What's the Minimum Age to Use Cash App? Here's Everything You Need to Know

So you want to know how old you have to be to use Cash App? The good news: if you’re 13 or older, you’re in. Cash App, the mobile payment platform owned by Square, recently lowered its minimum age requirement from 18 to 13, opening doors for younger users to participate in digital payments. This shift reflects how personal finance is increasingly moving online — and the company’s goal is to help teens build financial skills early while joining their peers in the digital economy.

Cash App Now Opens Up Access for Teens Starting at Age 13

Until recently, Cash App required all users to be at least 18 years old. But that changed. Today, anyone aged 13 to 17 can open their own Cash App account with parental permission. This makes Cash App one of the few major payment platforms catering to younger users, though it’s not alone in this trend.

Why did Cash App make this move? According to the company, the goal is to “help level the playing field and equip teens with the tools they need to participate in the economy.” As more transactions go digital and fewer young people carry cash, giving teenagers access to peer-to-peer payments and debit cards makes practical sense.

For comparison, rival platforms have different age policies. Venmo and PayPal still require users to be 18 or at the age of majority in their state. Other apps like Greenlight (designed for parents to supervise kids’ finances) and Step (which offers fee-free teen bank accounts) have already been targeting younger users — so Cash App is playing catch-up in some ways.

How to Set Up a Cash App Account If You’re Under 18

Getting started is straightforward. Here’s what a teen needs to do:

1. Download the app and create an account — Just like any other user, download Cash App and sign up for a free account.

2. Verify your identity — When you try to send a peer-to-peer payment or request a Cash Card, the app will ask you to confirm who you are.

3. Provide parent or guardian information — If you’re between 13 and 17, Cash App will ask for your parent’s or guardian’s email, phone number, or $cashtag username.

4. Wait for parental approval — Cash App contacts the adult and requests authorization. Here’s the catch: your parent or guardian must have their own identity-verified Cash App account to approve your request.

5. Order your Cash Card — Once approved, you can request a physical Cash Card, which is actually a Visa debit card linked to your account balance. It typically arrives within two weeks, but you can use Apple Pay or Google Pay to shop in the meantime.

Important: Parents Are the Legal Account Owners

Here’s something crucial to understand: even though the teen opens the account, the parent or guardian is technically the legal owner. This means the adult can view all transactions and transfers on their monthly statements and can deactivate the card or close the account at any time. Think of it as parental oversight built into the system.

What Teens Can Actually Do on Cash App

Once your account is approved, here’s what you’re allowed to do:

• Send and receive money — You can transfer up to $1,000 every 30 days to and from friends or family through peer-to-peer payments.
• Add funds to your balance — You can deposit up to $7,500 per month into your Cash App balance.
• Withdraw cash — Access ATMs to pull out up to $25,000 once a week.
• Use Boosts — Take advantage of instant rewards and discounts at popular retailers like Starbucks, Burger King, and DoorDash.
• Set up direct deposit — Have paychecks or other income deposited directly into your Cash App account.
• Shop with your Cash Card — Use it anywhere Visa is accepted, both online and in physical stores.

Significant Restrictions for Teen Accounts

But there are limitations. Cash App users under 18 are blocked from certain features:

What you cannot do:

• Invest through Cash App or buy and sell Bitcoin
• Deposit checks or make cross-border payments
• Use your Cash Card at bars, nightclubs, liquor stores, or casinos
• Pay for car rentals, cigars, dating services, or bail
• Use your card at hotels or other age-restricted establishments

These restrictions make sense from a regulatory standpoint — they keep teens from accessing services and products reserved for adults.

How Cash App Compares to Other Youth Payment Options

If you’re looking at your options for young users, here’s how different platforms stack up on age requirements:

Cash App’s 13-year-old threshold puts it in line with services like Step, making it one of the more accessible options for younger teens who want to start managing money digitally.

The Bottom Line

So to answer your question directly: you have to be at least 13 years old to use Cash App, with parental authorization required. The platform’s decision to lower the age requirement reflects a broader shift in how financial services are evolving to meet younger users where they are — in the digital space. If you’re a parent considering this for your teenager, remember that you maintain full control and visibility over the account, which can make it a solid tool for teaching financial responsibility.