<p>I won't be 18 until December, so I won't be able to get a Credit Card under my own account 'till than. I believe I can however get one under my dad's account. Or even a debit card. </p>
<p>Is it really neccessary (atleast until December)?
And is there a student CC I can get if I'm under 18?</p>
<p>Nope, nothing you can get on your own under 18. It's not really necessary as far as college goes. You can just use your parents credit or debit card to pay for stuff online or cash for physical transactions.</p>
<p>You don't really NEED a credit card. You can wait until december and use your parents one until then - getting one under your dad's account is useless, you won't build your own credit history. So wait until you're 18 and get your own so you can begin building your credit score.</p>
<p>I think it is a good idea to have one under your dad's account, if only for emergencies...who knows if something medical will come up, or you have to buy a plane ticket last minute, etc. Even buying books you would want a card as to purchase them online, or not have to carry hundreds of dollars of cash into the bookstore. Then when you turn 18 you can have your own and start building credit.</p>
<p>I have both. I like to use money I know exists, which is why I use my debit card most of the time. I also have a credit card I use maybe once a month just so I can, as others have said, build credit. It's really up to you when you will need a card.</p>
<p>In my opinion credit cards are the worst thing a college student can do. Unless you have a job and can pay them off, its not a good idea. People tend to think that it conveinient and yeah it is, but not when you charging more than you can pay off and have thousands of dollars in debt before you graduate. Plus I wouldnt want to put that kind of financial pressure on my parents. Why should they allow me to get a credit card under their name when I could just wait until I was 18 to get one. They have their own bills/exspenses and I wouldnt want to burden them with something like that. Plus with the interest rates on credit cards these days it makes it near impossible to pay them off. That eventually ****s up your credit.</p>
<p>Check with your bank - but my daughter uses a "prepaid" credit/debit card since the begininnin of senior HS. It's a joint program through our bank and Mastercard. Every month I can put her allowance into her account (on line) and she uses this card as a debit/credit card but she can't actually "borrow money" and get into credit debt. I can transfer money from my credit card to her account as long as I have access to a computer. It's great. Check out your bank. It's designed for those under 18, or in college(and for parents who don't want their kids getting into credit debt).</p>
<p>I got a credit card when I was 17 and went to France. I've used it about two times..haha! I love my debit card though!</p>
<p>I got my checking account with a debit card (Visa) from BoA when I was 16. I was on my own account (meaning, not connected to anyone). Check it out:</p>
<p>Visa offers a program like that too..Visa Buxx (<a href="http://www.visabuxx.com%5B/url%5D">www.visabuxx.com</a>)</p>
<p>I had that for about a year, when I realized I could open a checking account at wachovia with their Free Student Checking. I know at UF wachovia has some kind of partnership with them, so every student(or so i believe), has to open a FSC account, where all their funds will go (also with your personal money, if you choose).</p>
<p>My opinion is, if you want to learn to take care of your finances, a debit/prepaid card is good. When you're 18 you can get a credit card, and make a purchase a month, you know you can pay off.</p>
<p>You can build your credit history before you turn 18. I had 4+ years of perfect credit when I turned 18, as I got my first credit card at 13.</p>
<p>Credit cards aren't completely necessary though, I would wait until you're 18 if I were you.</p>
<p>Heres another thread on credit cards:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=153945&page=1&pp=15%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=153945&page=1&pp=15</a></p>
<p>I have a checking account and a debit card from BoA already. I didn't know it could build credit..</p>
<p>Cool i didnt know that...</p>
<p>Royrules..
Isnt the only way you can build credit is by first borrowing? You arent really borrowing if your using debit card. </p>
<p>I put it in a form of a question so if i'm wrong, I can be corrected.</p>
<p>A few points:</p>
<p>I would highly recommend getting a credit card, but it can probably wait until December. It's very important to start building credit as early as you can--you will save tons of money later on. I've met several people who could not get a credit card because they waited until they graduated from college to get one.</p>
<p>Being an authorized user on your dad's account MAY help you build credit. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I don't really recommend it.</p>
<p>Debit cards, prepaid cards and Visa check cards DO NOT build credit.</p>
<p>"Unless you have a job and can pay them off, its not a good idea. People tend to think that it conveinient and yeah it is, but not when you charging more than you can pay off and have thousands of dollars in debt before you graduate."</p>
<p>Why can't one get a job and not spend more than they earn?</p>
<p>"lus with the interest rates on credit cards these days it makes it near impossible to pay them off. That eventually ****s up your credit."</p>
<p>If you pay it off every 20-30 days, the interest rate is irrelevant.</p>
<p>Some notes: If you pay a credit card's balance in full in month, and there is no annual fee, you do not pay the company any money. Building credit is a good thing, and if you do not charge more than you can afford to buy in cash, and pay it off every month, you are in great credit shape.</p>
<p>Being a user on someone else's card, or using a debit card DOES NOT build credit.</p>
<p>Having your own credit card can wait until December, but unexpected expenses can pop up and having a debit or credit card is a good idea.</p>
<p>royrules22: If you already have a debit card, in my opinion, that will be sufficient until you are 18 and can begin to build credit. (important for buying a car, home, etc)</p>
<p>"Being a user on someone else's card, or using a debit card DOES NOT build credit."</p>
<p>Debits cards clearly do not affect one's credit, but being an authorized user can help (or hurt) and build a credit history. </p>
<p>In this thread, a couple CCers mention that they have used this strategy with success:</p>
<p>This thread, from another board, discusses some of the advantages/disadvantage and lists some of the companies that will report information for both the original cardholder and the AU (many do not report for the AU):</p>
<p>Another thing I would like to add: DO NOT use debit cards for anything other than to withdraw money or make deposits. It is a bad idea to use debit cards for purchases (especially internet purchases).</p>
<p>Why is it bad to use a debit card for purchases? Esp. internet ones??</p>
<p>because if they overcharge you theres not much you can do and other security reasons. credit cards you can dispute charges</p>
<p>for the original poster, you might be able to get a debit card if you talk with a manager at your bank, thats what i did and im 17. or you can make a joint account with a parent and get a debit card</p>
<p>Oh yeah, I forgot to add: I turned 18 in December, and I got my own checking account/debit card in June. Basically my dad just said, "look, she's turning 18 in a few months..." and the people at Washington Mutual were fine with that</p>
<p>If someone steals/uses your credit card or gets ahold of your number and charges things to it, you simply call up the credit card company and dispute the charges. Worst-case scenario, your credit score drops a bit while you work out the situation with the credit bureaus. Legally, you're only at risk for $50 (and credit card companies never even make you pay that). In general, you lose no cash.</p>
<p>If someone does the same with your debit card, they can cause serious damage to your credit and you will most likely be out a lot of money. When someone uses your debit card, the money leaves your account right away. If you've written any recent checks, they will bounce. NSF charges can pop up and, most importantly, you will have no cash! Unless you have cash somewhere else, you will be completely insolvent until you get it back. Debit cards do not carry the same protection afforded by credit cards--you can be liable for up to $500 and you do not have to right to not pay for problem purchases.</p>
<p>Now, some companies have changed with the times and will refund the cash immediately while things get worked out and will limit your losses to $50, but not everyone does that. It's simply not worth the risk. It's too easy to steal someone's card/number--my favorite situations are restaurants. You give your card to the waiter/waitress and then they walk off for ten minutes. Ever wonder what they are doing? Because they could very easily write down your account number and the code on the back or make a copy without you ever knowing it.</p>
<p>An article of interest:</p>
<p>Using a credit card for purchases and then paying it 30 days later also makes tracking your expenses more convenient (everthing is on one statement) and increases the "float" of your cash (money stays in your account longer, earning a bit more interest).</p>