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By law, Americans cannot get a credit card before they are 18 years old. But that doesn’t mean that people younger than 18 can’t use credit cards at all. An adult can add a minor as an authorized user on their credit card account and share their credit line with the user. While specific credit card issuers may set their own age limits, there is no legal minimum age for someone to become an authorized user. Being an authorized user can give a child the opportunity to learn about fiscal responsibility. In addition, it offers them the opportunity to build credit, as information from a credit card account will also appear on the credit reports of any authorized users. Parents who are worried if their child will really be on their best behavior can set spending limits or make it so that transactions must be approved.

In order to learn more about the attitudes that parents have toward making their children authorized users, WalletHub conducted a nationally-representative online survey. We asked about everything from the reasons behind giving their kids a credit card to the percentage of parents whose kids have used their credit card without permission. You can find the complete results in the infographic below.

Ask the Experts

1. A new nationally representative WalletHub survey found that moms are 3.6X more likely than dads to give their child a credit card - why do you think that is?
2. It's no coincidence that more than 60% of kids with credit cards attend private school, is it?
3. What explains 2.4X more daughters having credit cards than sons?
4. Why do you think dads are 3.4X more likely than moms to monitor their kids' credit card spending? Should parents closely monitor their kids' spending?
5. In your opinion, what is an appropriate age to give one's child a credit card?

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• John R. Lauck Ph.D., CPA (VA), CFE – Assistant Professor, Louisiana Tech University
• Debra Dean Ph.D. – Adjunct Faculty, Regent University
• Paul R. Harrison CPA, CFP® - Lecturer, Department of Accounting, Metropolitan State University of Denver
• Kashef Majid Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of Marketing, College of Business, University of Mary Washington
• Zhiyong Yang Ph.D. – Professor of Marketing and Department Head, Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality and Tourism, Bryan School of Business and Economics, The University of North Carolina Greensboro
• David Nanigian Ph.D., CFP® - Associate Professor of Finance, Director, Professional Certificate in Personal Financial Planning Program, Mihaylo College of Business and Economics, California State University, Fullerton

More Experts Full Details

Which of the following does your child have? (select all that apply)
Cell phone	69%
Debit card	47%
Credit card	25%
None of the above	8%
Does your child receive an allowance?
No	66%
Yes	34%
Does your child attend public or private school?
Public	64%
Private	36%
Which should a young person get first?
Their own cell phone	97%
Their own credit card	3%
How old do you have to be to get a credit card with your name on it?
18 years old	56%
Any age	23%
21 years old	21%
Which are you most comfortable talking to your kids about?
Money	54%
Drugs	28%
Sex	18%
Should schools teach kids about responsible credit card use?
Yes	92%
No	8%
Do you monitor your kids' spending?
Yes	61%
No	39%
Do you feel financially secure?
Yes	73%
No	27%
Should children have to take a test before they can get a credit card, like with driving?
Yes	59%
No	41%
Do you have credit card debt?
Yes	67%
No	33%
Has your child ever used your credit card without permission?
No	89%
Yes	11%
What is the biggest reason why you think a child SHOULD have a credit card before turning 18?
Credit building	26%
Easier to track their spending	25%
Financial independence	21%
Financial literacy	16%
Convenience for them	6%
Convenience for me	6%

Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.

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