What is direct deposit and how does it work?

Direct deposit automatically places your teen’s hard-earned paychecks onto their Greenlight card. It’s convenient, secure and saves you a trip to the bank.

On payday, their paychecks will automatically be deposited onto their Greenlight card in their ‘Spend Anywhere’ balance — even if they’re on vacation or out of town.

To set up direct deposit, follow the steps below (available on app versions 4.36 or higher):

1. Access the child’s profile
1. Parents: Tap on the gear icon on the Parent Dashboard to access Parent Settings. Select ‘Family’ to choose a specific child. 
2. Teens (13+): Tap the profile icon at the top left (next to your name)
2. Select ‘Direct deposit’
3. Share the account and routing information with your child’s employer. 

Users on earlier app versions can call us at 888-483-2645 to set up direct deposit.

Please note:

1. All direct deposits must be from the child's employer and in the child's name. We currently do not accept direct deposit from the State or Federal Government (including Social Security payments, federal tax refunds, state tax refunds, child support, etc.) or from Paypal, Venmo, Apple Cash, etc. Kids under 13 will need a parent to access their account number.
2. In the case where your child's employer asks whether direct deposits will go to a checking or savings account you can select checkings
3. Your child's name for their employer's direct deposit must match identically to their name on their Greenlight card

How soon after setup should I expect my first deposit? 

Once you have completed direct deposit setup with both Greenlight and your child's employer, your child's initial paycheck will typically begin automatically depositing within 1-2 pay periods. This can vary depending on their employer (all direct deposits must be from the child's employer and in the child's name). Subsequent deposits by your child's employer will be available the same day. 

Is there an additional charge to use Direct Deposit?

Nope! Direct deposit is included on all Greenlight plans.

What happens if my child changes jobs?

If your child changes jobs, you can add a new employer to your direct deposit settings at any time.

What if we want to stop direct deposit?

If your child wants to stop receiving their paychecks onto their Greenlight card, contact their employer and provide updated paycheck preferences or account and routing information. You can also delete the employer from the ‘Direct deposit’ page. 

Are there limits to how much can be transferred by direct deposit?

Direct deposits have to be greater than $0.99 and the maximum deposit per family per month is $5,000.

How should my child use the money from their paycheck? 

That answer is different for every family, but you should discuss it together. Early jobs are a great time to learn real lessons around budgeting and money management. With Greenlight, kids can choose to move some of their paycheck to savings, add to their investment portfolio or set some aside for charitable giving. 

If you still have further questions please either:

Text us at 404-974-3024

or

Email us at support@greenlight.com

or

Call us at 888-483-2645