Credit Card for 15 year old

Maryb50

Registered User
Messages
84
Hi! My daughter is going to France for TY. She has an ATM Card and I put so munch in a month. However, she often loses cards, and I need her to have an emergency back up card, if needed. I had thought about getting an An Post Credit Card, either in Sterling or in Dollars, and she would be able to use it in France in emergences. However, the lady at the counter in An Post today, told me that if she used An Posts Credit Card, either in US dollars or in Sterling, in France, each transaction would attract high fees, though she stated she did not know exactly what the fees are. So, I am not sure what to do now - do I go ahead and get this An Pos Credit Card and just put up with the high fees in emergencies, or is there another way of getting a credit card, with say a limited of e400 on it for a 15 year old?
 
Can you get a second card on your credit card account, in her name ?

Failing that, I think it's a prepaid card (see here for some comparisons) or perhaps something like a card linked to a Neteller account etc.

As an aside, if you get a back up card in her name for emergencies, I would not give it to her and instead keep it at home (it can be sent by courier, if there is a genuine emergency). The only way she's ever going to start taking responsibility and stop losing cards so often, is if she realises that you are not going to come running to the rescue. A few days with no money might teach her a very important lesson and lets be honest, other than a little inconvenience, she's not going to starve as a result :)
 
The An Post card does have large FX margin fees. Also, given that your daughter will be in the euro zone, a non-euro card makes no sense.

I agree with MrEarl that a prepaid card might be the best route. The comparison linked above does not include Revolut. Revolut have no annual charge, no purchase fee, no top up fee and no FX margin fees (if it is ever used for non-euro payments). To get the card, one downloads the Revolut app and orders the card inside the app. Your daughter could link this to her current account so she controls the top ups and takes full responsibility.
 
However, she often loses cards, and I need her to have an emergency back up card, if needed.

Hi Mary

Why do you bring all these problems on yourself?

The solution here is to tell your daughter to be careful with her card and that she will have a real problem if she loses the card. She will actually have to go and queue in a bank to get cash!

Giving a careless person a second card is not a solution. She will just lose two cards.

Let her face the inconvenience of losing a card and she will learn to act responsibly much quicker.

Brendan
 
It's not even losing the card - it's if it stops working for some reason. I worked in a large call centre for one of the main banks, and you wouldn't believe the number of people who went abroad with only one card, and it stopped working. I had a truck driver once, stuck on a motorway in Germany, with one non working card and no way to get money. Another lady rang one Saturday morning with the same problem. Luckily she was in Ireland,but she was on her own, so short of me helicoptering money to her there was no way to help her.
When my own very independent kids were away I got a second card on my visa account and gave it to them. There was never an issue.

Actually I wouldn't travel myself with only one card!
 
Last edited:
I also got my daughter a second card on my account for travelling, she spent a year abroad and despite notifying her own credit card company that she was abroad the card would be locked regularly. It drove me up to wall trying to sort it out each time and I actually worked in that bank! Eventually we ended up cancelling that card and she exclusively used mine which was with MBNA at the time and no problems at all, they were able to give me a totally separate account though which was handy as could keep a small limit on it.
 
Folks,

With due respect, poor credit card services from certain institutions does not justify the need for having to get a second card, at inconvenience and cost to the customer.

The credit card providers need to get their house in order - improve security in other ways for example, don't keep cutting peoples cards off for now good reason etc. Hopefully the rapid advance of new technology and methods of payment will force the traditional credit card providers to make the improvements that they should have made years ago.
 
This is not a truck driver. This is a 15 year old, presumably going to a host family and staying in the one place most of the time.

Brendan
 
I have my mam on my credit card and I'm on hers. I got my wallet stolen in France and it good she could ring boi. Luckily I had another card in my suitcase, so would never travel with just one. Likewise she was in Australia and although notified going abroad got a payment declined. Admittedly it was for a floor (which is an odd item to buy on holidays) for my grandmother who lives there. They rang me but also left a message on machine at home. My parents keep their finances separate so my mam was upset at her transactions being disclosed to my dad. He is not on her credit card and since she had notified them she was away she wondered why they rang her at a dublin number.

On the original issue whereas you don't want to see your child stuck 15 is perfectly ok to be responsible for possessions. The revolut card sounds an option. She could just bring cash! If she loses that....might teach responsibilities
 
Revolut card is the easiest choice id say. Same parent company with skrill / neteller / paysafecard and while you wont be taking advantage of the minimal FX costs, I believe its the easiest to get and most user friendly.
 
Back
Top