Mydoh review: Parent vs. teen perspective
Money.ca / Money.ca
Updated: March 13, 2024
Mydoh empowers teens to earn and spend and parents to get some help around the house while teaching their kids the value of a dollar. But do both parents and teens see value in Mydoh? Let's find out.
Mydoh is an app that puts learning important life skills right in the palm of your children’s hands. It empowers them to earn, spend and save money. Instead of just taking an adult’s opinion on the value Mydoh provides, we’ve had both a mom and her 14-year old daughter, who are Mydoh users, give their input on the value, functionality and benefits of the app for this Mydoh review.
It’s never too early to teach children about financial literacy.
What is Mydoh?
Mydoh is a digital application and Smart Cash Card from Royal Bank. It’s designed for children but controlled by parents and it helps kids grasp the basics of managing money. Parents have the ability to set tasks or provide an allowance, enabling their children to learn how to earn, save and spend money. Each time a child uses their card, parents receive a notification detailing the purchase and its location. This gives the child the freedom to use their Mydoh card anywhere it's accepted.
Mydoh features
Mydoh offers a host of features that make the card and app a valuable tool, including:
- Chore assignment
- Physical card
- Digital card
- Lock and unlock cards
- Oversee spending
- Instant money transfer
Pros and cons: A teen’s perspective
Pros
-
Can put money aside in app for saving
-
Can request money
-
Financial literacy (teaches you how to wisely spend money)
-
Blurb in app gives you helpful information on money
-
Chores (good system for completing chores and receiving money)
-
Physical card
Cons
-
Chores can have a set deadline (if deadline is over and chores aren't done you don't get any $$)
-
Monthly fee
-
Parents can monitor every purchase you make (the amount and where the purchase was made)
-
App not reliable - consistently didn't work when trying to pay with my phone
-
Have to be on Wi-Fi or have data to use app
Pros and cons: A parent’s perspective
Pros
-
Easy to use
-
Can send money when my child needs it
-
Chores get done!
-
Child learns money management skills
-
Controlled spending
-
Can see what she spends
Cons
-
Have had technical glitches
-
She nags me for money because she knows it’s easy for me to send it
-
She needs to be on Wi-Fi to use her app
The JA Money Card, powered by NEO Financial, is a good option for teens. It teaches financial responsibility, allows for controlled spending, and is safe and convenient to use. Learn more to see if the JA Money Card is the right choice for your teen.
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How Mydoh works
Mydoh has a parent app and a children’s app, each with its own features. The parents’ app allows parents to instantly send money to their child, assign chores and set up allowance, track spending and earning, and lock and unlock the card as needed.
The kids’ app allows kids to spend money based on their available balance, manage their chores and let their parents know when they are completed and track their own earning and spending.
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Mydoh app review: A teen’s perspective
I’ve been using Mydoh for about six months, and I really like it. It's an alternative to my debit card because Mydoh is a Visa card and, technically speaking, I now have both a debit and credit card (even though both my parents have full access). On the con side, the app isn't very reliable, so I always use the card (which comes with stickers). However for every one con comes with three pros.
Mydoh is run by RBC and is super well done. The style of the app isn't cliche, it works and has cool features. These include requesting a certain amount of money and when you complete chores, there's a display of how much money you’ve earned and how much you have left to go.
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Mydoh app review: A parent’s perspective
The Mydoh app has been a great addition to our family, allowing me to assign chores that need to be completed. It allows my child to earn the assigned cost for completion so that she has spending money. I love that I can send her money easily, whether for completed tasks or as needed if she is out and about.
I am able to see what she is spending and where, which gives me the added benefit of knowing exactly where she is at the time. A triple win for this mom! There were some technical glitches when we first joined a few months ago (editing tasks would trigger an error and you had to rebuild the task from scratch) that they seem to have ironed out.
Mydoh has helped me empower my young teen to earn money, having the freedom to spend it where, when and how she wants, helping to teach her the value of her work and of a dollar. One day maybe she’ll figure out the value of saving some of it, too.
3 things I like about Mydoh: (A teen’s perspective)
- 1.
I can easily access my own money
- 2.
I can save money easily and spend it mindfully
- 3.
I can login using biometrics/login easily
3 things I like about Mydoh (A parent’s perspective)
- 1.
I can easily send my child money
- 2.
I have the ability to monitor spending
- 3.
I can assign chores with a cost, which increases likelihood they’ll get done
What should I know before I get the Mydoh app?
The card, while very versatile, is not accepted everywhere, the same way a typical Visa or debit card is not accepted everywhere. The app needs data to run so if your child doesn’t have data on their device, they need to be on Wi-Fi to be able to access it.
It’s also important to note that the monthly fee is charged to the balance of the account on the app, rather than withdrawn from your personal bank account. Mydoh is user friendly for both parents and kids.
How to apply for Mydoh
To apply for Mydoh, both the parent and child need to download the app to their individual phones.
For children to get the Mydoh app, simply download it from wherever you get your apps (Apple App Store or Google Play). Then select ‘child sign up’ and enter their invite code or use the link that was received in an email to confirm their account. They will then need to confirm the account, their personal details, create a password and agree to the terms.
Parents need to choose ‘parent sign up’ and follow the prompts in the app. Parents are required to sign up using their existing RBC bank account, or provide government ID to prove identity and complete sign up.
Mydoh eligibility requirements
Parents must be of legal age to sign up and they can add children of any age to the application. Parents must have an RBC account or be able to provide government issued identification.
Mydoh required documents
To sign up for Mydoh, parents who have an RBC account require no further documentation. If they do not, they will need to provide government issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.
Children are required to provide a passport, a birth certificate or a social insurance number in order to register for Mydoh.
How do I fund my Mydoh account?
To fund the Mydoh account, parents fill a digital wallet on the app via etransfer, debit card or by logging into their RBC bank account. Once the money has been added to the parents’ wallet, any funds available in that account can then be transferred manually to your child’s wallet, or automatically based on chore completion or allowance date.
Is Mydoh safe for teens?
Mydoh is safe for teens. The Smart Cash Card is a Visa product issued by Royal Bank of Canada. Additionally, teens can only spend what is available to them in their wallet, meaning they can’t overspend and build debt on the card.
Mydoh review: Bottom line
Teen’s perspective
I really like having easy access to my own money, setting saving goals and completing chores. The pros far outweigh the cons, and along with all the other features, it definitely compensates for that $3 fee every month. It’s annoying that I have to be on Wi-Fi and I have to have the card with me because I’m not able to easily pay with my phone. However, the fact that I can responsibly spend and save money is worth it.
Parent’s perspective
Mydoh is a great tool that enables me to provide money instantly to my child when she needs it. It also empowers her and me to attend to chores and inspire both work and earning to contribute to the household and her own spending and saving wants and needs. It would be good if the app gave kids and parents warnings when assigned chores are nearing their expiry to create urgency and encourage completion. This would add to the aspect of children having responsibility and expectations on them to complete assigned chores. Overall, this is a tool I recommend to parents who want to empower their children learning hands-on about money management and financial literacy.
FAQs
Leslie Kennedy served as an editor at Thomson Reuters and for Star Media Group, followed by a number of years as a writer and editor and content manager in marketing communications, before returning to her editorial roots. She is a graduate of Humber College’s post-graduate journalism program and has been a professional writer and editor ever since.
Abigail Kennedy is a high school student with an interest in financial literacy, creative writing, visual art and music.
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