Is the note slipped in a pocket already a thing of the past? Among adolescents, the bank card is gradually becoming the preferred means of managing pocket money. This development seems innocuous. Yet it is changing the way young people discover the value of money.
On average, teenagers receive €27 per month. A limited amount, but enough to learn to choose, wait or give up. With the card, each expense leaves a trace on an application. It is precisely this follow-up that attracts young people… and reassures their parents.
The bank card becomes a first step towards autonomy
For 20% of adolescents, having a card represents an entry into the adult world. It allows you to pay for a drink, a book or school supplies on your own, without systematically asking for help from a parent. This autonomy remains supervised, since the account is opened with the agreement of the family.
Dematerialization also explains this shift. According to the barometer cited by The Parisian68% of teenagers’ payments are now made by smartphone. In this context, liquid becomes less practical. The card integrates with already established habits, in particular purchases made with the telephone.
Seeing your expenses changes habits
With cash, you have to remember what you spent. With a card, operations appear in the app. Young people can therefore check their balance, identify small repeated purchases and measure what they have left before the end of the month. This visibility can make the budget more concrete.
Emma, 15, experienced this after spending her monthly €28 on books. She found herself without money to buy a croissant. This situation taught him to think before paying and to wait when the budget does not allow everything. Other teenagers also explain that they look more at their expenses and put aside for a specific purchase.
Safeguards to avoid unpleasant surprises
The card does not automatically make you more responsible. It can also give the impression that the money is always available, until the moment the account is empty. The absence of cash therefore does not eliminate the need to set an amount, track expenses and regularly talk about priorities.
It is essential to restrict this budget so that adolescents learn the value of money and develop a sense of effort. “Feeling frustration is crucial. Without deprivation, desire cannot emerge. It is this desire that encourages the child to surpass himself and evolve.“, affirmed Florence Albinhac-Morel, psychologist in a previous article. Thus, if his pockets are always full, he will no longer need to wait to acquire what he wants and will be less encouraged to make efforts to obtain it. The more he receives money without effort, the less he will grasp the true value of money, because it will become a given for him.
Offers intended for minors include several protections. Some do not allow overdrafts, limit cash withdrawals and exclude places such as tobacco shops or bars. Parents can also receive a notification after each transaction. Tracking that allows you to quickly spot an unusual expense, without waiting for the end of the month.