Cash App offers two kinds of accounts for minors in 2026: a sponsored account for teens aged 13 to 17, which the teen runs from their own phone with a parent or guardian’s approval, and a managed account for kids aged 6 to 12, which the parent runs entirely from their own app. Both come with a Cash App Card, no monthly fees, FDIC-insured balances, and parental controls; neither can borrow, cash checks, or send money abroad. Here is how each works, the real limits, and how to set one up.
What are the two types of Cash App accounts for minors?
| Sponsored account (13 to 17) | Managed account (6 to 12) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses the app | The teen, on their own phone | The parent only; the child has no app access |
| Launched | 2021 | April 21, 2026 |
| Who can pay the child | Anyone (sponsor can restrict to Approved Contacts) | Up to 5 trusted contacts chosen by the parent |
| Cash App Card | Yes, with sponsor approval | Yes, custom design |
| Cash at ATMs or registers | Up to $1,000 a week | No |
| Stocks and bitcoin | Sponsor can enable each, $5 to $400 per month | No bitcoin |
| Availability | All states | Not available in New York |
Under 6, there is nothing, and at 18 a sponsored account converts to a regular adult account with everything intact. The rules come from Cash App’s families pages and its minimum age article.
Who can sponsor a minor?
The sponsor must have an identity-verified Cash App account, be an adult, and be at least 15 years older than the minor (so 28 or older for a 13-year-old), per Cash App’s terms. During approval, the sponsor attests to the relationship and confirms the teen’s date of birth; a mismatch blocks it. No linked bank account is required to sponsor, contrary to what older guides say. One sponsor can manage several teens and kids, and the sponsor is legally responsible for every card transaction on the sponsored accounts.
How do you set up a sponsored account for a teen?
The teen starts it, not the parent:
- The teen downloads Cash App and signs up with their real date of birth. Because they are under 18, Cash App creates a restricted minor account that cannot send, receive, or spend yet.
- The teen taps the prompt to request a sponsor and enters the parent’s phone, email, or $cashtag. (Parents can also start from their own app: Money tab → Family → Get Started, then enter the teen’s details.)
- The parent opens the request in Cash App, confirms the teen’s birthdate and the relationship, and approves.
- The account unlocks. Ordering the teen’s Cash App Card is a separate request the sponsor approves from the Card tab.
How do you set up a managed account for a kid?
Everything happens in the parent’s app: profile icon → Family → Get Started → enter the child’s name and birthday and create their $cashtag. Then design the card, pick the up-to-five trusted contacts allowed to send money (grandparents, the other parent), and optionally set a recurring allowance. The child spends with the card; the parent sees every transaction and can lock the account at any time. When the child turns 13 the parent can convert it to a sponsored account, and must do so before the child turns 16.
What can a minor do on Cash App?
Sponsored teens can: send and receive payments, use the Cash App Card in stores and online, withdraw cash at ATMs, get paid by direct deposit, deposit paper money at partner stores, earn interest on Savings (Cash App’s highest rate, with sponsor approval), and, if the sponsor enables them, buy and sell stocks and bitcoin. Teen accounts are hidden from search by default. Age-inappropriate merchants (bars, liquor stores, casinos, lottery, dating services, bail bonds, hotels, car rentals) are blocked automatically.
Nobody under 18 can: use Cash App Borrow, deposit checks, send bitcoin to outside wallets, use Afterpay, file taxes in-app, send money abroad, or open a business account. For the adult versions of these limits, see our guide to Cash App limits.
What are the limits on a minor’s account?
| Limit | Sponsored teen (13 to 17) |
|---|---|
| Direct deposit | $5,000 per day, $10,000 per rolling 30 days |
| Paper money deposit | $250 per 7 days, $1,000 per 30 days |
| ATM and in-store cash | $1,000 per week (none under 13) |
| Stock purchases | $5 to $400 per rolling month, set by the sponsor; off by default |
| Bitcoin purchases | $5 to $400 per rolling month, set by the sponsor; off by default; counts gifts and Round Ups |
| Fees | None: no monthly fee, no minimum balance |
Balances on sponsored and managed accounts, including Savings, are FDIC-insured through Cash App’s partner banks (Wells Fargo, Sutton Bank, and The Bancorp Bank) up to $250,000. The card itself is a Visa debit card issued by Sutton Bank, covered in our guide to ordering a Cash App Card.
What can parents control?
Per Cash App’s sponsored-account documentation, a sponsor can: see all activity, balances, and monthly statements; get real-time notifications for every transaction (and always for the first payment with a new person); restrict who the teen can pay with Approved Contacts, which pauses any off-list payment for review; enable or lock the Cash App Card instantly; set spending limits; block merchants; switch stocks and bitcoin on or off and set their monthly caps; and block or report other users on the teen’s behalf, which the teen cannot undo. The full family setup is in our guide to the Cash App family account.
What happens when the teen turns 18, or the parent ends sponsorship?
At 18, Cash App notifies the teen, who completes full identity verification; the account converts to a standard adult account, the sponsor is disconnected, and the teen keeps every balance and investment, gaining the adult limits and features (Cash App help).
Ending sponsorship early is done through in-app Support or by calling 1-800-969-1940, and the consequence is stronger than most guides say: the sponsored account is closed and its funds transfer to the sponsor’s account, not suspended (Cash App help). The teen would need a new sponsor to start again.
Key takeaways
- Two tiers since April 2026: sponsored accounts (13 to 17, teen’s own app) and managed accounts (6 to 12, parent-run, not in New York). Nothing under 6.
- Sponsor rules: verified adult, at least 15 years older, legally responsible for the card; no bank account required to sponsor.
- Teen limits: direct deposit $5,000/day, paper money $250 per 7 days, cash $1,000 per week, investing $5 to $400 per month per asset class, off until the sponsor enables it.
- No fees, FDIC-insured balances, and a long 18+ list: no borrowing, checks, bitcoin withdrawals, Afterpay, or international sends.
- Ending sponsorship closes the account and sends the money to the parent; turning 18 converts it to an adult account with everything kept.
For how the adult app works, see our guide to how Cash App works.
