Right Age for First Credit Card

He should be 16 years old and have a part time job after school.

I would require my child be old enough to have a job to pay the bill, also, I would want them to have a relatively low limit.

Definitely after they've worked for a while so that they understand the value of a dollar. They should already be demonstrating an understanding of budgeting and paying bills.

I think that responsible kids should be able to have a credit card. I never have gotten an allowance and I think that eery kid needs some money and its not fair to tell your kid, "Go earn your money, cut lawns or do other yard work." They dont hire kids in stores, and if you live in a neighborhood, theres probably more kids who are looking for jobs so you probably wont get a chance to get one. Parents just need to help their kids out with these kinda things, just give them a credit card that has a certain amount of money, and if they use it all in the begining, then they'll learn next time to save up for things.

They should NEVER be given credit cards. They have enough problems with MONEY.  There is no earthly reason that a purchase is needed immediately therefore they can certainly wait until they have the cash.  By then the "impulse" to buy will have passed.

I am 19 and having a credit card since I was 16 was great. I think it is an excellent idea, as long as there are limits. I could only use it for gas, buying things for my parents, buying things approved by my parents(like cleats for soccer that they had agreed to pay for), and finally I could spend it if I ended up in a tight situation with out enough cash(but I had to pay my parents back that week). Its a good way to start with credit cards and allows someone to learn when to use them properly.

You should never give your child a credit card! Children aren't mature or responsible enough to use them correctly insted of hopping on the fast lane to financial and credit ruin. I got my first credit card when i had a job and opened my own bank account and it was offered with it.

I was given my first credit card when i was in 7th grade for "emergency use only." Of course I used it whenever possible, but I only had a $300 limit. At that age it is a lot of money and it would take me a looong time to be able to max it out. As i got older and started realizing that $300 is NOT a lot of money, It would max out quicker.  My advice is if you are making the decision to give your child a credit/check card, go with a credit card. With my credit card I have never had any problems because when I max it out, I cannot charge anymore, and I believe that is what you should teach your kids, when you're out of money, theres nothing left to spend. As compared to a debit/check card, 99.99999% of banks have overage charges so if you spent $.01 over what you have in your account, they make a charge. (BoA charges 35)

Keeping in mind that I am only 17 years old, this is not a biased opinion because i too believe that I was much better at rationing and keeping track of my money when I only had cash. A "Emergency Only" Credit Card i believe IS  a good decision once your child has proven that he/she is EXTREMELY responsible and knows that it IS only for emergencies. I have a belief that you should let your children (once they reach a more mature age) live their life and make their own decisions because THAT is how they will learn about the real world. I know more now because my mom let me make my own choices and made me deal with the consequences and I am more thankful for that.