Teen Credit Cards - Reviews and Info for Teens

Credit Card Teens? Look Out My Kid Has a Credit Card!

2007-12-24T10:01:00.001-08:00

Actually it's not that scary....

I did a lot of shopping around looking at a couple of different programs for teen credit cards. They are actually gloried debit cards however parents have 100% control over the cards. That way your teen can learn the basics of learn to use credit wisely in a more controlled environment.

Visa Buxx caught my eye first and after reading over their literature - I had to pass. From what I gleaned from their material - they charged a fee for every single charge made on the card - geez that would get expensive and quickly so!

I then looked into UPside Visa - they have some flashy, fun card designs and a couple of different programs. I went with the no monthly fee flat rate $24.95 a year plan and they do not charge fees on any charges made with the card - in fact, your teen can earn points for the charges they make.
This is the card I went with:
Rad Orange Tribal Butterfly Visa for Teens

Her card will be here in 10 days - I'm depositing the checks she got for the holidays this year and that will be her beginning balance. More will come as she does chores around the house and earns money. I'll update you how it goes.
And have a very happy and safe holiday!

Teens - Making the Case for Your Own Credit Card

2007-12-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

If you're over the age of 13, did you know you could have your own credit card? That's okay many teens don't know either - but now you do. The next part is to convince your parental units that you are mature enough to handle the responsibility of owning a credit card.

Here's some of the 4 most common arguments parents give for not letting their kids get a credit card:

1- I am not going to be financially responsible/ wreck my credit for you.
Answer - That's not how a teen credit card works. The amount that is deposited onto the credit card is the credit limit. There is no way to overspend. If an attempt is made to spend more than is on the card - the charge will be denied. Also, these prepaid teen credit cards do not report to the credit bureau and no co-signer is necessary .

2-I'm not comfortable turning you loose with a credit card.
Answer - Although the credit card will be in the teen's name only but the parents have full access to the account to send money, look at charges and any other area they feel needs to be monitored.

3-I don't need any more monthly payments!
Answer - There aren't any. Any amount from $5 to $500 can be placed on the teen credit card and this is a great way to get your allowance or payments for chores done around the house instead of getting handed cash. The transfers can be made via online or telephone and once the amount is transferred - that's it - there are no monthly payments with a teen visa.

4-How will you get money for your teen credit card?
Answer - Show your maturity and offer to work for it. Ask if there are any jobs you can do around the house for money. You can have a yard sale or even sell items you no longer want on Ebay (with your parents' help). Also, offer to mow lawns, walk dogs, babysit, wash cars , shovel snow for your home and for your neighbors.
If you're the crafty type, make bracelets and necklaces and sell them. The ideas is to convey to your parents, you've already thought about this (and now you have) and be serious about how to create money for yourself so your parents aren't solely paying for your credit card.

Now you are armed and ready with the facts, talk to your parents and see if they will agree to let you show your maturity with your own teen credit card and when you do get it - don't go crazy buying useless garbage - make every purchase count and you'll be on the way to learning true financial wisdom that many people twice your age still don't have.

Teen Credit Card Review:UPSide VISA Teen Credit Card

2007-12-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

We looked at numerous "good deals" for teen credit cards and we thought we had found a couple of winners when we ran across this brand new entrant into the teen credit card arena; the UPSide Visa Teen Credit Card is the all around best we have found and here is why:

First of all, this card comes with a "peace of mind" knowing that it's a prepaid Visa® card meaning this card has Visa's Zero Liability Policy if card is lost or stolen.

Next the funds that are loaded are FDIC insured and are availabled immediately to your teen. The UPSide Visa can be funded either online or on the phone - your choice. That makes this card perfect for a long distance gift if your child is traveling with their choir group or has gone away to college- if money is needed - you can send it quickly and it will be available on the card.

Additionally, this card for teens is set up so parents have control over when, where and how much money is spent on the card. This is a great way to help your kids learn how to the be financially responsible. Because this is a prepaid debit card, there are no reports going into the credit bureau and no co-signers are needed. This account can be in your child's name.

If you need to see where your teen is using their card, you will have access all transaction details and receive alerts on card activity if you so choose. THe UPSide card requires no minimum balances and has very low fees. A credit card for your teen is a very valuable educational tool that will teach your child how to spend their money smart as well as save and there's no risk of incurring a negative balance. Additionally, many employers are able to pay via online or phone transfer and if your child has a part time job, this may be an option as a way of receiving payment that will let your teen learn to manage their money making this credit card for teens a great short term savings instrument and this card is easy to test drive for only $4.95 with no minimum balance and no commitment.

This is an excellent card for either a gift or as a way to help your teen learn to be a financially responsible young adult - look into the benefits of a credit card for your teen from UPside!

The Gift of a Prepaid Debit Card for Teens

2007-12-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

Need an idea for a gift for a teen? Clothes are often appreciated, gift certificates are also great ideas - however there is another new item on the market that teens are clamoring for - the teen credit card.

It won't put your credit bureau report at risk to get one. The way a teen credit card works is simple. However much money you transfer to the credit card is how much the teen has to as their own personal credit limit.

This is a great way to give a teen the freedom to choose their own gift for a birthday, Christmas, graduation or other special occasion and it will enable the teen to make their own choices as to what they want.

Another plus to a prepaid credit card for teens is that you or any other friend or relative can gift the teen with funds at any time during the year. This is especially good for a teen that is graduating high school and getting ready to enter college where money will be needed for books, supplies and other costs that the student loans don't always cover.

A prepaid debit card for your favorite teen will make a wonderful gift. Look into your options and give a gift that will be useful all through the year.

Teens Learn With a Teen Credit Card

2007-12-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

Part of your responsibility as a parent is to teach your child to be responsible with their money. If you don't, you will raise a young adult that has no skills for saving or spending wisely. And that's where a teen credit card can come in handy.

An easy way to teach your child to use money and the power of credit wisely is to give them their own teen credit card. There is no credit limit and the spending amount on the teen credit card is only the amount that is loaded on to the card. It can be as little as $1 if you choose.

Your teen can learn to spend their money in the smartest way possible by using a teen credit card. If your teen has a cell phone, you might make them responsible for paying their own bills. If your teen has a part time job or earns money doing chores around the house - instead of giving your teen cash and also footing the bill for their cell phone use, start transferring the money into their teen credit card account and your teen will quickly learn to monitor their text messenging use and air time on their cell phone when they are paying for their own cell phone use.

Your teen can also learn the valuable lesson of not spending all their money at once. With a prepaid teen debit card, your child won't have cash burning a hole in their pocket and they aren't as likely to make frivolous or spur of the moment purchases.

As your teen's credit card can also be used to online purchases, talk to your child about making sure to only use their credit card on reputable websites and unless the webpage they are on begins with "https" - it's not a secure page and no financial or personal info should be entered.

Also, discuss thinking ahead and looking at the bigger picture and not making spur of the moment decisions with money - in doing so you'll be laying the groundwork for your teen to grow into a young adult with a firm grasp on handling their finances - and it all started with a teen credit card.

The Benefits of a Teen Credit Card

2007-12-19T10:55:00.002-08:00

Is your teen a spender but not a saver? Are you tired of working to pay for your teen's spending habits as well? Teen credit cards are a great way to help your teen develop their money management skills and also learn how to save and make wise spending decisions with their money.

The benefits of a teen credit card can't be denied. It's important that your teen understand how to handle their money and also how to save wisely. An interest bearing savings account is a good idea and one that you can transfer money into is an even better idea.

Giving your teen some access to their own money is also a way to teach them how to be financially responsible. Using a prepaid or teen debit credit card, you can load any amount you choose onto the card and then allow your teen to save or spend. It's a good idea to discuss purchases so your teen doesn't wind up broke with nothing to show for it.

A teen credit card is backed by VISA and may be used anyplace that VISA is accepted. Your child may use their teen credit card for anything from purchasing books to buying a membership to the World of Warcraft. Let your child make a bad decision such as buying something for which they won't have anything to show for it and then use that as an example of spending money wisely. Remember when you were a teen, did you really believe anything anyone told you unless you experienced it yourself?

Another benefit of a teen credit card is that your child can use their card as a sort of mobile savings account and save up for things they really want. Teach your child not to spend all their money but rather spend a little and save a lot. In doing so you'll give them the gift of being good with money rather than being broke all the time and wondering why.

Curious About Teen Credit Cards?

2007-12-19T10:55:00.001-08:00

Teen credit cards are now a reality and there was a lot of initial grumbling by parents but more and more parents are finding that giving their teens their own credit cards is a marvelous way to help their kids learn financial responsibility through using their own teen credit cards. We did some research and have been coming up with a number of teen credit cards for parents to consider for their kids.

If you're curious about a credit card for your teen, one great direction to look is at The UPSide Prepaid VISA Card for Teens.

Here's a brief overview from their website.

The smarter gift for ages 13-25, a prepaid Visa® card exclusively designed for families' needs
Universal and reloadable, unlike merchants' gift cards
An educational value that goes far beyond its monetary value
A teen's first Visa® card, with no risk of incurring debt
Can be purchased by parents or other family members over the age of 18

These teen credit cards come in appealing styles that aren't the same old boring credit card.
Check out these designs:

If you'd like to investigate the possibility of getting a teen credit card for your child, this is a great opportunity to give your a child a real-world education on positive money management.

Teen Credit Card 101 for Parents

2007-12-19T10:03:00.001-08:00

Teen credit cards are sweeping the nation as one of the most convenient ways to teach your teen financial responsibility.

We have scoured the net to give both parents and teens a current and up-to-date resource for finding the prepaid teen credit cards or teen debit card that is the best fit for their individual needs.

Things are very different now from when you were a teen. Can you remember the last time you paid cash for an item? When did you last write a check in a store? Even television commercials advertise the convenience of using credit cards to pay for purchases and your teen needs to understand how to use these cards as well as be responsible with their own finances in order to be financially healthy adults.

As a parent, you may have concerns about giving your child a teen credit card or prepaid debit card and letting them run free. Most of these programs have log in capabilities so not only can the teen credit cards be refilled with the ease of an online transaction, the parent or guardian can also log in and see where the card has been used whether your teen has made purchases online or off.

Another great use for teen credit cards is if your child is going on a field trip or will otherwise be traveling. It's a bad idea to send cash and checks are almost impossible for your teen to use in other cities. Travelers Checks were the previous solution, but it's much easier to just load money onto your teen's credit card and let them have the ease of knowing they have money to spend and they don't have to worry about losing cash.

Instead of giving your teen an allowance, consider giving them a teen credit card and loading the money directly on there every week. It's easy to get in the habit of spending cash and having nothing to show for it, show your teen the way to be financially responsible and even save their money on their cards for things they really want.

Your teen needs to know how to use credit wisely and as a parent, it's your job to teach them that lesson. Using a prepaid or teen debit credit card is a great way to getting your child on the road to understanding how to handle their finances in a mature and responsible way.

Teen Credit Cards - Reviews and Info for Teens

Credit Card Teens? Look Out My Kid Has a Credit Card!

Teens - Making the Case for Your Own Credit Card

Teen Credit Card Review:UPSide VISA Teen Credit Card

The Gift of a Prepaid Debit Card for Teens

Teens Learn With a Teen Credit Card

The Benefits of a Teen Credit Card

Curious About Teen Credit Cards?

The smarter gift for ages 13-25, a prepaid Visa® card exclusively designed for families' needs

Universal and reloadable, unlike merchants' gift cards

An educational value that goes far beyond its monetary value

A teen's first Visa® card, with no risk of incurring debt

Can be purchased by parents or other family members over the age of 18

Teen Credit Card 101 for Parents