Till vs. Greenlight: Which debit card app fits your family?

Families looking to teach kids about money have more tools than ever to choose from, and that’s a good thing. But it also means you’re sorting through a growing list of apps and wondering which ones are actually worth it. When you compare Till vs. Greenlight, which one is the better choice?

At first glance, they both offer debit cards and apps designed for kids. But when you take a closer look, there are a few differences. And the differences matter, especially when you consider how each one helps families build money skills that stick.

This guide explores how Till and Greenlight compare so that you can find the best fit for your family’s goals.

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Features comparison

If you’re raising kids of any age and want a platform that grows with them, offering parental controls, saving goals, chore tracking, education, and even the opportunity to learn to invest, Greenlight is built for that. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a no-cost way to give your older child a little spending independence with basic earning and saving tools, Till might be enough.

Till at a glance

Till is a free debit card and app for kids and teens that centers around family conversations about money. Parents can send funds, approve requests, and set savings goals with their child. While it doesn’t have advanced features like investing or financial education, it offers a clean, simple way to get started with the basics. Till’s Premium plan allows for free debit deposits, but free members are subject to a 3% fee for instant deposit transfers.

Till pros:

• Free base plan offered with no monthly fees

• Kids can set savings goals

• Parents can track spending

Till cons:

• No investing options

• No educational content or lessons

• Limited parental controls

• No built-in safety features like location alerts or ID theft protection

• No custom debit cards

• 3% fee on debit deposits on free plan

Greenlight at a glance

Greenlight is the #1 family finance and safety app, offering a debit card, app, and tools designed to teach kids real-life money skills. With features for all ages, from preschoolers to driving teens, Greenlight combines financial education, savings tools, investing options, and robust parental controls. Plans include perks like up to 1% cash back², identity theft, phone⁵, and purchase protection and robust safety features like crash detection, real-time location sharing, and driving reports⁴.

Greenlight pros:

• Built for kids of all ages

• Includes chores and allowance tracking

• Advanced parental controls and real-time alerts

• Custom debit cards kids can design

• Invest for Kids with built-in education and parental approvals on all trades

• Financial literacy games and videos

• Safety features like crash detection and location sharing

• Up to 5% on savings¹ and 1% cash back² (on select plans)

• Identity theft and purchase protection available on higher-tier plans

Greenlight cons:

• Monthly subscription fee starting at $5.99

Learn to earn, save, and invest together.

With a debit card of their own, kids and teens learn to spend wisely, keep an eye on balances, and track their spending. Big money dreams? Set savings goals and start investing with as little as $1 — with your approval on every trade.

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Pricing

Till offers two plans — a free plan as well as a Premium plan for $6.99/month that includes cash back and savings rewards. Non-Premium members are subject to a 3% fee for instant debit deposits.

Till pricing:

• Free plan available

• 1% cash back with Premium

• 2% save rewards with Premium

• 3% fee on debit deposits on the free plan

Greenlight starts at $5.99/month and includes a wide range of features, even with the Greenlight Core plan. Some Greenlight plans (Max, Infinity, and Family Shield) unlock more advanced tools like Investing for Kids, crash detection⁴, and identity theft protection.

Greenlight pricing:

• Starts at $5.99/month for up to 5 kids

• Max, Infinity, and Family Shield plans offer investing and safety features

• All plans include chore tracking, savings goals, and parental controls

• No fees on deposits

Who wins?

Till wins on affordability alone with their free plan, but Greenlight delivers more value for families who want more than just a debit card.

Parental controls

Till offers limited oversight. Parents can track spending with real-time notifications and spend reports, send money instantly, monitor balances, schedule alerts, and lock cards, but there’s no way to block specific stores, customize spending categories, or set detailed permissions.

Till parental control features:

• Basic oversight: view balances and approve requests

• No merchant blocking

• No category-based spending controls

• No purchase approval settings

Greenlight offers robust parental controls built for all ages. Parents can set spend limits by category or store, pause the card instantly, require approval for purchases, and receive real-time alerts about spending activity.

Greenlight parental control features:

• Spend limits by category or store

• Toggle card on/off instantly

• Real-time transaction alerts

• Require approval for specific purchases

Who wins?

Greenlight gives parents far more flexibility, especially for younger kids or families looking for more structure.

Safety features

Till does not offer any built-in safety features. There’s no location sharing, crash detection, or identity protection.

Till safety features:

• No location sharing

• No crash detection

• No identity theft or purchase protection

• No emergency alerts

Greenlight offers advanced safety features on higher-tier plans. These features include location tracking, crash detection, SOS alerts⁴, and identity theft protection⁵ for the whole family.

Greenlight safety features:

• Real-time location sharing⁴ to stay connected and aware

• Crash detection and teen driving reports⁴ for added peace of mind on the road

• SOS alerts⁴ so kids can notify parents instantly if they feel unsafe

• Identity theft protection⁵ for both parents and kids

Who wins?

Greenlight clearly stands out here. If safety is a priority, it’s the stronger option by far.

Keep loved ones safe and connected.

Greenlight’s safety hub gives your family location sharing, SOS alerts, crash detection with 911 dispatch^††, and driving reports with real-time alerts. You’ll stay in the loop — and be the first to know if a family member needs help.

^{††Requires mobile data or a WiFi connection, and access to sensory and motion data from cell phone to utilize safety features including family location sharing and driving alerts and reports. Messaging and data rates and other terms may apply.}

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Earning and saving

Till’s Premium plan includes two reward features for kids: 1% cash back on settled purchases and a 2% annual return on both general savings and Save Goals. Rewards are calculated monthly and deposited the following month.

Earning and saving with Till: 

• 2% annual reward on savings and Save Goals (Till Premium only)

• 1% cash back on settled spending (Till Premium only)

• Kids can set custom savings goals

• Parents can send Goal Boosts to reward progress

With Greenlight, parents can reward saving behavior with parent-paid interest at any rate they choose, making it a great way to teach the concept of compound growth. Some plans also include up to 5% on savings¹ and up to 1% cash back on purchases². All plans include chore and allowance management.

Earning and saving with Greenlight: 

• Customizable parent-paid interest 

• Up to 5% savings rewards¹ and 1% cash back² (select plans)

• Automated allowance and chore-based earnings

• Custom savings goals with real-time tracking

• In-app prompts and education to build habits

Who wins?

Greenlight still offers more flexibility and educational value, especially with customizable parent-paid interest and integrated chore tools. But for families who want rewards without needing to configure settings themselves, Till Premium’s automatic 2% and 1% rates may be an effective boost.

Investing

Till does not offer investing tools. There’s no access to stock or ETF investing, and no way for kids to learn about the market within the app.

Till investing features:

• No investing or market tools

• No education around investing

• No stock or ETF access

Greenlight includes Investing for Kids³ on the Max, Infinity, and Family Shield plans. Kids can research stocks, learn about ETFs, and learn to invest with parental approval, all in a kid-friendly, educational environment.

Greenlight investing features:

• Stock and ETF investing (with parent approval)

• Built-in educational content

• Portfolio-building tools for beginners

Who wins?

Greenlight is the only debit card app between the two that makes investing accessible and understandable for kids.

Educational features

Till does not have any built-in educational content. The app is designed to support money conversations between parents and kids, but lacks structured lessons or games.

Till educational features:

• No in-app educational tools

• No lessons, videos, or quizzes

• Learning is parent-led, not app-guided

Greenlight offers interactive financial literacy tools through LevelUp™, its in-app game and learning platform. Kids and teens can complete challenges and learn real-world skills across topics like budgeting, saving, credit, and investing.

Greenlight educational features:

• LevelUp™ financial education game

• Interactive quizzes and challenges

• Lessons on spending, saving, credit, and investing

Who wins?

Greenlight wins this one because education is core to long-term money confidence, not just spending access.

One app. Endless learning.

Level Up learnings give players the confidence to navigate the world of money in real life. With the Greenlight app, kids and teens can put their money skills to work as they learn to earn, save, and invest.

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Chores and allowance

Till includes a basic task management system. Parents can assign one-time or recurring tasks and link them to monetary rewards. Once a task is marked complete by the child and approved by the parent, the funds are transferred. 

Chores and allowance with Till:

• Assign one-time or recurring tasks

• Set monetary value for each task

• Kids mark tasks complete; parents approve payment

• Tasks tracked in the app with simple visuals

Greenlight excels when it comes to managing allowance and chores. With Greenlight, parents can assign one-time or weekly tasks, tie payment to completion, automate allowance on a schedule, and reward or penalize as needed. The system allows full customization to match your family's routine.

Chores and allowance with Greenlight:

• Assign and automate chores

• Schedule allowance (with or without tasks)

• Tie payments to chore completion

• Customize rewards, due dates, and reminders

• Track progress and behavior patterns

Who wins?

Both apps support tasks for earning money, but Greenlight offers more flexibility and automation, which is helpful for families who want to reinforce consistency and responsibility without needing to manually approve every transaction.

Till vs. Greenlight: Which one fits your family?

Greenlight is ideal for families who want to go beyond the basics. It’s built to teach kids how to spend, save, earn, give, and invest while keeping parents in the loop with full control and added safety.

Till may be a better fit for families with older kids or teens who just need a basic, no-fee debit card. If your child already has a solid understanding of money and you’re looking for a simple way to let them practice, Till gets the job done.

Built for them. And for you.

Both you and your kids download the Greenlight app — with tailored experiences. They check off chores, you automate allowance. They spend wisely, you set flexible controls. They build healthy financial habits, and you cheer them on.

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