Can I give my 16 year old a credit card?

B

Bubbly Scot

Registered User
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My 16 year old is at an age where I am constantly handing over money. Our bank won't give her a laser card on her bank account but while filling in a credit card application for myself I wondered if I could stick her on as an additional card holder?
 
Hi
Why not ring your visa company and ask?
Do you think that's a good idea though if they would allow her to be an additional card holder? Might start up bad habits early....Especially since the responsibility for repayments would be squarely on your shoulders, not on hers..
Nicola
 
Could she not get a part time job and pay her own way in part or full? Personally I think you'd be mad to give her access to credit at her age.
 
NicolaM said:
Hi
Why not ring your visa company and ask?
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It's quicker to post here than listen to the automated service of the bank

Could she not get a part time job and pay her own way in part or full? Personally I think you'd be mad to give her access to credit at her age.
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We have a sort of system, she pays for what she wants, we pay for what she needs. So if I decide she needs school shoes I either have to take her shopping (nightmare!) or send her to look, she comes back with the price, I give her the money or go and pick them up.

Definatly agree though.....a job would be the way to go!!

Added bit: The bank said she can have it......I, on the other hand....am rethinking.
 
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Banks arent allowed to give credit to underage customers, so credit card application may be turned down for the same reason that laser card was rejected. Technically speaking, laser cards are regarded as "credit".
 
csirl said:
Banks arent allowed to give credit to underage customers, so credit card application may be turned down for the same reason that laser card was rejected. Technically speaking, laser cards are regarded as "credit".
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Bank have said they can give her a credit card as an "additional cardholder" on my account but she couldn't get one in her own right. They would issue a card to her from the age of 16 under those circumstances.
 
Getting your child into the habit of living off credit sounds like a terrible idea.
 
My 16-year-old has a fee-free secondary student account, which gives her a cashcard without a Laser facility (and therefore no govt. duty or other cost), usable only in Bank of Ireland ATMs and only up to the amount of her credit balance. I can same-day-transfer money to it online from my own BoI account, and when her funds are gone, they're gone.

I wholeheartedly advise against making her a cardholder on your own credit card account ...but it's up to you.
 
For anyone to even contemplate giving their 16 year old daughter a credit card needs to evaluate the need for a labotomy.

How about not giving her a credit card and not going shopping with her. What you could do is give her cash if she needs shoes then she can go to the shops pick the ones she wants and goes home and gives you the change.

That i think is the right approach but maybe im wrong. Children need to respect money and realise what its like to not get things that they want all the time. Im not saying thats the case for you and your daughter but its happening all too often these days.
 
Holy mother of god. I'm sorry but I cannot believe you are considering giving your 16 year old a credit card.
No wonder there are so many spoiled brats around these days!
I'm not saying your kid is one of these but you are not teaching her any values here by giving her a credit card.
Let her get a part time job and earn her money like most kids of her age do!
 
Might not be popular but for my 18th my mam gave me credit card on her account. She had quite restrictive job and couldn't always get into town (before suburban shopping centres) and I was going through town to college so would pick up things she needed. If I bought something for myself I paid for it. Was quite good at teaching me budgeting etc.
Laugh now is she has one on my account!
 
There is a company called PerfectCard, which issues prepaid Mastercards. They work a bit like a gift voucher card, you decide on the limit and the card is loaded with that value. Once it's used up, it's used up

We've used them at work for small token gifts etc and they work pretty well.
 
Not all 16 year olds are irresponsible. If you trust your 16 year old there is nothing wrong with giving her the card, she will in any case at some stage have to learn to manage one. The problem with credit cards is that a very large percentage of people do not manage them properly and they are a lot older than 16.
 
why are you constantly handing over money,learn to say no,tough love is sometimes the best love.
 
sparkeee said:
why are you constantly handing over money,learn to say no,tough love is sometimes the best love.
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To be fair the original poster did explain matters in a bit more detail above:

Bubbly Scot said:
Query has been answered, decision has been made. Thanks to all for sharing your opinions.
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Are you at liberty to say what the decision was?
 
ClubMan said:
Are you at liberty to say what the decision was?
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I am, but I decided not to as I didn't want to spark another outburst of opinions. Which would lead to me feeling obliged to explain my decision and justify myself because I feel that my daughter is actually quite responsible with her money, and mine. While she might in the future surprise me by incuring the wrath and interest charges of the major banks....she would never, EVER risk the same from her daddy.

Which I guess answers your question, doesn't it?

And just on an aside, I don't think that giving her a card is giving her the idea of living off credit. I'm not exactly going to give her a card and let her lose with it. The plan is to give her the card when we would normally give her cash to pay for preagreed items and as she travels a bit, she can book accomodation etc. I'd give her a laser card off my account if the bank would let me but they won't
 
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