Fintech company Revolut has announced that it has added Apple Pay to its Revolut Junior offering, which is aimed at children between the ages of 7 and 17.
Good news today for kids who use Revolut Junior as the fintech has announced the addition of Apple Pay, making it even easier to pay for goods and services, while at school or hanging out with friends.
The contactless payment type will allow Revolut Junior customers to use Apple Pay in place of their physical card anywhere contactless payments are accepted.
Before we explain a bit more about Apple Pay, here’s a refresher on Revolut Junior.
What is Revolut Junior again?
Revolut Junior is its current account for kids, specifically those between the ages of 7-17.
It’s more than just a current account however, with Revolut proclaiming it as a money management app, and we’d have to agree, both the adult and kids version.
With Revolut Junior kids will have access to their own account (accessible through the mobile app), their own debit/payment card, as well as all of the unique features within the app itself, tailored for kids of course!
Having access to their own account encourages kids to acquire financial literacy skills by being able to track their own expenditure and savings.
But it’s secure too! The parent’s Revolut app holds a specially-designed section, allowing parents and guardians to manage and oversee all their child’s spending from one day to the next.
Revolut recently removed the €40 top-up limit for standard Revolut Junior accounts - you can find out more here.
In addition to all of the above, Revolut Junior offers some key features to help kids earn, manage their money and spend.
- Allowances: These allow parents to set up a standing order to add a fixed amount of pocket money for their kid on an ongoing basis.
- Challenges: Parents can set chores and to-dos for their kids, each with a financial value against it. Once done, these can be marked as done and the parent can pay for the completed task
- Goals: Allow parents to create pots of money to help them save towards the things they want, track the progress and celebrate the achievement.
Why add Apple Pay?
Apple Pay is not only a safe and secure way for adults to pay, but for teens as well, and without having to use their card, touching physical buttons or exchanging cash.
Its introduction to Revolut Junior is in response to the feedback received over the last few months from Revolut customers, and specifically parents and their teenage children.
Revolut has said that contactless payments especially cater to teenagers, who will now be able to make quick and hassle free payments from their Junior account using their iPhone or Apple Watch.
Tara Massoudi, Head of Product at Revolut Junior said:
Customer desires drive most of Revolut's product development and this is no exception. Our research shows that the younger generation has a strong preference for digital wallets.
Bringing Apple Pay to teens simplifies payments with Revolut Junior and adds an extra layer of safety - for the benefit of teens and their parents. We're moving towards a cashless society, and the pandemic has accelerated digital payment trends even more. We've come a long way since piggy banks with cash and kids need new tools to evolve with this shift.
Safe and secure
Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay.
When customers use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers.
Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted, and securely stored in the Secure Element, an industry-standard, certified chip designed to store the payment information safely on the device.
What’s more, Revolut Junior accounts using Apple Pay won’t be able to have their contactless payments accepted in stores classed as adult retailers, such as off-licences and betting shops. The same goes for the Revolut Junior payment card.
Age limit
We should point out that Apple Pay does have an age restriction for use. This limit imposed by Apple varies by country or region.
In Ireland the age limit for use is 16 years of age. This is because to use Apple Pay you must have an Apple ID and the age limit to set up an Apple account in Ireland is indeed 16.
So, if your child is between the ages of seven and 15, Apple Pay won't unfortunately be available and you won't be able to add a Revolut Junior card in the Wallet app.
This imposed age limit is enforced by Apple, and while it's not necessarily the fault of Revolut, is nonetheless a set back in terms of its availability.
Let us know your thoughts about the limit in the comments below!
Compare digital banks on bonkers.ie
Digital banks are becoming increasingly popular as they often offer more functionality at a lower price than traditional banks. As a result, many consumers are now opting to carry out their everyday banking through digital banks, like Revolut and N26.
If you’re considering signing up for a digital bank, take a look at our comparison on N26 versus Revolut for a comprehensive review of both. Alternatively, you can listen to our recent podcast episode on N26 versus Revolut here.
You can also review the range of banking options available to you with our current account comparison tool, which will quickly show you account features and charges from Ireland’s main current account providers.
Don’t forget that you can stay up to date on all the latest digital banking news and top saving tips with our blogs and guides.
Let’s hear from you
What do you think of today’s news from Revolut? Would you consider setting up a Revolut Junior account for your children? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us. You can contact us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
