Banking services for 7-14 year olds

We provide daily banking services for children and young people — an account and card — free of charge.

Banking begins with your own account

Items such as cash gifts and pocket money can be paid into an account and saved.

Young people can practice money management safely with a debit card

A card can be used with an account, enabling the child to pay for their own expenses such as snacks, hobbies and bus tickets.

Children and young people can monitor account transactions and pay online

A child can use their OP user ID to monitor their account transactions and balance, and make purchases online and through apps.

Activate banking services for your child

Did you come to sign the application?

 
Sign the application

A child’s own account and card will help them to manage spending and saving

OP Basic, which is suitable for children and young people, can be used to pay for purchases in Finland, abroad and online. The balance is checked during each card payment, which is debited directly from the account. The card does not work in locations without Internet access, such as aircraft. We advise parents to set daily spending and withdrawal limits in advance for their children’s card use and accounts. 

You can also activate an OP user ID for your child, enabling them to monitor their account transactions and balance on OP-mobile, and to confirm payments online through applications and when using services. Please note that this user ID cannot be used to log into services requiring strong identification, such as the op.fi service, Kela and My Kanta Pages. On the other hand, children over the age of 12 can log into such services: you can request this separately for your child, if required. 

If the cardholder is at least 13 years old, the card can also be linked to Apple Pay (contact OP’s Customer Service). A user’s card cannot be linked to Google Pay until they have reached 16 years of age.

How to activate banking services for 7-14 year olds

  1. Make sure that the child or young person has a valid personal ID document (passport or ID card) and personal phone number.
  2. You open an account and apply for a card by filling in an application together with your child.
  3. A parent or parents sign the application using their own banking user ID.
  4. The debit card and its PIN will arrive at home within 1–2 weeks.

 

How to obtain an OP user ID for a child or young person

  1. If the child or young person also wants to have OP's user ID, they must be picked up from a branch. When you have activated other services on the op.fi service, book an appointment with a branch. Select “Personal customer - Daily banking services - Minor's accounts, cards and user IDs” as the subject. Mention that the child wants to have OP's user ID. Book an appointment
  2. The child or young person must be accompanied by at least one parent during the meeting. An authorisation is required of the other parent, which can be granted while you file and application for the activation of services.
  3. Please take a personal ID document with you. The child or your person must take an ID card or passport. A driving licence can serve as a personal ID document for the parents. Read more about accepted personal ID documents
  4. At the appointment, OP's user ID will be given to the child or young person right away.

Power of attorney for managing banking for a minor

We recommend that both parents grant power of attorney for managing the banking affairs of an underage child or young person. The power of attorney will be needed later for purposes such as using saving and investment services and changing card security limits via Customer Service. Power of attorney can be granted through the op.fi service.

Can I fill in the application on the op.fi service?

You can fill in the application for a child or young person on the op.fi service if all of the below conditions are met: 

  • You have OP's user ID.
  • The other parent, if any, has banking user identifiers issued by any Finnish bank. 
  • The child or young person must be a citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA) or a dual citizen who, in addition to Finland, holds another citizenship in an EEA country.
  • The child or young person has a permanent address and domicile in Finland.
  • The name or personal identity code of the child, young person or parent isn't on a sanctions list.

You can apply for a card for a child or young person on the op.fi service if all of the below conditions are met:

  • The child or young person has a valid identity card or passport issued by a Finnish authority. A photo of the personal identity document must be attached to the application.
  • The child or young person has a personal mobile phone where they can receive SMSes. Fill in the application together with the child or young person. If the child doesn't have own phone number or their phone is a watch phone, you can initiate the application by calling the OP Customer Service on 0100 0500.
Can I apply for a card for an existing account?
  • If you apply for a card on the op.fi service, a new account will be opened for the child or young person.
  • If you want to apply for a card for an existing account, you can initiate the application by calling the OP Customer Service on 0100 0500 or visiting an OP cooperative bank branch. In both cases, you will need a power of attorney from the other parent of the child or young person, if any.
  • The application can be completed over the phone, but the child or young person must visit a branch together with their parents in order to identify themself in person.
Tips for parents
  • Let’s join forces to help children and young people to manage their finances. A healthy credit history and finances will be critically important to their future.  
  • Please note that the child or young person’s user ID will enable them to view all accounts to which they have access rights.  
  • If a parent or parents have access rights to a child’s or young person's account, they can view the account on OP-mobile or the op.fi service with their user ID. The parent can also make credit transfers into the child’s or young person's account and monitor account transactions.  
  • Please note that the child or young person can't use the op.fi service with their user ID. With their user ID, they have access to the OP Accessible online service. 
  • A parent can change the spending and withdrawal limits of their child’s or young persons' card by logging into the chat service, by message on OP-mobile or at op.fi, by calling OP Customer Service or by visiting a branch. Please note that this can only be done if you have a power of attorney from the other parent. You can also send the same messages on OP-mobile or the op.fi-service. In the message, you should indicate the card's details to be changed and the cardholder's information, as well as the desired change. 
  • Parents can also jointly set transaction limits on their child’s account to restrict its use. If necessary, they can request changes by sending the same messages on OP-mobile or at op.fi, with a power of attorney, or by visiting a branch. 
  • The best way to manage a child's or young person’s account and spending is to keep only a reasonable amount of money on the child's or young person’s account.  
Becoming an owner-customer and membership cooperative contribution

Becoming an owner-customer and member contribution

Your current customer relationship and any user ID in your use affects you becoming an owner-customer.

  • If you are an OP cooperative bank’s customer and have OP’s user ID, you can become an owner-customer by logging into the op.fi service. Become an owner-customer
  • If you are an OP cooperative bank’s customer but you do not have OP’s user ID, start by booking an appointment Book an appointment
  • If you are not an OP cooperative bank’s customer but you have another bank’s user identifiers and are interested in becoming an OP cooperative bank’s customer, become our customer online Become our customer easily online

Membership cooperative contribution

When joining us, you will pay an ordinary cooperative contribution as a one-time contribution, no other payments exist. In most banks, the amount of the membership cooperative contribution is 100 euros. You can find the amount of the membership cooperative contribution on the owner-customer application and in your OP cooperative bank.

If ever you decide to stop being an owner-customer, your membership contribution will be refunded to you in full. The cooperative contribution will be refunded after one year has lapsed from the end of the financial year during which the owner-customer membership was terminated.

However, OP cooperative banks have the right to refuse to refund the contributions according to the bank's rules. You can check the rules of the OP cooperative bank on the bank's op.fi page or in the head office.

Who can become an owner-customer?

Any person, entity or foundation using OP Financial Group’s services, irrespective of their nationality, can become an owner-customer.

Child as an owner-customer

A child can become an owner-customer. All guardians of the child sign together their underage child’s application for an owner-customer membership. By doing so, the parents also give their consent that their child will begin to earn OP bonuses.

If the membership contribution is paid using proceeds of the child’s own work, the child can him/herself sign the membership application and pay the membership contribution.

Termination of owner-customer relationship

Owner-customer terminates the membership

The owner-customer has, at any time, the right to terminate their owner-customer membership by informing their OP cooperative bank of this in writing. The owner-customer membership termination date is the date on which the OP cooperative bank has received the termination notice.

Death of owner-customer

An owner-customer membership will terminate on the death of the owner-customer. In the distribution or partition of the deceased person’s estate, the death estate can transfer the deceased person’s owner-customer membership, generally either to widow/widower or heir.