I’d rather not have cash: Why kids want cards and the best accounts

While many people are concerned about the death of cash, the younger generation likes to spend money only on cards. Alicia Lambert, 12 (a day spent shadowing her dad, This is Money’s Simon Lambert) explains why she and many of her friends feel this way.

Plus, This is Money rounds up some of the best bank accounts and cards for kids.

When I buy my lunch at school, I have money close at hand, but it’s not cash.

These days many places use cards and not cash. Some schools go even further by using fingerprints to spend money.

My school is one of those schools. They put your fingerprint in the system, linked to your name, and you can get your parents to put money on it.

You are then given a limit of £5 to spend each day and can use it for whatever you like found in the cafeteria or take-away snack shop.

Your parents can see what you spend and it’s much easier than carrying cash to school. You can’t forget to bring money, because your finger can’t stay at home.

But as good as that is, it doesn’t work for other things and I can’t spend money outside of school.

Outside of school, I’d rather have a debit card than cash. This is why.

A good thing for us kids with cards is that if you find that your pocket money is inconsistent – maybe because your parents agreed on an amount but never find the time to give you the money because they’re too busy – they’ll have an automatic amount that is credited to your bank account monthly or weekly.

Having a card is also much easier for you parents in terms of spending money, because in the fast-paced world we live in, you may find yourself running out of cash – and it’s never where you think you have it abandoned.

Some more reasons why a card is better is because they are an easier and safer place to have your money.

If you need to buy something quite expensive, it’s safer to store all your money there than to have a lot of cash.

If your card is stolen, it’s easier to get another card and get your money back than if your money was stolen.

Meanwhile a lot of places just accept cards now and if you have cash and no card it’s harder to get stuff.

With cash, it’s much more difficult to keep track of how much you’re spending, what it’s been spent on, and how much money you have left without having to pile it all up, count it, and keep receipts.

However, with my debit card, I can just go into my banking app and see how much I have.

Some prepaid cards for children allow you to set limits and other things, but many of these services require payment and eat into your pocket money.

I got my first bank account, with Nationwide Building Society, about nine months ago, after my 12th birthday. I got a debit card and have been using it ever since. I almost always use it when I have to pay for something.

It’s much easier to pay for things with. I just take it with me and tap it or use my PIN if I need to pay for something outside of school.

Of course you have to remember it. There was a time recently when I accidentally left my bank card on the floor of my bedroom when I went to the Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley with my football team, the Gazelles.

I went to pay for a drink and some food and realized I forgot my card. “Don’t worry,” I thought, because my father had also given me enough money to make sure I had enough money to spend.

There was one small problem: Wembley Stadium is cashless and I couldn’t buy anything without a card. Luckily my football coach is very nice and he paid for me and I gave him the money.

So the one time I depended on cash, I couldn’t even spend it.

You can understand why I prefer a card over cash, even though my parents’ and grandparents’ generations think that’s odd.