Pocket money is a great way to teach your children about money - but how much should you pay them?
In this guide I’ll explain how much pocket money to give your kids, whether it should be tied to household tasks, and the best pocket money apps and cards.
I’ll also delve into how pocket money can help your children learn more about managing their own finances as they get older.
Key takeaways
- The average child receives £7.751 a week, but parents should choose an affordable amount based on their disposable income and increase it gradually as their child gets older.
- Linking extra payments to age-appropriate chores can help children understand the connection between work and money, while a regular base payment can teach them how to budget.
What age should you start pocket money?
The age you want to start paying pocket money depends on your financial situation and whether you are linking pocket money to chores.
Children start to receive pocket money by 7 and a half years old, according to research by Confused.com.
It makes sense to increase the amount of pocket money you give your child as they get older - but only do this if you can afford it.
How much pocket money should you give?
The amount of pocket money you decide to give depends on how much disposable income you have, how old your child is and your own personal preference.
The average weekly payment is £7.75 - equivalent to £403 a year- according to Confused.com research1.
A good way to work it out is to calculate 2.5% of your disposable household income, and you may wish to increase the amount you pay based on their age.
For example, if you have £1,000 left each month after paying for essentials, 2.5% would be £25 a month, or around £5.75 a week. You might round this down to £4 for a younger child or up to £6 for an older child, provided it remains affordable.
Should pocket money be tied to household tasks?
Parents often link pocket money payments to household tasks or chores, this helps children understand the value of money.
Some household tasks such as cleaning the car or gardening are a good way to help introduce your children to the concept of earning cash.
Below, we explain the average payment for household chores according to Confused.com research.1
Average payment by household task
| Chore | Average payment |
|---|---|
|
Cleaning the car
|
£3.66
|
|
Gardening
|
£3.57
|
|
Helping with younger siblings
|
£3.52
|
|
Laundry
|
£3.18
|
|
General cleaning
|
£3.10
|
|
Vacuuming
|
£3.00
|
|
Taking the bins out
|
£2.95
|
|
Feeding pets
|
£2.82
|
|
Tidying their bedroom
|
£2.80
|
|
Washing up/loading the dishwasher
|
£2.79
|
|
Making their bed
|
£2.60
|
If you decide to link pocket money to household chores, it may be that you pay it on top of a base payment or you may require your child to complete tasks like tidying their bedroom in order to get the money.
Pocket money apps and cards
Initially you may want to pay pocket money in cash or save it into a piggy bank. There are some real merits to teaching children about real money, and visually they get to see how it adds up.
As they get older, you may want to give them more experience of using virtual money. We all know how easy it is to tap a bank card and make a contactless payment, and sometimes it can feel like you’re not spending any money when you are in fact draining your available cash.
That’s why giving your child experience of using apps or accounts can help them develop real-life money skills.
The right account will depend on what you want your child to use it for, whether you want to pay pocket money or help them save.
Ideally you want a free account so that it doesn’t cost you money. Many prepaid cards have limits on how many transfers in you can make and hidden fees, so it’s worth researching before you decide.
However, it’s worth noting that there are better savings accounts for children paying up to 5% interest.
| Provider | Age | Cost | Minimum opening amount | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
NatWest Rooster Money
|
6–17
|
Free for eligible NatWest customers; otherwise £1.99 monthly or £19.99 annually
|
No minimum top-up stated; a subscription fee may apply
|
NatWest customers
|
|
Starling Under 16s
|
6–15
|
Free, but a parent or guardian needs a Starling account
|
No minimum top-up stated
|
Starling customers
|
|
Monzo Under 16s
|
6–15
|
Free, but a parent or guardian needs a Monzo account
|
No minimum opening deposit
|
Monzo customers
|
|
GoHenry – prepaid account
|
6–18
|
From £3.99 monthly per child
|
No minimum top-up stated; monthly fee applies after the free trial
|
Parental controls and money-learning features
|
|
HyperJar Kids – prepaid account
|
6–17
|
No monthly fee; £4.99 for a physical card
|
No minimum top-up stated; £4.99 card fee
|
A low-cost prepaid option
|
|
Nimbl – prepaid card
|
6–18
|
£32 annually; £27 annually for each additional card
|
No minimum top-up stated; a £32 annual fee applies
|
A lower annual fee than GoHenry Everyday
|
|
Nationwide FlexOne
|
11–17
|
Free
|
No minimum opening deposit stated
|
Fee-free banking and up to 5% AER on savings up to £5,000
|
|
Santander 1|2|3 Mini
|
0–17; debit card from 11
|
Free
|
No minimum opening deposit stated
|
Branch access and tiered interest of up to 3% AER
|
|
HSBC MyMoney
|
11–17
|
Free
|
No minimum is stated for the current account; linked MySavings can be funded from £10
|
A current account and linked savings account paying 3.75% AER on balances up to £3,000
|
|
TSB Under 19s
|
11–17 when opening
|
Free
|
No minimum opening deposit stated
|
Earning 2.50% AER on current account balances up to £2,500
|
Data in this table was taken from provider websites, correct at time of writing August 2026.
1 Confused.com commissioned OnePoll to survey 1,000 UK parents of children aged 4 to 16, between 29 July and 5 August 2026.
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