I love the concept of this app/card. However, I keep running into issues of transfering money into my wallet and get an error message that it's having trouble connecting to my bank. And yes, I have signed out and back in, I have also uninstalled and reinstalled, and I have used the wifi on and off. If it wasn't for this main reason, I would haven given more stars.
Every time I try to add money to my son's card I get a message saying, "Unable to connect to Greenlight at the moment..." sometimes it takes hours to try and get money to his card! The app just updated and I thought, "yay! Maybe they fixed it!" However, after it took me 4 tries to reconnect my bank account, and now I'm getting the same old message. It's ridiculous that we're paying monthly fees for this nonsense.
At first I was very unhappy with the app on my android (Samsung S7) it loaded slow and ran slow. However! I registered my complaint and the next thing I know I'm talking to some of their folks and damned if they didn't trace my problem, find the cause, and release an update to the play store that fixed my problem, all withing 48 hours! Very impressed with their ability to figure it out and correct it. App runs great now and so far I'm pleased with how the whole system works. This was the first time I've ever encountered a software issue that was actually acknowledged and fixed by a company.
Beware. Concept is great but app is not safe. For the last months, each time I refilled my wallet I got the error "impossible to contact greenlight, try again later". I learned via support that my bank account was mysteriously disconnected. Which was false because I was charged $100 today! I'm glad I didn't try again or I would have been charged twice! Like last time; I wasn't really sure why. Your bank info and money isn't safe with them. Switching to another app if not fixed soon. I'm fed up.
Love the card and how me and my kid are able to manage his money. I DON'T LIKE THE APP. It seems like whenever I have to do something important, it's on it's weird mode. Neither crashing, nor loading. Just gives me a blank screen and gets stuck on that. Another annoying thing is it constantly logs me out somehow even though I had it set to no PW when getting on the app. It also doesn't show, or update the pictures you set for the kids accounts. One works while the other doesn't. 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️
I do not recommend this service, as you can not cancel online (though they are more than happy to sign you up online). They will also take the monthly fee from your bank account via ACH, so if your balance is low, you will overdraft, even if you have your debit card locked (that wouldn't normally be a concern but a lot of people aren't carrying large, stable bank balances during this pandemic). Last but not least, when attempting to reset my password, the recovery email never arrived (yes, I checked my spam folder, and tried more than once). I will now be going to my bank to have them block any further payments to this company and their non-existent online customer service. It's a great idea, but service is severely lacking - especially considering you have to pay to use it. You are FAR better off just opening a regular account through your existing bank for your child, and transfering funds to it through the banking app you already use, or just get them a reloadable Visa gift card.
As a finance professional, I strongly encourage you to find a better option. Monthly fees and no free ATM options are only the beginning of the pitfalls for Greenlight. My son was complaining about missing money and I was sure it was him learning about holds and didn't give it much thought. He was convinced that a $100 gas station hold wasn't reversed so I looked into his transactions. Wow, it is nearly impossible to get a full listing of transactions and no running balance.
I like that it gives my children their allowance and lets me pause. I do wish you could somehow take money away (maybe put in separate 'parent ' account). Also, the "help articles" do not show up on my app. However I am satisfied with the app. Excellent customer service that will email you right away and call you the same day.
Amazing Resource. Kids are always out and doing things. I can't be in four places at once. This allows for us to keep up with the all the kids needs and some of the wants without needing to divide ourselves and our card. Easy to use. Easier to monitor and clarify spending habits and choices! recommend 100%. Wish you could link more cards, especially in a large family like ours.
Overall it's a good application. However, there are some frustrating quirks. Tapping an alert opens the app but doesn't take you to the appropriate place. Adding extra money beyond the allowance is not intuitive. The first set of cards they sent us never arrived, so we had to get a second set. Great potential but requires a few workarounds to get stuff done.
