Updated February 1, 2023

Mazoola Review

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Is the Mazoola app and virtual debit card safe? Find out how to use Mazoola to teach your kid about financial responsibility.

5-point scale (the higher, the better)

Pros and Cons

  • Free virtual debit card
  • Earn allowance with chores
  • No minimum age
  • No ATM access
  • No cash withdrawals or deposits
  • Limited features

Bottom Line

Free virtual debit card for tech-savvy families

Virtual debit cards are convenient and widely accepted.

But is a virtual-only debit card the right choice for your kid?

Mazoola is a banking app that offers a free virtual debit card for families. Kids can set savings goals and earn an allowance by completing chores.

In this review, find out if Mazoola is right for your family. Plus, see how it compares to top competitors like FamZoo and Jassby.

What is Mazoola?

Mazoola is a virtual debit card for kids and teens. The account is completely free to use, with no monthly fees or overdraft fees.

Mazoola was founded in 2008 with children's privacy in mind. The app takes extra steps to keep your kid's information safe. Mazoola has been certified by a third-party company to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

AgeNo minimum
Monthly Fee$0
Minimum Deposit$0 to open; $20 to add funds
APY0.001%
Free ATM AccessNone

Mazoola Key Features

Parents can open a Mazoola account for kids of any age. Here's what you can expect when you open an account for your family.

Mazoola Virtual Debit Card

The Mazoola virtual debit card is completely free, but it comes with some trade-offs. Mazoola doesn't issue physical cards. Kids can only use their card online or in-store by adding it to Apple Pay or Google Pay.

This means you're limited to stores that take contactless payments. There's also no way to withdraw cash. You can't access ATMs or receive cash back at the register.

Mazoola could be a good option if most of the stores near you take contactless payments. Otherwise, it might not offer enough functionality for everyday use.

Is Mazoola a bank?
Mazoola isn't a bank, but it does offer banking services through Evolve Bank and Trust. Evolve is a member of the FDIC.

Mazoola App for Parents

The Mazoola app gives parents a good deal of control over their kid's spending. It offers a basic set of features you'll commonly find in other banking apps for kids.

With the parent app, you'll be able to:

  • Add funds to your child's account
  • View balance, transactions, and savings goals
  • Set purchase limits, approve retailers, or lock spending
  • Assign chores and allowance amounts
  • Get account alerts and notifications

The parental controls are pretty extensive. You can get full insight into your kid's spending and saving habits. You can set purchase limits, approve certain retailers, or lock spending altogether.

Assigned chores allow your kid to earn an allowance. Each time a chore is completed, your kid will get paid the amount you set. You can set up daily, weekly, and monthly recurring chores.

Can you get a debit card for a 12-year-old?
Minors can't open a debit card or bank account by themselves. However, children can get a debit card as long as a parent or guardian opens an account for them. Many checking accounts for kids are open to children age 12 and younger.

Mazoola App for Kids

The kid's version of the Mazoola app offers fewer features than the parent app. Kids are basically limited to transferring money, creating savings goals, and completing chores.

Mazoola encourages kids not only to save for personal goals like new shoes or video games, but it also allows kids to fundraise for charities. If you want to instill the importance of charitable giving in your kid at a young age, this could be a great option.

However, the app lacks educational content for kids. If your child is pretty new to managing money, you'll have to put in more effort to teach them the ropes.

Is Mazoola safe?
Mazoola is a legit financial app for families. Funds in your account are FDIC-insured up to $250,000. The app also employs secure servers and SSL encryption to keep your information safe.

Mazoola Privacy Features

Mazoola takes children's privacy seriously. The company is certified by a third-party organization to comply with the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA).

Mazoola doesn't save, store, share, or sell your kid's private information.[1]

Mazoola Fees to Look Out For

The Mazoola app and debit card are truly free to use.[2]

There are no monthly fees or service fees. If the account balance drops below $0, transactions won't go through. So, there are no overdraft fees.

There's no minimum deposit required when you sign up. But there is a $20 minimum to transfer money from your bank to your Mazoola account.

Is Mazoola free?
Mazoola is one of the few banking apps and debit cards for kids that is completely free. There are no fees whatsoever to use the product.

Mazoola Customer Service and Reviews

Mazoola offers a few ways to contact customer service if you need help. Through their website, you can send a message or request a callback. The support team is available Monday - Friday, from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm EST.

If you need banking support, you can contact their partner Synapse:

  • Phone: 415-688-2943
  • Email: help@synapsefi.com

The Mazoola app has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The number of reviews at both stores is pretty low. There are only 62 reviews on the App Store and 168 reviews on the Google Play Store.

Customers mention the app can be quite buggy. Some customers report difficulty with linking bank accounts and making transfers. But overall, customers seem to like the app and its privacy features.

Pros and Cons

Still on the fence about Mazoola? Review these pros and cons for a quick takeaway.

Pros

  • No monthly fees or service fees
  • No minimum age requirement
  • Virtual debit card can be used right away
  • Kids can earn allowance through chores
  • Good security measures/parental controls

Cons

  • No physical debit card
  • No ATM access
  • Can't withdraw or deposit cash
  • No educational content
  • Negligible interest rate (0.001%)[3]

How to Open an Account with Mazoola

Opening a Mazoola account is simple. Parents can open an account for any child, with no age limit.

Here's how to get started:

  1. Visit Mazoola, the App Store or Google Play, to download the app.
  2. Sign up for an account through the app.
  3. Provide your personal info and choose a password.
  4. Confirm your account.
  5. Link your bank account or credit card.
  6. Complete your child's account.

Mazoola doesn't perform a credit check when you open an account. But they do need to confirm your identity. Be prepared to provide information like your name, date of birth, address, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security number.[4]

How It Compares

You have plenty of options when it comes to kid-friendly banking. Check out Mazoola stacks up against other banking apps for minors, like FamZoo and Jassby.

Mazoola vs. FamZoo

FamZoo is a good option if you want a physical debit card, plus a ton of extra features. The FamZoo card can also be added to a digital wallet so you can also use it like a virtual card.

Parent-paid interest teaches kids about compound interest. All you need to do is set an interest rate and frequency. You can also bill your kid for monthly expenses and set up loans that accrue interest over time. These are great tools to teach your kid about real-life money scenarios.

A subscription with Famzoo will set you back $5.99/month. Or, you pay in advance up to 24 months for the equivalent of $2.50 per month.[5] The fee covers up to 4 children per family, so the price isn't too bad if you need a debit card for several kids.

Read more: Famzoo Review

Mazoola vs. Greenlight

Greenlight is a banking app and debit card that offers some impressive features. There's no minimum age to use Greenlight, and it offers age-appropriate education content for kids at any age.

The monthly fee covers up to 5 children and debit cards per family. There are 3 pricing tiers to choose from:[6]

  • Greenlight Core ($4.99/mo.): Includes kids' debit card, basic banking, educational content, parental controls, financial literacy games, credit card for parents, investing for parents with limited features, and 1% savings reward.

  • Greenlight Max ($9.98/mo.): Adds an investing platform and research tools for kids and parents, priority customer support, protection plans, cash back on purchases, and 2% savings reward.

  • Greenlight Infinity ($14.98/mo.): Adds family location sharing, crash detection, SOS alert, cash back, and 5% savings reward.

Greenlight is a good alternative if you want better parental controls and investing capabilities. Investing is an important financial concept that often gets overlooked with other banking apps for kids.

Mazoola vs. Jassby

Jassby is very similar to Mazoola. It offers a virtual debit card and app with chores, allowances, and parental controls.

The app gives kids a Financial Literacy Score based on their money habits. Higher scores get higher rewards, which can be redeemed for products and gift cards—including items from Apple, Starbucks, and Target.

Because Jassby doesn't allow ATM access, you might run into similar problems with both platforms. This can be an issue if your kid needs to withdraw cash. Unlike Mazoola, you can request a physical card that can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted.

Bottom Line

Mazoola is a solid, free virtual debit card for your child. The biggest drawback to Mazoola, or any virtual card, is that it limits you to contactless payments only. This makes it a better choice for tech-savvy kids and families.

Want to check out more options for your child? Check out this comparison of the top 10 debit cards for kids.

References

  1. ^ "Do you share any of my information with third parties?": Mazoola, 2022.
  2. ^ "Is there a charge to use Mazoola?": Mazoola, 2022.
  3. ^ Mazoola. Consumer Interest Checking Account Agreement, Retrieved 4/18/2022
  4. ^ Mazoola. Why do you need my Social Security Number?, Retrieved 4/18/2022
  5. ^ FamZoo. Pricing, Retrieved 4/18/2022
  6. ^ Greenlight. Plans, Retrieved 4/18/2022
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Donna Tang is a content associate at CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and reviews website. Write to Donna Tang at donna.tang@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.

Note: This website is made possible through financial relationships with some of the products and services mentioned on this site. We may receive compensation if you shop through links in our content. You do not have to use our links, but you help support CreditDonkey if you do.

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