Today many Americans live with help of credit card offers. Credit has become a great part of our lives, almost every teenager dreams to turn 18 just to get a credit card. Many parents are concerned about their children's future and about their credit history for financial stability.

Most credit card offers are available for young adults over 18. But does it mean that you have to be 18 to start building your credit history? In this article I will try to reflect credit card offers that are available for teenagers under 18.

Most of parents whom I know think that I am crazy, because my daughter Katie is 16 and already has a credit card. But after my daughter and her friends went traveling together with the youth group, kids who didn't have a credit card were in some financial trouble.

You know how the kids are. Sure they didn't rent a car, but they were eating out in every place they saw! Soon most of them ran out of money, but I knew that my daughter was safe with a credit card in her wallet.

Katie was simply added to my credit card account as an authorized user! I only had to call my credit card company and ask them to add my daughter as an authorized user. There is another option- someone older can cosign an application for the young consumer.

But in this case both a parent and a child have to be careful. Any financial missteps of an adult can harm credit history of a child and visa versa!

Also pre paid credit cards may be suitable for your young adult. These cards can be used everywhere the major credit cards are accepted as long as there is some money on the account. Some credit card companies, for example Visa have credit card offers for children at the age of 13! Of course they need parental consent to apply.

You have to read carefully the "terms and conditions" to find out if there is a possibility for children under 18 to apply.

You have to realize that a minor can't have his or her own credit card as they are not allowed to enter into legally-binding contracts. So the credit card of a child should be attached to a parent's account.

There are many people I know that are against the idea of letting a child to have a credit card. Their main argument is that kids are not responsible enough and don't know how to use money. Or the adults are afraid of having a bad credit history, because of this irresponsibility.

If you are really not so sure in your child, wait till he or she turns eighteen and then apply for a student credit card offer.

I must say that after my daughter got her credit card she has become more responsible. I know that she doesn't notice it and that some people don't, but I sure do. At the age of 16 she already knows a lot about credit cards, I think being a credit card owner is the best lesson to find out all about credit card deals. So why not to start early?

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