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Teens can now create their own Amazon account

Accounts come with restrictions
Posted at 12:29 AM, Oct 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-13 06:29:13-04

Teens can now get in on the Amazon shopping experience. The online retail giant is letting them create their own accounts.

Financial experts say it may be scary for parents knowing their kids can shop for things on their dime, but it can be a good learning opportunity for the teenagers.

Dawn Peters finds herself shopping on Amazon several times a week.

"I look everything up on Amazon. I look up everything," Peters said.

Her two daughters are on the retailer's website constantly, But they always use her account under her close supervision.

"My kids like to look at things on Amazon as well but they have to get my phone, they have to log into my account and so I know what they’re looking at and I know what they’re putting in my cart," Peters said. "I know what they want to order and I have to approve that order."

"I am a parent of an almost 13-year-old so I could totally see how that kind of freedom could be scary for a parents and for the kid," said Christel Ventura, who works in consumer lending at GTE Financial.

She says it is too easy to get carried away with online shopping and worries if Amazon is opening a Pandora's Box for kids 13 to 17 years old who may have no concept of budgeting.

Amazon says parents will get the last say when it comes to the kids' purchases. They will receive a text message and must text back if they approve the sale.

However, the parental setting can be turned off, allowing the teen to approve their own purchases.

Ventura says parents need to be using caution. She says moms and dads should immediately set a weekly and monthly spending cap for their teens and sit down with their kids to review their spending.

"All right let’s sit down, what did we get? Did we get 60 bucks worth of Pokémon cards," Ventura said. "Or did you save up and get that video game you’ve been nagging me for, for months and months?" 

Ventura says that highlights the importance of saving up which in the future is cutting down on impulse buying.

You can find more about the teenager Amazon accounts by clicking here.