Wise launches Young Explorer debit card in Singapore

Wise has launched its Young Explorer debit card for children and teenagers in Singapore. The product is aimed at users aged six to 17.

The Singapore launch is part of a wider rollout across six markets. The city-state joins Brazil, following earlier introductions in the UK, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand.

The card is available to personal account holders in Singapore, regardless of citizenship, and can be ordered for up to five children through a parent's Wise account. Each card carries the child's name and links to a dedicated balance managed within the parent's account.

Parents can monitor transactions in real time, top up balances instantly and set daily and monthly spending limits. The monthly cap can be set up to SGD $1,600, and a co-parent or guardian can also be added to help manage the card.

Wise is positioning the product as both a travel-spending tool and a way for children to learn to manage money. The card can be used abroad at the mid-market exchange rate without foreign transaction fees, matching the pricing structure already offered to adult Wise customers.

Children can use a simplified version of the Wise app to check balances and track spending. Teenagers aged 13 and above can also add the card to Apple Pay or Google Pay on their phones for contactless payments, including on public transport.

The move comes as financial firms look for ways to extend digital banking and payments products to younger users under parental supervision. In Singapore, Wise cited research showing that young people lag in digital financial literacy, increasing pressure on families to introduce money management skills earlier.

Travel focus

Wise said the card is designed for several common family spending situations, including giving teenagers a set budget during family holidays, allowing younger children to make small purchases independently, and funding overseas school trips from Singapore.

It can also be used for domestic allowances, with parents able to move money weekly or monthly from their main account into a child's balance. This structure is intended to help children track how much they have left and adjust their spending accordingly.

The card sits alongside other travel and payment tools in Wise's consumer offering in Singapore. These include destination spending guides, ATM locators with fee estimates, airport lounge access, a bill-splitting function and a feature that allows balances to be shared with up to nine other Wise users for group expenses.

These features highlight Wise's push to deepen its relationship with travelling households, rather than only serving one-off international transfers. By broadening its travel-focused payments tools, the company is targeting a larger share of day-to-day family spending among users of its cross-border services.

Wise said it supported around 19 million people and businesses in its 2026 fiscal year and processed more than $240 billion in cross-border transactions. Customers saved more than $3 billion over that period, it added.

Singapore is an important market for travel-linked payment products because of the country's high passport ownership, frequent outbound travel and heavy use of digital wallets. For providers such as Wise, products that combine parental controls with low-cost overseas spending may appeal to families looking for alternatives to cash and traditional bank cards.

The offer also reflects a broader shift among fintech groups into youth finance, an area once dominated by banks through junior savings accounts and supplementary cards. Digital providers are increasingly trying to win younger users early while keeping parents in control of limits, oversight and access to funds.

For Wise, the launch expands a product line already introduced in several developed markets with strong travel demand. Bringing it to Singapore gives the company access to a customer base that is both internationally mobile and accustomed to app-based financial services.

"We're not just launching a card for kids - we're addressing the full money management journey for Singaporean families at home and abroad," said Yee Won Nyon, Product Manager at Wise.

"From letting their kids pay without cash while on their family trips, to teaching kids to manage their daily allowances while at school, Wise provides the tools families need to travel smarter and manage money at every step."