I Tried the Step App with My Teen - Here's What You NEED TO KNOW
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 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!
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!! I just signed me and my daughter up. Much love from New Orleans, Sheena
I am so glad I could help! ❤️
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 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.
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. 🍕🌭🍟
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! :)
thank you so much for making this ! 🙏🏾❤
You are welcome! ❤️
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!
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?
Thank you so much this video helped so much!
I am so glad!
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
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!
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, 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)
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
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.
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
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! 🤓
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: czcams.com/video/lXP8UwOlBoQ/video.html
I just got the Step app and the card today so I use your referral and I didn’t get the five dollars
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!
Thanks for the help!😊
You are welcome! 😁
UPDATE April 2022: Now get $1 free instantly! And there is now NO AGE MINIMUM! Also I made a new video with the new features: czcams.com/video/mC2kj57N8E8/video.html
Use this link to get the Step App: step.com/r/EZFIV
Or enter code EZFIV in the app.
I have a question can you use a code only once because I used a code when I joined step and never got another chance to use another. Please answer
@@papi960 yes it's only one code per account! But if you refer friends with your code, you can earn more.
@@SmartFamilyMoney thank you so much I was wondering about for so many days now.
@@SmartFamilyMoney hey how do u delete a card from your account
@@tavionchaisson2517 I'm not sure how to delete one. Probably you need to contact their customer service.
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.
Me and my sister just gott it thank you
Awesome! Hope you like it!
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
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
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
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
I put in the promo code and it says get $1, not the $10 you advertised on this page
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.
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
It's been two years. You still can't deposit checks or cash. So, "we're going to offer it soon" was obviously inaccurate.
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
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
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 can't use my card anywhere and I've activated it and tried supported ATMs
love the vids
Glad I could help!
Did you find out if it reported the credit? Also does your card report to credit?
How can it build credit? It only asks for the last four digits of your ss number
does anybody know-does the adult have to have a bank acct to attach for your child to open up a Step card?
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
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.
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.
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.
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?
wish i had a mother like you tbh
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
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
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
There is a rewards feature and a cash feature now
I just barley started idk if they can actually send the card
How would I diposit money from PayPal to my card?
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
Your the best mom!
my mom tried to send me money through a debit card and it didn’t work. we cant figure out the issue of why it’s doing that i put her debit card into her account and she tried to send me money and it didn’t work so i put the card into both of our accounts to see if that was the issue and it still didn’t work. someone’s help!!!!
Contact Step customer service through the app. They're really helpful and should be able to figure out what's going on.
That card doesn't need to make payment when you done to used 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 :)
Does the parent also get a card or just the teen
Does the card already have money or do u need to put money in it?
Can you do a video on the step black card please😊
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..
When I click on the link, it says "Daria S invited you to join Step" and it only shows $1 bonus.
Where is the referral link?
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.
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: czcams.com/video/mC2kj57N8E8/video.html
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.
My step account is not showing my daily limits
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 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).
do you know how to long in your step account if you already have one?
When i tried to add my virtual step card to app store it didnt work
Hmm that's odd. Did you try the physical number? I am just curious if that worked.
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.
App not Available this app curretly not avaliabe in your country region !
it’s not available in my country,i’m sad
I’ve been reading the reviews and apparently many people are getting their account’s closed and money taken for no reason??
Really? I hadn't heard that. They will close them if there is any fraudulent activity, though, like people trying to get fake referrals.
For some reason my mom can't verify her account, I need help because I want to do art commissions to buy clothes
I don't know what would cause that problem. If you can't get Step to work, you could try Copper instead. I compared them in my new video: czcams.com/video/qe6l3as7wqc/video.html
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!
Hey so my dad sent me $200. 100 through bank transfer and 100 by debit card. I still haven’t gotten the money and it’s been 8 days.
Transfers between people should be instant. Is the money still in his own Step account? If not, I would contact Step support because something is definitely wrong.
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. :)
Could anyone help me with the credit building process
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
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).
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.
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
I really wish I had a mom like u mine hates the idea of me doing anything with online banking
same lol
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.
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! czcams.com/video/mC2kj57N8E8/video.html
I said to Google how to delete my account not make one in step
Okay wait but I have a question I'm getting payed by check so how am I supposed to put my check into my step account????
There is no way to put a paper check directly into a step account. You'd have to put it into some other bank account and transfer it in. I'm hoping Step adds that feature soon.
If you're working for a regular employer that has direct deposit, you CAN set up direct deposit with Step, though. Click on Account information / My Account / Get Direct Deposit Form. Or you can use the routing and account number to fill out your employer's form.
Thank you my mom was so sceptic that they would steal her money from her debit for her to do jt
For Some reason the app takes $2 every so often do you know why?
No, I have no idea why that would happen. What does it say for the name of the transaction?
Apple Pay?
Does my sponsor also need a step card so they can add their bank etc? I’ve been trying to let my grandma add money to me but there’s no option ):
Yes the sponsor needs their own account and it will come with a card.
Set it up and did everything , was supposed to send a 10$ 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.
What if like you get a pay check but it’s on paper how can you like get the money on the card
Deposit it into ur bank and then transfer it to ur card...ig...