I also missed the significance of this. Thanks for pointing it out @j06.
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Interestingly, Iâve also just noticed that the Kite cards donât work with Apple Pay / Google Pay, which may be an issue for teenagers and younger people. It really just seems like a renamed version of the connected card at the moment. Hopefully, quite a lot more is coming particularly as itâs a paid product.
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Yes, this is disappointing so far.
You really are better off with Revolut Junior (for younger children) or Santander 123 Mini or Nationwide FlexOne (for older children).
With those accounts, you get a proper debit card and can use Apple Pay and Google Pay.
I still remember having to go into the branch to âupgradeâ my child account held in trust by my mother to a full account in my name at the age of 11. It had internet banking and everything. Full disclosure: this was HSBC as it happened to be the bank with the nearest branch back when that was important!
They wrote to me two years later saying they would automatically send me a Visa debit card unless my parents called them to object to it. I got one in the post around the time of my birthday, and ever since that I have been fully in control of my own money.
These more restrictive products are a step backwards, to be honest.
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I agree with this completely. However, I think itâs a failure of marketing and product differentiation more than anything. The product lumps together kids between 6 - 16, but these have extremely different needs.
The card based approach and fully managing and discussing the money might be great for young kids, but around the start of teenage years there should be more independence introduced in line with existing banking products.
This account is not going to be suitable for the vast number of teenagers and arguably could be harmful by removing financial control and independence which could help with financial education and generally âgrowing upâ. Either the teen product should start much earlier, or a transitional product could be launched to cover the movement from âchildâ to âteenagerâ.
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I expect this will happen over time.
Starling will probably extend the minimum age of the 16-18 product downwards, allowing for parents to open an account on the childâs behalf where required at younger ages.
Then they will offer an upgrade path from Kite to âteen accountâ.
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I find the lack of an app for the child, who holds the card remember, particularly significant.
How do they see, at a glance, what balance they have available to them, and where they have spent it?
Having to ask to see their feed on a parentâs device is hardly independence or innovative for those towards the end of 6-16 spectrum.
Those aged nearer the 6 start, I would expect the parent to be holding their card for safe keeping anyway! Mine would no doubt lose it, and would not be out on their own to shop anyway!
No, donât see benefit of Starling Kite . . . . . . yet!
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Iâd hope a childâs app is ⌠coming soon.
As a parent - children from 10 onwards are going to really benefit from Having visibility in terms of there money and the reduction of it when making purchases.
My 7 year old wouldnât be bothered as long as the card âjustâ worked. My 10 year old loves the Revoult app.
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They said theyâre developing it so I expect one is coming soon - this was rushed out to be vaguely in time for shcool
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None of the schools round here take actual card payments they all have their own in-house payments system which the parents top up via a portal, the kids then use the in house payment system to purchase with
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Have to say I agree with this.
NatWest were my school bank thing. I donât even know if that still happens anymore but someone from NatWest would come in and collect money and put it in your accounts. I was pretty young when I got my own Visa debit (or electron?) card. I remember the card design could be persoanlised as well. That was well over 10 years ago with NatWest of all banks.
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Yes, I think the âschool bankâ system is still a thing at NatWest/RBS and HSBC.
Not so sure about other banks?
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100%!
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A new direction for Starlingâs Marketplace:
There are a few interesting takeaways.
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Quality over quantity, which is a change of direction from the previous drive to sign up many services.
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Revenue is not the key driver for Stalingâs Marketplace. This is very interesting, as it suggests what weâre seeing with Monzo is a retreat from the original vision of the Marketplace supporting the banking, as it doesnât make enough money.
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Paid-for freemium level which would support deeper Marketplace integrations at Starling.
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I like Starling - but âquality over quantityâ is just a marketing phrase to frame something that has less than was intended and you need to make it sound intentional.
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Or loss making in itself, but lucrative across the business
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As a teacher, and former pupil school banker with Yorkshire Bank, I looked into this for my primary school a few years back.
From my internet search I could only find HSBC as a bank which would provide an âin schoolâ service run by children like I did. All I could find with Natwest was teaching resources or in school workshops. I could be wrong and I didnât actually ring Natwest up. Everyone else, nothing really.
Perhaps. But itâs still interesting that the ethos is no longer just to stuff as much into Marketplace as Starling is able.
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Personally I always found the integrations on both sides to be of little interest. Its the same with Monzo and Starling. For example when they offer partner insurance offers theyâre always more expensive and less comprehensive than the general market with the only benefit being that you can sign up in the app.
Maybe I donât get it because Iâve never really used it.
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As a recent switchee from Monzo to Starling (having last tried the former a few years back before going with Monzo) I have to say Iâm pretty impressed.
I much prefer the clean UI, seems more though out - not sure I like the spending wheel as yet, and integrations to flux seem to actually work 
Pretty much the only thing I miss just now is the ability to create pots, where you can have them as zero balance, but other than that so far so good
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Echoing this. In my use case it is just something in the way before I swipe to get to my transaction list and then itâs smooth sailing.
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