How to Get a Debit Card at 14 Years Old: The Easy Way

Having access to basic banking products such as savings accounts and debit cards can help a young person get on the right path when it comes to their finances. Granted, someone in their early teens may not have a small fortune quite yet, but everybody starts somewhere, and having a bank account can encourage teens to save. So, if you’re in your early teens and you’re wondering how to get a debit card at 14, here’s what you need to know.

This article is also useful for parents and guardians of 14 year olds who are looking into opening up a bank account for their teenager.

Can a 14 Year Old Get a Debit Card?

Can a 14 Year Old Get a Debit Card

Yes, you can get a debit card when you’re 14. In fact, most banks will allow people to get debit cards starting at the age of 13, when they open a teenage bank account.

But here’s the catch…

In order to open up a bank account when you’re under 18 (whether it’s a savings account or a checking account with a debit card), you will need to make it a joint account with a parent or a legal guardian. For many fourteen-year-olds, it’s not a problem to get mom or dad to sign the joint account with them, especially since it’s just an account for spending money they’ve deposited and not an account that will allow them to make poor financial decisions and to get into debt. The worst that can happen when a teenager has a checking account is that they’ll spend their own savings and won’t have any money left, but they aren’t going to ruin their credit scores or rack up a huge debt, so it’s relatively harmless for a parent to sign up for a joint account with them. The parent ultimately has control over the account in these situations.

When It’s Hard To Get a Debit Card at 14 Years Old

Debit Card at 14 Years Old

Unfortunately, there are many teens who can’t trust their parents, and the purpose of the bank account is to keep their money and their savings safe from a parent who takes it from them. In cases like this, it’s just a tough situation, because the teenager needs a parent or legal guardian to open a joint account with them.

In cases like this, you may be able to open a joint account with somebody else that you trust, when you don’t trust your parent to stay out of your bank account, especially if they have a history of taking money from you or various addictions that cause them to be less trustworthy than you might hope.

It’s tough, but that’s a reality for many teens, and something they’ve grown up with and something they’ve learned to deal with, but it’s still a major inconvenience when it comes to things like this, because you’re trying to be responsible with your money and the bank is telling you that you need a joint account with your parent. You’re more responsible with money than your parent, yet you’re supposed to give them full access to your savings? It’s just not right.

If you have an older sibling that you trust or another family member, it may be worth looking into opening a joint bank account with them to ensure that your parents don’t have access to your money.

Just to be clear, we’re referring to the very specific situation where somebody doesn’t feel like they can trust their parents with money. Otherwise, you would just get your parent’s signature and open the account the normal way. Having said that, there could be other reasons that your parent doesn’t want you to have a bank account yet, and in those cases, we can’t advise you to go against their wishes by finding someone else to open the account with you – it could be a lot of trouble if your parents found out.

If you trust your parents to have access to your bank account, but they don’t want you to have one, it’s a good idea to talk them to like an adult, show them that you’re mature enough to have a bank account and that you want to start saving money and being responsible with it. If they’re opposed to a bank account, ask them why. Do your parents have their own bank accounts or are they against banks in general?

How to Get a Debit Card at 14 Online or In Person: Is It Possible?

Whatever the case is, I wish you the best of luck as you navigate the world of personal finance. The answer to how to get a debit card at 14 years old is to get your parents, legal guardian, or someone you really trust to be a member on a joint account (they have to be an adult), and to share access to the account. This is why it’s really important that it’s someone you trust since they’ll have access to your money until you turn 18 and get a solo account.

If you were wondering how to get a debit card at 14 without parents, unfortunately you’re out of luck unless you have another legal guardian who is willing to help.

Mat Woods

Author Information

Mat Woods is the lead writer at TeenWire.org. He works tirelessly alongside the rest of the team to create useful, well-researched, trustworthy articles to help parents and their teens.