Credit card for 17 year old

nyck

My daughter is a collage student ,has a debit card and earns around £250-300 PM

Can she get a credit card or does it have to be the prepaid type until she is 18?

thanks

Pinkypants

Pretty sure you have to be 18 for any credit.

notanewby

Any form of credit is 18 and over.

grumbler

I think she can be a second cardholder on a parent's card.

Eonel

I had to wait until 18 before making my daughter a second card holder on a Capial One card. Would be interested if anyone has been able to do it earlier...

chattychappy

It used to be the case that credit could be offered to under 18s, just the debts were not normally enforceable so this together with ethical issues meant that being 18 was a prerequisite. Having said that, I had a Barclaycard when I was 17. I didn't lie about my age or anything - it goes back to the days when it doubled as a cheque card and they issued me with a Barclaycard to replace a cheque card. The limit was £100. (Indeed cheque cards were not normally available to under 18s, though I also had one with Girobank when I was 17.)

I would imagine* now that regulation means that the T+Cs always state that you must be 18 or over and that no CC would knowingly issue or promote a card to an under 18.

(* on a slow connection, so not practical for me to check. Perhaps some kind soul out there has something specific.)

jonesMUFCforever

A minor does not have the legal capacity to enter into any kind of contract of which getting a credit card is one.

InsideInsurance

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

A minor does not have the legal capacity to enter into any kind of contract of which getting a credit card is one.

A minor can enter into any contract they want to.

For essentials, like renting a home or a job, then all is fine

For non-essentials, which a credit card counts as, then the contract is binding on the other party but is not binding on the minor so creates a very imbalanced setup.

Some companies will take the risk knowing that the teen can ultimately turn around and say they wont pay/ keep to the terms of the agreement for one reason or another.... you'll find most shops will sell kids sweeties which is entering into a contract of sale but lending is very rare.

Some lenders will allow you to give a secondary card to a minor because its the primary cardholder that remains liable for the full debt and so the debt is enforcable but some still wont even do that

DCFC79

Why does she need 1 ?

Introduce the idea of saving.

If you do get a second card for her tell her not to go on a spending spree with it.

w211

grumbler wrote: »

I think she can be a second cardholder on a parent's card.

Yes, was on my dad's when I was 16.

Now sure about now, though.

jonesMUFCforever

InsideInsurance wrote: »

A minor can enter into any contract they want to.

For essentials, like renting a home or a job, then all is fine

For non-essentials, which a credit card counts as, then the contract is binding on the other party but is not binding on the minor so creates a very imbalanced setup.

Some companies will take the risk knowing that the teen can ultimately turn around and say they wont pay/ keep to the terms of the agreement for one reason or another.... you'll find most shops will sell kids sweeties which is entering into a contract of sale but lending is very rare.

Some lenders will allow you to give a secondary card to a minor because its the primary cardholder that remains liable for the full debt and so the debt is enforcable but some still wont even do that

First line - a minor can enter into any contract they want to.


You are of course perfectly correct BUT nobody will let them because the contract will be unenforceable.