I Tried the Step App with My Teen - Here's What You NEED TO KNOW
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- Опубліковано 4 чер 2024
- The Step app is a mobile teen banking app and it seems a little too good to be true, so what's the catch? I reviewed it with my teenage daughter to see what it was really like and I share our honest review about whether the Step app is worth it.
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.
DISCLAIMER:
The information and opinions within this content are for information purposes only. Guidance is based on personal interpretations and in no way, represents legal or financial advice.
Get $10 free by using this link to get the Step App: step.com/r/EZFIV
Or enter code EZFIV in the app.
UPDATE March 2022: Now get $10 free! And there is now NO AGE MINIMUM! Also I made a new video with the new features: • 🔵 Step Mobile: Full Re...
0:00 What is Step?
0:52 Set-Up Process
1:36 How to Add Money
2:56 How Long Does It Take to Get Your Card?
3:05 How to Spend Money
4:15 How to Use ATMs
5:39 Referral Program
6:00 Pros of the Step App
7:12 Cons of the Step App
7:44 What's the Catch?
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Get $5 free by using this link to get the Step App: step.com/r/EZFIV
Or enter code EZFIV in the app.
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Disclaimer: All information on this channel is my own opinion and not intended to be financial advice. Consult a CPA or financial advisor if you have questions about your own financial situation.
I’ve been using it since December 2020 and it’s been amazing but I wish they would add more features like depositing money and saving goals. But I know that stuff can be hard on the team at step because that type of stuff cost money to make and they are very committed to not charging fees
I totally agree that deposits and savings goals would make this app much better! I hope those features come soon.
Did you need a Social Security number?
@@Natalia-ys9hu You and your parent have to sign up for step you will need your Social Security number (edit)(if you have any other questions I will answer them)
@@Natalia-ys9hu yes. 🥱
@@Natalia-ys9hu yes
Thank you for the great and honest review. Based on your video I feel I need to get my kids and me on this app for them to start and learn financial literacy.
thank you so much for this video my dad was hesitant on doing this because he didn't know if he should trust step with his SSN during the sign up. I showed him this video and he said yes, your video explained in detail about it and how it works.
Awesome! I am so glad it was helpful!
You explained it soooo well omg! Im a teenager and I need a card to do my own personal stuff this helped a lot thank you😊
So glad it helped!
Pls tell me how do you put money on a step card!!!! I need to know....
@@serniabousso9264 on your kids device ask them to request a amount and it will appear in your dashboard
What is your referral code?
Thank you!! I just signed me and my daughter up. Much love from New Orleans, Sheena
I am so glad I could help! ❤️
Thank you so much! My mom so this video and signed me right up! Your the best!
Awesome! I hope you like it!
Thank you so much for this video! You gave me everything I needed to know and I'll definitely be using your referral link!
Thanks! I am glad it was helpful! This review is a little old and some things are out of date. Step has added savings features and cash deposits. They have removed reimbursement for ATMs and they reduced the referral bonus to $1.
I have no shame as a 21 year old! I use this card and love it. ♥️💙💜
Very easy and convenient app!
Does it actually give you a good credit score?
Tysm for this video! It's super informative and I'm sure it'll help me show my mom that step isn't only for food lol.
Glad it helped! And there's nothing wrong with buying food with your Step card. 🍕🌭🍟
thank you so much for making this ! 🙏🏾❤
You are welcome! ❤️
I was so happy with your review that I used your code instead of someone else's! :)
That you so much! I really appreciate that! :)
you should make a video explaining the new features:) They’re going to add the crypto things, already added savings account thing and one more i think. thanks for the review, now i can get my own card :)
Thanks so much this cleared so many questions i was wondering about
Glad it was helpful!
Hello! Great review, I loved it and my son has been using it for 4 months now, and I just watched it recently to find out a bit more about it. Were you able to pull a credit report of your child? I am interested to see if I could pull one out for my son.
I have not been able to yet. It seems that through the free credit report site, you have to be 18 to do it online. I think the process of pulling a credit report for a minor is a lot more complicated.
@@SmartFamilyMoney Alrighty, thank you!
hey! noticed your comment a few weeks ago about depositing cash, step is now rolling out cash deposits at select stores (like cvs, 7 eleven).
Oh cool! Good to know!
Thank you so much this video helped so much!
I am so glad!
I downloaded it as you directed for my daughter and I and it only gave me a $1 credit
However, I do appreciate the video and subscribed to your channel!
Yeah unfortunately they lowered the reward since I made this video. Thanks for the subscribe!
I use this card! I went from a credit score of 346 to 716 within 4 months somehow! I’ve just been depositing my checks and spending money and it doesn’t allow me to over spend, that is the best part.
how did you check your credit score & how old are you ??? 👀 i’m 17 & just started using the app , trying to see when will i b able to see my credit
@@DarianNormani’m 17 and also just started using it. you probably will not be able to see it until you turn 18 unfortunately
@@renni69yeah when you turn 18 it’ll show u
love the vids
Glad I could help!
hi, great video i found this very helpful!! did the credit report for your daughter ever come through?
I haven't checked it yet. I will leave an update when I do. 😁
@@SmartFamilyMoney thank you!
I'm wondering how the coding credit for the child will work if they only ask for the last 4 of my social
@@denisedbailey27 The credit reporting companies can match you up with your name, address, and last 4. They don't need to have 100% complete info.
Yes they only asked for the last 4 of my social not my daughters
Great video it was well explained. Did you ever check to see if it actually built her credit?
I tried but I couldn't pull her report through the credit report through the free credit report site... I don't know if it's because she's a minor or because she doesn't have much history. I'll have to try again another way.
@@SmartFamilyMoney So, the thing is that the account technically isn't your daughter's, it is yours. Once she turns 18, not that it will, but it CAN be converted into a sole account where it will be reported to her credit report. Therefore, whether or not your daughter is an authorized user on other accounts, she doesn't have an account that is her own, so you can not pull a credit report for someone with literally nothing on their credit and on top of that she is a minor, I've yet to find somewhere that allows you to view a minor's credit.
@@SmartFamilyMoney it doesn’t report the history until you are 18. So there won’t be a score until then
I just opened mind and so far I'm very happy with it especially if you can transfer money with your debit card it's much easier than paying a fee
I'm glad I could help! 🤓
Hey, i love your great review, showed it to my parents, they said ill get my card soon.. but some personal information of yours was not censored like (zipcode, city, state)
Me and my sister just gott it thank you
Awesome! Hope you like it!
I got step a few weeks ago, its really good so far, only issue I have is that the loading screen takes about one minute just showing the logo then one minute loading, which is kinda annoying, but the app is free so whatever lol
GREAT REVIEW. Just got it but the lack of parental controls,bad you stated, is concerning especially for younger teens
Thanks! If you want more parental controls, most options are going to cost a fee. The only kid/teen debit card with lots of controls that is free is Chase First Banking. I talk about it in this video here: ua-cam.com/video/lXP8UwOlBoQ/v-deo.html
I just got the Step app and the card today so I use your referral and I didn’t get the five dollars
Thanks for the help!😊
You are welcome! 😁
I really like the card, and I use it myself, and I set up sponsor accounts for my daughters, but the only thing I don't like about it is that it only lets me add 500.00 a day total to all our cards so I can add say 166.66 to each of our 3 cards from my bank or other debit card, but that's not even 500.00 a day each that's total. Now mind you I normally won't need to deposit more than that, but yes their are some days that I do need too and so it would be nice to be able to do that, so I wish they would change the daily deposit amount to 5000.00 for each card. To be honest I'm not sure why they have a daily limit on how much I can transfer deposit into my own step account and into my kids step accounts
We are looking into an account for our teenager. Local banks want forms of id and other information to set it up. This looks like a great option. She doesn't have any state id or dl yet. Thanks for review and information first hand.
You're welcome. If you want a more traditional bank account, I recommend Capital One Money. You can do it all online and no ID is required for the child.
wish i had a mother like you tbh
Great video... but, I'm sad.. sweet it up for one son.. didn't give us the option to make the color he wanted and it didn't prompt him for his signature. Hope he will be able to sign it when he gets it.
Your the best mom!
I like these videos
Quick question so can you use the card as a debit card instead of a credit card since a credit card can cause me debt and I really don't have time for that
Thanks you im 15 and I was scared because I was thinking it a scammm but when I saw your video that make me to get a debit card
Awesome! Were you able to get a parent to sponsor your account?
@@SmartFamilyMoney yup my step card is coming July 26-august 12
@@gtzdobecute 🎉 My daughter's came in 7 days so hopefully yours is quick too!
@@SmartFamilyMoney hopefully
Did you find out if it reported the credit? Also does your card report to credit?
Hello, 17 here and im wondering what happened when you did the credit report for your daughter 2 months later? Was it actually building Credit?
I have a question about putting our debit card in there. Have you had any problems? Like money taken out you didn’t approve of? Out of your personal bank account
I haven't had any problems and it is a secure system so I would not be concerned. The connection is done by Plaid, which is a well respected way to connect. And Step is a real FDIC insured bank. If you had any problems, you should be able to take care of them. Hope that helps!
@@SmartFamilyMoney thank you so much. I always get nervous when putting certain information in. Especially if someone says something about it.
I enjoyed this and your bank accounts video. My kids can’t keep their cash in a single place and are always losing track of how much they have. I want a way to take their money, deposit it in my account, and transfer its value to an account linked to a card they can use. Step sounds great but I want something for a 12, 10, and 7 year old
The good news it that Step removed their age minimums so it would work for you!
@@SmartFamilyMoney that’s nice. Do they each need a separate phone number ?
@@andrewhiller1098 Oh, that's a good question! I think the answer is yes, they each need their own number, but I would check with Step customer service.
Ok so since I'm going to be using my parents banking will there credit score affect mine? Or like what's up with that
Does the app actually send you mail and send you a physical card in the mail? And is there unlimited virtual credit cards or only 1?
I just talked to my mom about ( I never know how she’s gonna react when I ask her serious questions like this) and she basically said she wants to wait until I’m 18 and she’s worried that biden might shut it down and take the money out lol like I get it but I also think she’s over exaggerating a little bit but she said she’d “investigate”
It is an actual FDIC insured bank account so I don't see how anyone would take your money. 🤷 Good luck. 😁
Lol where the heck did she pull that one out of? Also, that's literally the point! Why would she make you wait until 18? 🤦♀️🤦♀️😂
I think your mom needs to rethink her life decisions 🤭
@@ahmedelsheikh7858 I mean my mom can sound a little crazy sometimes haha but she considered it and she’s gonna have my older sister do research on it or whatever but hopefully she consider it a lot more since my younger sister stole 85$ from me because she was in “debt”. Like I think she just used it to buy nicotine.
Wait until 18? Bro I I’m educating myself on the app a lil more before I present it to my mom, but I’m 16 and she usually gives my gift cards and will get me a bank account soon. But this is a app directed towards TEENAGERS. There’s no point of waiting until your 18, that defeats the purpose of this app.
@@hopelessboi8051 yeah I know right
Also one thing about Step and Cash App???
Cash App CAN charge a fee if you use credit but not if you use debit.
Step is a CREDIT card... So does CA still charge fees for whatever when you link it to Step?
Yes! Cash app treats the Step card as a credit card and WILL charge a fee for it.
Hello, I'm 13 years old and have been thinking of getting a step card. I'm just worried about what will happen to it when I'm 18? Also is there a weekly or monthly deposit limit? I would really appreciate it if you could answer my questions. 👍
When you turn 18, you can leave it alone and still use it the same way or you can contact Step to remove your sponsor and turn your card into an adult card. The Step help section has info on the limits. There are no direct deposit limits (for paychecks, etc) but there are some limits for other kinds of deposits. There are some withdrawal limits too, but they're all pretty reasonable for a teen. Here's Step's help section: help.step.com/en/
@@SmartFamilyMoneyOh okay, Thank you so much for the information and for responding :)
Do i have to put a pin number and ever since I got the app I had 5 dollars in it but my money isn't there anymore
I have a question hopefully you can answer it for me what is the max you can have on the card or does it say anywhere the max you can have or deposit on the card I'm asking for a friend of mine
As someone who doesn't like to put their phone numbers on apps or site they don't know the fact that it's mandatory puts me on edge I don't know if your app or site is good and putting my phone number in automatically bothers me
Ur the best mom! Just like my mom also
Ah thank you! ❤️
@@SmartFamilyMoney hiii I’m back !! I got into my account 💕💕💕💕💕 now it says I’m eligible, and it has my direct deposit what should I do but the processing says not at this moment no processing “ does this mean I will get my child tax ?
@@halasalameh2387 Sounds good! You are fine! No one has anything processing yet because they are supposed to go out 7/15.
@@SmartFamilyMoney your a life saver love !! Another thing how do I check the transcript?
@@halasalameh2387 what transcript?
A bit late comment but when I signed up and got the sponsor on the app I wasn’t asked to sign or choose the color of my card but it says it’s arriving in 10 days ?
Well, that's a bummer! Maybe if you do it in a certain order it skips asking you? Please let us know which color you get - I don't know what the default is.
Did you find out how it improves credit? Does it count as a credit account on your credit report? And is there a way for it to negatively impact credit?
It is supposed to help your credit by reporting "on time payments" even though it's all automatic and you are not really making payments. I don't see any way it could negatively affect your credit report.
@@SmartFamilyMoney I don't understand how it can do any reporting when the child's SSN is not connected in any way to the account.
@@nlcsmvp96 So, just like when you are added as an authorized user to someone's account, you are usually not required to provide a SSN. Now, once the child turns 18 it doesn't automatically begin reporting to the credit bureaus, it must be manually decided / opted in and you must provide identity verification, including your SSN to confirm you would like to continue your account as an adult and from there decide to report which can not be reversed, you account would have to be permanently closed.
I'm going to try this
I hope you like it! I'd love it if you came back and gave us your thoughts. 😀
Have you checked her credit score yet? I’m interested in building credit early but I’m not sure if using step will be that significant or work at all.
I tried to check her credit and I wasn't able to get a credit report for her. It's a little tricky at 13. Do you have an adult with good credit who could add you as an authorized user on their credit card? That's the best way to build credit before 18.
I can assure you that it will. I am going to make a video soon since I just turned 18 and activated credit reporting. Please check it out when I do!
do you know how to long in your step account if you already have one?
So if I have two sons can I be the parent for both their accounts, or is it only one child per adult?
Yes you can sponsor multiple accounts
does anybody know-does the adult have to have a bank acct to attach for your child to open up a Step card?
I put in the promo code and it says get $1, not the $10 you advertised on this page
Does the parent also get a card or just the teen
I created an account for my 13 year old, and waited 5 weeks for the card to arrive, which it never did. They "reissued" a new card which came almost immediately. I linked my debit card and tried to add funds, I got error messages saying the card was linked but there was no card found. I alerted them of the this and was told their tech team was working on it, that was about 6 emails and 4 weeks ago to hear today that it is because I am not on an iPhone and it should be fixed with the next app updated. When asked when that would be they said they had no idea. Sty awy pay the few dollars a month to work with a reputable organization - HORRIBLE
Wow I am sorry that happened! I haven't heard of that happening to anyone else.
Can you do a video on the step black card please😊
Ye I'm getting it when I'm 13
if i were to get this, would it force my mom to get a card if she doesnt want one too? like how would it work with her existing account because she doesnt wanna have to deal with anything complicated or that she has to change or she just wont bother with it
She does have to have an account too. I don't think there's anyway to get the account without the card. She can just toss the card in the drawer if she doesn't want to use it. It's super easy to set up!
Your mom doesn’t need the card. She just needs the account. Your the only one who really needs the card
@@CookieGirls that's true but the parent will be sent a card. They don't have to do anything with their card though.
I can't use my card anywhere and I've activated it and tried supported ATMs
The only problem I have with step is that you need a parent or guardian and my parents are not into teck so I can't use it and it's not available in my country
How can it build credit? It only asks for the last four digits of your ss number
So to deposit cash and/or checks you have to have a small like bank like Venmo or Cash app and which ever app you use there should be a scan icon and you can scan your check! Then you or you child can send the cash directly to their step account and bam
Step has some updates since this video. You can now deposit cash directly into Step! They don't have check deposits yet but I believe that's coming soon.
I made a new video that has an up-to-date walkthrough, including how to deposit cash into Step: ua-cam.com/video/mC2kj57N8E8/v-deo.html
How would I diposit money from PayPal to my card?
Just signed up, thanks for the review to help that decision. Unfortunately the referral only yields $1, not $10.
I'm glad I could help. Yeah, this video is old and they changed the referral program unfortunately.
I have a very important question, I'm 15 and I plan on going to a concert in August now ik this video is a year old but I'm asking this before anything bad happens, so if I buy something at said concert would my sponsor have to approve it before the transaction?
No, with Step, there's no approval process for transactions. If you have money in your account, you can spend it almost anyway without needing permission. The only exceptions are places that are adult-only (like liquor stores and vaping stores).
There is a rewards feature and a cash feature now
Is the visa card just credit and if it is do u have to pay at the end of the month for it?
It is technically a credit card but it acts like a debit card. You don't have to pay it at the end of the month - it does it behind the scenes.
So if my parents didn't want to use it except to pay me would they have to first transfer money from a real card to their account then to mine or is it a one time set up? Would they have to have money in their account to give me an allowance if it's linked to their everyday cards?
They can transfer or do an allowance from another bank account or debit card very easily. They do not have to keep money in their Step account if they don't want to.
Do we have to pay when we order it or sign in??
No, there are no fees for Step at all. It's free to sign up and use.
so, if you connect it to paypal or cashapp and someone sends you money thru there, you can get it onto your card, right?
Yes. For a lot of connections you will need to use the routing numbers for Step. Then to send money to Step, it acts like a bank account.
@@SmartFamilyMoney oki, thank you :D
It builds credit as a debit card I recently just received it but I now have 2 cards a cashapp one and a step card
Does this Step App really count my credit score as a teenager? I thought I had to be 18 or 19 to have a credit score, my dad thinks it’s not worth it because of it. So does it really make your credit score as a young teenager or no?
You can definitely build credit before 18. A lot of people do it by being an authorized user on their parents' credit card before 18 and when they're 18, they start with a good score. I don't doubt what Step is saying, but I haven't been able to check my daughter's yet. Checking your credit under 18 is pretty complicated.
@Cesar Serrano You can definitely have a credit score before 18. I added my daughter as an authorized user on 3 of my credit cards when she was 13. She is 16 now. Getting her report was a process for sure! You can't use any of the online apps because you have to be 18. You have to go through the Annual Credit Report site and upload parent AND child identifying info, birth certificate, SS card etc. (Child also needs a state I.D. or Learners Licence or Passport for identification purposes). Her scores are 736, 728, 739
Where is the referral link?
Any updates on if it did build credit for your daughter or now? Thank you!
I wasn't able to pull her report because it appeared she didn't have anything on it. I heard from one commenter that Step reports your activity after you turn 18 but I don't know if that's true.
Lol that is a long ways to go before we know if it does or not but let me know when she does 😂 jk! Thank you for letting me know
Does the app work only in the USA?
Any fees if used internationally?
Can the step card be used to purchase items on the internet such as amazon?
Yes, the Step card can be used at online stores. The only restrictions are that it can't be used at adults-only retailers, but places like Amazon are fine.
Hi, I’m interested in getting a step card but I have a question if anyone can answer. Does the sponsoring adult need to have a step card or can they set it up while still using their other bank?
To be a sponsor, they will have to sign up for an account and it will send them a card. They don't need to use the card if they don't want to.
You are allowed to be a client to as many financial institutions (banks) as you'd like so, yes, you are required to take out a Step account to associate it with your child's but have no real obligation to use it (Step is not directly a bank, they partner with one. Rather, they are a fintech company).
I just barley started idk if they can actually send the card
Okay I have a question so what happens because my card is on the way but I didn't get to sign for my signature or I didn't get to pick my color so what do I do?
I have heard of that happening to a couple of people. I think it will be fine but you could send a message to customer service in the app to ask.
I don’t like how it requires our bank account credentials, though…
Edit: I’m not sure how we can use a debit card to be able to transfer the funds.. could someone reading this please help?
Hi! Here are instructions for adding a debit card: help.step.com/en/articles/4721444-how-do-i-link-a-debit-card
I made a new walkthrough video that might be helpful! ua-cam.com/video/mC2kj57N8E8/v-deo.html
Very helpful and mother just got me a card and I want to know it's my money 😄
Exciting! What color did you pick?
Would the step app be better than the capital one teen checking account? The capital one teens account seems to be better for future use once they turn 18. What do you think?
We actually have both for my teen because they have their pros and cons. I agree that Cap One Money is better as they become an adult. But Step makes it easier to send money back and forth. Cap One says it has Zelle for instant transfers but it's still in beta for teens and we didn't get it.
@@SmartFamilyMoney i tried transferring my money from venmo to my step account, but it doesn't want to find my card even if I have already connected the card to the venmo. I recently gotten the app so I'm using the virtual card. Do you think that's the problem? Using the virtual card? Instant transfer is the only way to use the card. I can't transfer money from my pay pal either.
@@IlIlIlllIlIlIllli you can spend with the step card on Venmo but you would have to use the routing numbers to send money back to Step. Does that make sense?
step.com/faq look at the direct deposit information to get instructions on the routing numbers.
That card doesn't need to make payment when you done to used it
Do the parents know if you make a transaction? Edit:sorry I didn't listen to the whole thing but now I understand
Yeah, they can see the transaction, but they don't get an alert on it (have to go into the app). They can't see exactly what you bought - just where you spent money. And I'm glad the video helped answer your question. :)
Thank you my mom was so sceptic that they would steal her money from her debit for her to do jt
You live in west lake? I live in independence so we aren’t that far
Its horrible they hold the kids $$, especially when kids work hard n they have to wait extra days to get paid for the first time..the worst part is when theres a problem you have to make an international call too england...You have to talk to a bot, n you dont get actual help..
hey quick question are you to deposit a check to your step account?
You can't, unfortunately. You would have to put the check in another account and transfer it into the Step account.
@@SmartFamilyMoney thank you very much!
You’re really pretty
hey, I'm in Lebanon and the step app isn't available so can u please find an app that is available in my country and thank you.
Banking tends to be specific to certain countries, so I'm sorry I don't now of any in Lebanon. There are only a few like this in the US so my guess is that there isn't anything like it.
So when my mom sign into step and unlock my step account, does she have to get a credit card?
When your mom signs up, she will get a card too. She doesn't have to activate it or use it though.
@@SmartFamilyMoney Okay thanks
Can I take cash out from a register?
It's been two years. You still can't deposit checks or cash. So, "we're going to offer it soon" was obviously inaccurate.
Would my dad also get a card or does he also have to sign up for it?
When your dad sets up his account, yes, he will get a card too. He doesn't have to use it though.
Set it up and did everything , was supposed to send a 10$ gift card ..I put the access code , it said once I qualify I would get it ?? I linked it to my bank account.. What makes you qualify ?
It looks like they have changed the rules a bit. You have to verify your identity or get set up with a sponsor and make a deposit of at least $5.
So what costs money while using this? Does getting the card cost money? Are there any fees?
There are no fees at all. It really is free to use.
@@SmartFamilyMoney thank you!