Opening a WECU First Step Checking Account is a great opportunity to teach teens about budgeting and thoughtful spending while giving them the tools and financial skills they’ll need to manage their money. With no monthly fees, overdraft fees, or minimum balances, this teen checking account helps young users get comfortable with how to save and spend responsibly. Parents can also easily monitor the account, ensuring everything stays on track.
Set your teen on a path to smart saving and spending habits:
Start strong with a 7.00% APY on your first $250! It’s the perfect way to boost your savings from day one while you explore everything our account has to offer.
No monthly fees. No overdraft fees. No minimum balance. Our free checking account for teenagers is designed with simplicity and safety in mind for young account holders.
Give your teen the freedom to spend wisely with a secure debit card for teens linked to a minor bank account, perfect for learning money management.
Parents can track their teen’s spending and activity. Get alerts to help guide smart financial habits.
Send money to your teen instantly from your own WECU account. It's fast, easy, and perfect for last-minute needs or weekly allowances.
Teens can check balances, set savings goals, and track spending anytime with easy-to-use online banking for teenagers,all from their phone or tablet.
Kids, tweens and teens welcome. This checking account is for all kids ages 6+. Empower your child with the tools to start building smart financial habits early.
Download our 4.8-star app** today to check balances, move money, and deposit checks anytime, anywhere. Learn more about online services
Getting started with money management has never been easier. Our First Step Checking Account is designed to help young people build smart financial habits with the right tools from the start. With a secure teen debit card and access to mobile banking, bank accounts for teens offer the freedom to spend, save, and track their money—all with parental guidance and peace of mind.
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While opening a First Step Checking Account online is quick and easy, visiting one of our WECU branch locations with your teen offers a valuable, hands-on experience. In-person visits help your teen get comfortable with face-to-face banking and allow for more personalized service from WECU staff, ensuring all your questions about bank accounts for teens are answered. Plus, it's a great opportunity to teach your teen the importance of banking in the real world!
After your teen turns 20 years old, their First Step Checking account will automatically convert to a WECU Spend Free Checking account. Our adult checking accounts offer more privacy, giving teens sole control over their money once they become young adults. At that time, they can choose whether or not to keep their parent/guardian on their account as a co-owner. Young adults can also explore other types of checking accounts available at WECU, as well as savings accounts and credit cards to make the most of their member benefits and rewards as part of the WECU family. If your teen also has a First Step Savings Account, then it will convert to a regular savings account.
An online teen checking account is a bank account designed for teens to manage their own money. It offers digital tools like mobile banking and a free debit card for teens. It helps teach financial responsibility while allowing parental oversight. WECU’s option for banking for teens is the First Step accounts. WECU offers First Step Savings, First Step Checking, and First Step Credit Cards.
Kids aged 6 to 19 can open a First Step Checking Account, but there are some differences in access based on their age. For children aged 6 to 12, they can open a kids checking account, but it won’t include online banking access. In contrast, teens aged 13 to 19 can open a checking account for teens that offers online banking. Parental involvement is necessary for anyone under 18 to open an account.
To start teaching money management skills even earlier, you can open a kids’ bank account at WECU. Checking is available for children as young as 6, and savings are available in their name at any age.
Identification is required to open a teen checking account at WECU. Minors can use a current school ID card, passport, or a state-issued ID. Those over 18 must have a government-issued photo ID. Additionally, they will need to provide their Social Security number.
Yes. WECU allows parents and minor teens to open bank accounts online in the youth’s name.
Yes. WECU provides co-ownership and parental monitoring options for teen accounts, including features such as spending and balance alerts. Parents who have personal accounts with WECU can also make easy, free, instant transfers into their teen’s account.
WECU’s First Step Checking Account has no monthly fees, overdraft fees, or minimum balance requirements.
Yes. Teens can add their debit card to a digital wallet app on their phone.
Explore the resources below to learn more about how WECU supports financial literacy for teens:
One of the most defining aspects of your child’s financial future will be how much they earn. Like it or not, it’s a lot easier to make ends meet when you are bringing in more money.
Read More >Finances can be very private, but that doesn’t mean they should be. Talk openly about money with and around your children. Let them see you paying your monthly bills, budgeting, and saving.
Read More >Saving is a habit, and like any other habit, it takes practice to develop. Writing out savings goals with a timeline and keeping them somewhere visible is a great way to keep them at the front of your child’s mind.
Read More >At what age should my child have a bank account? When is the right time to set them up with their own debit card? Children mature differently, so there is not a specific...
Read More >* Annual Percentage Yield (APY). See Truth-In-Savings and our Rate and Fee Schedule. First Step Checking is available for ages 6-19 years with a parent/guardian joint signer. It earns 7.00% APY on balances up to $250. Remaining balance is non-dividend-bearing. $1 to open. No monthly fee, overdraft fees, or minimum balance. No check writing. APY is accurate as of June 30, 2025.
** WECU Mobile is rated 4.8 in the Apple App Store and 4.7 in Google Play, as of December 2024.
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