Best banking services for young people

Young people aged 15–17 get banking services free of charge

Account for a young person’s money

A personal bank account is the basis of banking. You can open an account for a young person easily online, or the young person can open it themself for their earnings.

Debit card for easier everyday life

A card can be linked to the account, meaning that purchases will be debited directly from the account. A young person can also pay with a phone by adding the card to Apple Pay or, when turning 16, to Google Pay.

Using online services is easy with OP's user ID

With the user ID, a young person can use OP-mobile and the op.fi service, pay online and in apps and use important services such as Kela, My Kanta Pages and the joint application system and entrance exams for schools.

How to open an account and get a card and OP's user ID for a young person

Read these tips before you book a meeting with your bank branch.

  1. Before booking a meeting, make sure that the young person has a valid personal ID document (passport or ID card).
  2. If the young person doesn’t yet have an account with OP, you can speed things up by opening an account through the op.fi service before your meeting at the bank branch. When you’ve opened an account, return to this page and read onwards through the instructions. Open account
  3. Book an appointment. Select “Managing affairs for minors and the young – Managing affairs for minors and the young” as the subject. Mention which services you want to activate.
  4. At least one parent should accompany the young person to the appointment. If the other parent cannot attend, ask them to grant you power of attorney in advance. If neither parent can be present, you can give your consent to the young person’s getting a card and user ID on their own. In such a case, please contact our Customer Service.
  5. Please take a personal ID document with you. The youngster must take an ID card or passport. A driving licence can serve as a personal ID for the parents. Read more about accepted personal ID documents
  6. We will activate the services during the meeting. The young person will receive an OP user ID and key code list right away. The debit card and its PIN will arrive at home within 1–2 weeks.

Book an appointment

 

Grant power of attorney

  • Power of attorney is needed for activating bank services whenever one of the parents cannot attend the meeting. It is worth authorising all banking arrangements – such as provision of an account, card and user ID – at the same time. 
  • An OP customer can grant power of attorney through the op.fi service. Grant power of attorney via the op.fi service
  • If one of the parents does not have an OP user ID, please contact OP’s Customer Service. You can also use another bank’s user ID for signing power of attorney.
  • Please note that we recommend that both parents grant power of attorney for managing a young person’s banking affairs, since it will be needed later for purposes such as changing the spending and withdrawal limits of the young person’s card via Customer Service. 

How to activate individual services for a young person

  • The best way to manage a young person’s account and spending is to keep only a reasonable amount of money on the young person’s account.
  • Any mutual funds and equity investments are not visible to the young person themself.
  • Parents can see their young person’s account with their user ID on OP-mobile and the op.fi service if they have access rights to the account.
  • If the parents have access rights to the account, they can set transaction limits on their young person’s account to restrict its use, if necessary. Either parent can request changes to transaction limits via chat, by calling the Customer Service or visiting a bank branch, if the other parent has granted them power of attorney, or the parents can send similar messages to OP digital services.
  • Please note that the young person can change the card’s withdrawal and spending limits with their personal user ID. If necessary, either parent can change the limits by calling the Customer Service, if the other parent has granted them power of attorney.
  • A young person who has turned 15 and is in paid employment can open an account for their earnings and order a card. Guardians have no right to use this account without the young person’s permission.
  • Let’s work together to make sure that the young person takes good care of their finances and credit history. Young people can safely learn to manage their personal finances with the help of OP-mobile. Getting started with saving and investing is also a great way to prepare for the years to come.