use other forms of ID. For more information visit bofa.com/international-students.
Is the SafeBalance for Family Banking account limited to one parent and one child?
Yes, SafeBalance for Family Banking allows for one parent owner and one child on an account. If you have additional children, each child requires a separate application and separate account.
I have a 10 year old who gets weekly allowance. Both he and I agree cash is a pain in the butt. I never have it on hand to pay him and he doesn't like having all the physical bills. He asked if he could have a debit card after seeing an ad for Greenlight. We looked into this but seen there is a minimum $6/mo fee just to have the card. Are there other free options where it wont matter if the balance goes to $0? I thought about getting him a reloadable VISA gift card but not sure how that works long term either.