In Denmark I'd say most teens get their own bank card at about age 13-15 as it is a common age to start getting a part time job. Do you consider that to be young or old in your country?

Edit: I'm almost 22 so I realize times could already be changing. My numbers are based off of me and the other kids at school.


32 comments

  1. Also somewhere around that age. Might be earlier now though, my info is from like 15 years ago, I don’t know any children.

  2. 13 usually over here. It becomes a necessity in quite a lot of western Europe, I’d say.

  4. My youngest is 10 and he has a revolut junior card for spending when he’s out, mostly used for vbucks and mine coins.

    The first time one of the kids got an actual account was at 16 because of a summer job.

  5. Rich kids seams to get it way earlier than poor kids. Mine has had it since 10 due to needing a card to pay for train home when school bus card doesn’t work. That is whole different story why the bus card didnt work. *sigh*

    But 13- 16.00 seam to be normal in Sweden too but many of the rich kids in kid class has had since 8 or 9 so they can get snacks when parents works.

  6. Probably when they graduate from Elementary School at 13. I think that’s pretty common.

  7. Depends quite a bit on social class here.

    The rich kids get a rechargeable bank card around 14 years old or so.Then their parents load up money onto it.

    The poorer kids get cash from their parents as and when… maybe regular pocket money, maybe not.But cash.

    They are more likely to open a bank account at 18 or so.

    Down here in Sicily, it’s still very much a cash economy.

  10. It really depends, but from my experience it’s about 10 years. About the age when a kid needs some pocket money, because cash is something exotic nowadays. It’s not a fully independent card, but a plastic conjoined with a parents account. It usually has an embossed name and an app with some special features. For a kid it is a great way to learn basics of financial literacy. 

    Starting from the age of 14 a kid can get his own banking account, unrelated to his parents. There are some restrictions up to the age of 18, but they can have their own money and it’s their own responsibility.

  11. I got mine at 14 I think? Or 13. Already had some savings in my account by then.

    But I remember that most kids that age didn’t not have a card. Was pretty cool paying for stuff with a card back then.

  12. When I was a teen it was usually around 16 when you could legally start to work. However I’ve noticed that the age significantly lowered and parents often give kids cards earlier and they provide pocket money this way.

  13. In Italy kids can legally have a credit card (connected to the card of a parent) at 12. I made one for my 12yo daughter

  14. German: I think I got mine at 16 with my first part time job and income after school

  15. Idk what the average is, but our biggest bank allows it from age 6 and I was definitely in primary school when I got one. I’m guessing I was 9 or 10.

  16. Legally here you can get a job only after 16. There’s the possibility of opening a “junior” bank account or similar before that age, but as far as I know it’s not common to give the child the card for it. It’s much more common to give them a pre-paid card that the parent periodically puts some money in (or a digital equivalent) or to just give cash.

  17. I got mine at 16. I think most people do but I have known people to get one at 13! They receive birthday money through it.

    13 – 15 being too old to get a part time job? Well, here, the legal age to work is 14 years old I think? But the restrictions to your working hours are so tough that they usually just get a paper round (paper boy, delivering newspapers) if that is still a thing, or they might work in a small family business.

  18. Depends, my niece got one when she finished elementary school at 11. So she had a card when goo to highschool. Nowadays it might be a bit younger.

    I got it at the same age.

  19. In Czechia people can start working at the age of 15 and that’s also when most get their first accounts

  20. I work at a school so generally they it by 3rd grade to oay for food at the cafeteria (1st and 2nd graders eat for free). So age 9-10.

  21. I’m in Sweden. Almost no stores besides grocery stores and pharmacies accept cash nowadays so it’s common that kids get their own DebitCard when they’re 7-9 years old and get an allowance.

    Parents who can afford it get their kids a bank account and starts saving when they’re born.

  22. My daughter has had one since she was 6 or 7, Revolut Junior for her allowance, but she doesn’t really go anywhere on her own yet, so she’ll probably start carrying it around when she starts secondary at 12yo.

  23. I’m 25 and I got mine at 13 when I started going to the mall with friends more often and I also wanted to start ordering my own stuff online.

  24. When they start to get allowance. Only criminals and old people use cash, so learning kids how to use a debit card at s young ahis very normal.
    My kids got their first cards when they were around 11-12 years old

  26. When I was a kid back in the 90s, I got it as soon as I was allowed, at 11. That’s where my pocket money went from then on.

    I used to work for the tech helpdesk of a bank and my bank lets parents install and manage an app with limited functions for their minor kids from the age of 10 now. It’s very common for parents to do this, we got a lot of calls from parents needing help setting it up or reinstalling etc.

    Just checked and 10 is also the minimum age to have your own debit card at that bank.

  27. When I was a kid back in the 90s, I got it as soon as I was allowed, at 11. That’s where my pocket money went from then on.

    I used to work for the tech helpdesk of a bank and my bank lets parents install and manage an app with limited functions for their minor kids from the age of 10 now. It’s very common for parents to do this, we got a lot of calls from parents needing help setting it up or reinstalling etc.

    Just checked and 10 is also the minimum age to have your own debit card at that bank.

  28. In Belgium one bank (KBC) starts at the age of ten with a specific app for kids too, a very low limit etc. Quite handy to teach kids financial responsibility at an early age. My kid got the card at ten for occasional use and the app on a home device but we deemed the kid to be too playful for a mobile phone with the app on it until secondary school (12+). Then at the age of 15 the kid got the adult app but with full parental control of the account until 18 (and the money needs to be released by us).

    Access to the savings account is hidden by is since we want it to be a fun surprise at 18.

  29. I got it at 15 when i started my first summer job, id assume its simmilar for most

  31. My bank gave all my children 20 euro start money just for the (free) account opening, the youngest was 6y old. They did send all a card after their 8. birthday, but it can only be used in shops and ATMs, internet payments are disabled and can NOT be turned on even by the parents (which is a real bummer).

    I like it much more than giving them any cash.

  32. Damn, the answers make me feel old. I set up my first bank account when I was 20 because it just felt pointless before but there was an offer where I didn’t have to pay anything so why not?

    Although kids for sure get it now sooner.

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