Is there going to be more development on the co-parent features? My wife set up the account so pretty much all I can do is add money or view transactions.
I needed to view the card details the other day to order something online but couldn’t do that so ended up paying on my card but then I have to get my wife to send me the money as I can’t withdraw from the account either
Does anyone know, when I child reaches 16, is there an upgrade button in the app? How does it work if not?
I can tell you for sure in 11 days when I try the same thing.
From what I’ve found ‘pre’-researching, the child can open the 16-17yo account on, or after, their 16th birthday just like you would with a ‘normal’ Monzo bank account (ID/Selfie/etc.), then the parent with control of the Child account has to ensure the Child account is empty and then close the Child account.
There is a banner in my child account but she isn’t bothered about changing over yet as she likes that we can see her balance and top up when needed.
Thanks for the info, seems like there is some in app flow to upgrade to 16-17 account.
Yes, there is. And quite a good one.
The parent sees these screens:
The child sees similar information in their app, then gets the chance to upgrade to a 16-17 account. The flow then takes them through a ‘normal’ account sign-up. In our case, it was checking & confirming the residency, name, email, phone number, address - then declaring the financial details and tax status - then uploading a shot of a passport details page and a selfie image. That was it!
I got a notification that JrW had started an application, then another to say the application had been approved and a card was on the way in 2-5 working days.
Sadly, we’re abroad for a couple of weeks from tomorrow, so the activation will have to wait until we get back - and JrW will have to continue to use the child card until then.
Overall - a simple, informative and efficient upgrade 
My little one is almost 6 now and I’m keen to get started on this stuff as early as I can. I’ve only just started researching so I’m still weighing up Monzo vs everyone else.
By the way that weirdly intense tax debate above was welcome. I’m an additional rate taxpayer and my wife is a basic rate taxpayer so my understanding is that if we go with Monzo it makes the most sense if my wife opens the account? Will I then end up with quite a restricted view of the account? My LO’s savings are in a S&S JISA but he will save a little in the account too.
How have others found Monzo’s offering and are there others worth considering? I’m not completely against paying for the account if the features justify it.
We’ve gone with Rooster. We like the fact that we can already use it before they’re 6. It’s nice and simple, has an iPad app and does everything we need.
My daughter has received cheques from two elderly relatives for her birthday made out in her name. She obviously has accounts with Monzo, Starling & Revolut 
I didn’t think any of them would support cheques as they don’t have their own account details but thought I’d ask all 3 anyway.
Starling, quickest to reply (spoke to a human as well) but confirmed that it’s just a pocket with a linked card so can’t pay in a cheque.
Revolut, AI was quick to respond but no cheque support at all (even for regular accounts)
Monzo, AI was the slowest of the three to respond and took the longest to find the chat option, but surprisingly they do seem to support cheques in a limited way.
Was told that if I upload a photo of her passport or birth certificate on chat I can then write my Monzo details on the back of the cheque and post it to them.
New 16-17yo card received an activated in-app (JrW’s app) and the app set itself up as a non-child account on JrW’s phone. A few ‘welcomes’, ‘T&Cs’ and adding to Apple Wallet later and JrW had a Monzo account.
I received a notification that JrW had levelled up, and that the child card had been blocked.
I transferred the existing balance from the child account to my personal account, then paid the same amount from my Personal account to JrW’s new 16-17yo account.
Then closed the child account. After a few warnings, the child account was closed and the child card disappeared from my card stack. The same disappearance happened in MrsW’s Monzo app card stack (she was a co-parent of the child account)
So all very easy and intuitive. Well done Monzo with a cracking UX flow
Yes please, it’s frustrating the co-parent has limited options when managing the child account. Spending limits need to be adjustable by both parents.
Has Monzo worked with the NSPCC and other groups to ensure child safety is placed first?
What protections in place to protect children and their money from abusive and controlling parents?
The accounts don’t allow money to be added from external people, only the adult who set up the account and a linked joint account holder (I think).
So other than them taking money off them if they didn’t earn it or owed it, what else do you think will go wrong?
All children are controlled by their parents, and they don’t usually have any money unless their parents give them some. Where else would it come from?
And all the money in there belongs to the parents according the T&C anyway.
If the abusive parent controls the child savings, what happens to the savings?
What happens if the child is gay, transgender, lesbian and the parents are against it and the child is kicked out or forced to leave for their own safety, what happens to their money?
A child can be financially abused by parents.
What has Monzo done to give children the right to access their money for safety?
They can be a lion if they want, the money still belongs to the parent.
Any money in the account does not legally belong to the child.
Why are you so worried about creating these what-if scenarios?
Banks don’t impose those challenges, you’re not understanding the children’s account correctly.
It doesn’t have its own account number and sort code, it doesn’t allow external payments into the account.
Any money in the account belongs to the parents anyway, and if the child recognises they’re being abused it’s for them to also understand how to get help and where to get it from.
Banks cannot be held accountable for every aspect of everyone’s lives. People need to get that ideology gone.
These are not what-if scenarios. They are real!
The stories you hear at women’s shelters and LGBTQ organisations is scary. Children are often in the middle of it or forced to leave for safety. The choice between homelessness and not eating or staying at home and being in a closet because the abusive parent controls their finances is something many have to deal with.
Why can’t Monzo ring fence the child money for the child account?
There are children who can’t speak up or who can’t leave. It’s not as easy as you would like.
Finance can play a role in these decisions.
