FamZoo’s built-in search and analysis tools for card activity are among the most powerful of any family card platform. They help parents become better money mentors. With FamZoo, parents can see all the card activity details they need — the what, when, how, and why behind any issues kids encounter with their cards.
Here are three quick tricks to help you uncover even more “search treats” hiding in plain sight:
- See how they pay — Most kids don’t realize how they pay makes a huge difference in security.
Swiping a magnetic stripe? Easy target for skimmers.
Tapping or dipping? Much safer.
That’s why the Transaction Details screen shows the Entry Mode for every purchase — even declines — so families can spot risky payment habits and coach kids to adopt safer ones.
Here’s the trick: Want to see how your kids are paying across a whole batch of transactions?
- From the Accounts screen, search on “purchase”.
- On the Search Transactions screen, click the Actions button (to the right of the Search button).
- Choose Select Columns.
- Move Entry Mode from Do Not Display to Display in Report.
You’ll now see the entry mode for every purchase in your results.
Encourage your kids to tap and dip to give skimmers the slip.
- Identify the purchase retry — Some merchants (notably Apple, Amazon, and Uber) use stand-alone settlement (also called forced-post) transactions to collect previously declined or missed payments. The amount collected can even cover multiple unpaid charges at once.
Because timing and totals can differ from the originals, families sometimes mistake these for unauthorized transactions.
To make them easier to spot, FamZoo labels them with a new transaction type: Purchase Retry.
Here’s the trick: Want confirm if an unexpected charge is really a retry?
- Search on the merchant’s name from the Transactions screen.
- Look for a Purchase Retry preceded by one or more declined purchase attempts.
Here’s a classic example:
If you see a retry you don’t recognize, sign in to your online account with that merchant and review your billing history. The total should match up with earlier missed payments.
- Do the quick math — Mom: “Do you have any idea how much you’ve spent on Fortnite this month!?”
Teen: “Why, yes, Mom. As a matter of fact I do...”
Here’s the trick: Want to get a quick tally on recent purchases?
- Search on “Fortnite” from the Transactions screen.
- Fill in a start date.
- Click Actions > Format > Aggregate.
- Choose “Sum” for the function and “Amount” for the column.
Now, you’ll see the grand total in the search results.
It’s a handy way for both parents and kids to see spending totals instantly — no mental math required.
Mom might be impressed with your snappy response time, but the actual answer? Not so much. You’re still in trouble.
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