App Guide

How SproutBank Works

A quick visual guide for parents getting started — what each screen does, what the icons mean, and how the whole flow works.

The three buckets

Every dollar a child receives gets split into three buckets. Parents set the percentage split in Family Settings.

❤️ Give

Money set aside for others — a charity, a friend's birthday, a cause they care about. Teaches generosity as a habit, not an afterthought.

🌱 Save & Invest

Grows daily at a rate you set. This is the compound interest simulator — money visibly increasing every single day reinforces the core lesson.

✨ Spend

Money available for purchases the child chooses. Overspend it and there's nothing left — the lesson about budgets teaches itself.

What's that icon?

A quick reference for every icon and screen your child will see in the app.

🔐
Lock / Parent Mode
Tap to enter Parent Mode. Requires your PIN. Use this to approve transactions, adjust settings, or add a deposit without your child needing to see it first.
💬
Feedback
Send feedback about the app anytime, from any screen. Goes directly to the SproutBank team.
👤
Avatar
Avatar circle
Your child's profile icon at the top of their dashboard. Tap it to change their avatar — a small but meaningful personalisation that makes the app feel like theirs.
🌱
My Money — Dashboard
The main screen. Shows total balance, all three jars at a glance, today's growth, and any active goals. This is where your child starts every session.
📖
My Story — Transaction History
A full log of every deposit, withdrawal, approval, and daily growth event. Great for reviewing the week together or showing kids how their balance got to where it is.
🔄
Move It — Spend, Give, or Transfer
How kids request to use their money. They choose a bucket, enter an amount and reason, and submit for parent approval. Nothing moves until you approve it.
🎯
My Goals — Savings Goals
Each bucket can have one active goal — a toy, a donation target, a day trip. A progress bar fills as the balance grows. When the goal is reached, kids can claim it. Goals turn saving from a rule into a countdown.
📈
My Charts — Growth Over Time
Visual charts showing how each bucket has grown. Especially powerful for the Save & Invest bucket — seeing the compounding curve over weeks and months makes the concept click.

How approvals work

Every transaction goes through a simple two-step flow that keeps parents in control without making it a chore.

1
Child submits a request. They choose Spend, Give, or Transfer, enter an amount, pick a reason or goal, and tap submit. Nothing moves yet.
2
You get notified. A pending request appears on the dashboard. You can review it anytime — immediately or later when it's convenient.
3
Approve with your PIN or decline. Enter your parent PIN to approve instantly, or tap decline with an optional note explaining why. Both are quick.
4
You follow through in the real world. Once approved, the balance updates and you hand over the cash, make the purchase, or process the donation. The app tracks it; you honour it.

Tips for getting started

From families who've been using SproutBank since early access.

💡
Do the first deposit together
Sit with your child for the first deposit — let them watch the buckets fill and set their first goal. The "aha" moment usually happens right there.
📅
Check in once a week
A 5-minute weekly check-in — "how much did you grow this week?" — builds the habit without making money a stressful topic. Saturday morning works well.
🎯
Let them pick their first goal
Don't suggest the goal — ask what they want to save for. Ownership over the goal is what makes them check the progress bar every day.
📉
Don't bail them out when they overspend
If they spend their Spend bucket and then want something else, resist the urge to transfer extra. The empty bucket is the lesson — and it's a cheap one at this scale.

Ready to get started?

Get Started Free

Free during early access · No bank account or debit card required