Benes says her kids are more excited to do chores since they know their allowance will be accessible via their debit cards. Renee Benes. The hunt for pint-size plastic-holders is on.

There are a number of debit cards for kids that don't charge membership fees, including Step and Axos First Checking. Paid services may offer more features, though.

This small act inspired Rubino to start her own charity, Cards for Hospitalized Kids, when she was just 16 and a student at Maine South High School. "It started out really small," Rubino said, ...

The mom gave her daughter a gift card on her birthday, while her son got a car. “Here's the deal: For my son's birthday, I bought him a car,” she explains in her post .

The Chicago-based nonprofit was started in 2011 by Jen Rubino, whose own experience as a hospitalized kid inspired her to found Cards for Hospitalized Kids to help uplift others.