1 - A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDERS

Jamie and Jovan here - we launched SquareOne, and we're stoked at your response - thanks! It's taken off way faster than we imagined. 🚀 So...

We were trying to set up kids' bank accounts and pocket money - it wasn't easy. Three branch visits, a day off work, a trip to a JP... And what we got wasn't fit for purpose - an app suitable for a finance grad, and an EFTPOS card that didn't work online, with no features to teach them how money works.

We did star-charts on the fridge (not much help with shopping trip 'negotiations') and we never had cash when they hit their goals - so it was hard to make lessons stick, if they happened at all...

As a nation, we're bad with money. 1/3 of working-age Kiwis have less than $1000 saved. So, why?

2 - SEEING THE FINANCIAL LANDSCAPE FOR OUR KIDS, WE REALISED IT WAS A MINEFIELD

Financial capability and wellness (being 'good' with money) isn't taught at school. As parents, we don't have the tools to teach it, and we expect our kids to leave home, and go from 0-100 magically, with no coaching or 'learner's license'.

Then, in the real world, money mistakes have consequences. Early experiments put us on a painful path, repeating our parents' mistakes, and left to wonder why... It's not a conspiracy, it's just the way it's evolved. So we're fixing it. 💪

SquareOne isn't just a bank account. It's the toolkit to help your kids connect the dots with money...

✅ EARN
They earn pocket money, and do jobs to learn the value of work, and how to negotiate that.

💳 SPEND
No more 'borrowing' your card. They've got their own (a real-deal contactless card, that also works online) and you set the boundaries. So they experience real money, that they've earned, and can connect the value of their time to the value of a dollar.

🔒 SAVE
They create unlimited savings 'pockets'. Learning how to set goals, and experiencing the feeling of achieving them!

These are life skills - not just money skills... And as we grow, we're adding GIVE + INVEST to round out their financial picture.

3 - OK, SO WHY DO WE CHARGE FOR SQUAREONE?

OUTCOMES
Being great with money is a crucial life skill. And, like passing a ball, or playing a song, it needs coaching and practice to form habits of excellence... Which lead to great outcomes. An annual subscription to SquareOne, for the whole family (2 parents + up to 5 kids) is about the same as a cup of coffee / month.

When we look at a PlayStation or Netflix subscription, it's clear that this financial capability toolkit is a small investment, with outsized future returns.

COSTS
Building a finance app and issuing cards costs money. And so, we invite a strong, supportive customer community to be on this journey with us, to level up our next generation.

4 - GREAT! BUT A BANK ACCOUNT IS FREE

That's true. And our experience was, we got what we paid for! This table is just a broad view of 'the banks'. They all have different rules, so it's not exhaustive, but illustrative of SquareOne vs. the alternatives.

So, one last question: Was your childhood financial education awesome - or was there room for improvement, and do you want better for your kids?

Behind the shiny brand, we're a small, committed Kiwi business with a huge vision... A better future for our kids, where they don't have to learn the hard way, like we did. So that's why we built SquareOne. Thanks heaps for reading, and we'll see you in the app!

Cheers,

Jovan and Jamie, and the whole SquareOne team.