Anyone Over 16 Can Now Get A Fully Fledged Visa Card! Just thought I should spread the word.

[Jimmy 0]

Now it is possible to get a proper VISA debit card when you are 16. No more of these rubbish solo or VISA Electron cards nobody takes.It didn't used to be possible as the long delay times made it easy to go overdrawn, but now the transaction is fast, there is little risk. Thats why the older types are being phased out, but most banks definitely havn't gone along with it yet... In order to go overdrawn you'd probably have to sprint between two shops next to each other and swipe something off the shelf, barge to the front of the queue and whack the card in the machine to do it!So far I have noticed only Lloyds TSB (the one with the horse logo) is the only bank to offer a proper card like this when your 16 - and its one of those colourful, nice looking ones too!other banks still give electron, solo or not at all :PEnjoy!

[Albus Dumbledore 0]

zomg! they give out full fledged visa cards at younger ages! i got mine at 14 loli got mine after i got a summertime job and needed a bank account, so instead of just a bank account i signed up for a visa too.

[rvalkass 5]

Well I know HSBC don't seem particularly bothered at the moment. I received a new card a few days ago, and it's still a Switch Solo card. My mates are also getting either Solos or Visa Electrons, which, as you say, are pretty much useless. Then again, when I had a Solo card with pictures of CDs all over it, it was nice confusing shopkeepers. They always looked at me with a weird, twisted face implying it was some kind of joke. One of them even bit my card I got even more obscure looks after that.Very few places online will accept Solo and Electron cards, which gets even more annoying. I've virtually abandoned using it.

[Jimmy 0]

They always looked at me with a weird, twisted face implying it was some kind of joke. One of them even bit my card I got even more obscure looks after that.Very few places online will accept Solo and Electron cards, which gets even more annoying. I've virtually abandoned using it.

LOL! very amusing. Might be worth starting an account with Lloyds TSB then, their interest is the highest of all the under 18/19 accounts from other banks by a mile!
I'm still waiting for my pin number so I can use it :E looks nice in my wallet though

[TeeCee06 0]

Im 16 and I have a debit card. I just had my mom go to our local bank and sign up for a bank account for me when I was 15. I definately don't want any credit cards to screw me over so ill stick with my debit card thats basically just like writing a check.

[CrazyRob 0]

are they linked to savings account or current accounts? As im not sure that people can get current accounts if they are under 18. Alience & Lester are the only bank i think that offer current accounts to people under 16. You can use a solo card online if the store accepts PayPal.

[Jimmy 0]

are they linked to savings account or current accounts? As im not sure that people can get current accounts if they are under 18. Alience & Lester are the only bank i think that offer current accounts to people under 16. You can use a solo card online if the store accepts PayPal.

its a current account - goes to anyone over 16!

Im 16 and I have a debit card. I just had my mom go to our local bank and sign up for a bank account for me when I was 15. I definately don't want any credit cards to screw me over so ill stick with my debit card thats basically just like writing a check.

This is not the same as a credit card. It is a debit card, that works wherever a visa credit card is accepted, but with no interest charged or no risk of going overdrawn... its great!

[zyzzyvette 0]

Oh jeez, as if it wasn't bad enough that these credit companies go and recruit college kids... credit companies don't offer anything but the ability to either raise your credit (if you're responsible), or totally destroy it and get stuck paying huge interest rates til the end of eternity. I would just use cash and/or debit; there's really not much benefit to giving someone 7-30% just for the privilege of spending money you should already have. Emergency cards, sure- if they're used for actual emergencies (i.e. house burns down or you lost a poker game and Vinny's coming after you with a ball peen hammer; a dress or CD is not an emergency ).

[MusicOnly 0]

instead of visa or similar things i use cash cards! Great for me because i had money on my egold from hyip and other paying programs so i needed this! right now i dont know what to use for adsense payouts. any suggestions?

[midnightvamp 1]

I just applied for a Visa card, but then again, I'm of age to do anything lol... since I'm 22 :PBut I don't know if I really want one, cause I'm afraid I'll over spend on silly things, and then not save my money anymore. But I need one for my business and to build credit, so that's why I applied. I'm just hoping that I don't regret it later lol...

[Dooga 0]

I thought Visa's were allowed earlier than this age?Maybe I'm wrong.

[itrainmonkeys 0]

IMO this is just ridiculous. This will only bring problems to the youth of the world. College kids are running up credit card debt nowadays but giving access to younger kids is stupid. It's only a way to make the credit card companies more money while screwing some people over cuz they don't understand how to use a credit card.Hopefully it won't ruin too many people. I know I wouldn't get one when I was 16 and I'd advise others not to as well.

[Watermonkey 0]

What's the big hairy deal? We've got banks over here offering credit cards to illegal immigrants and you're worried about some 16yo growing up a little sooner? I don't see the problem. If the bank is practicing predatory lending, then it's breaking the law and should be prosecuted, otherwise if the 16yo is responsible and has good income, why not?

[Thorned Rose 0]

The problem is that even if you are careful with your credit card it still fudges your credit rating. When you get older and actually want to do something worthwhile with your credit (like get a house), you'll get asked "do you have a credit card" at every turn. Lenders HATE giving loans to people with credit cards and will avoid it if possible. Don't bother, it's not worth it! If you need to get something that only takes credit cards (like on the net), borrow someone else's! If you can't do that, then forget it. Absolutely do NOT get a credit card. It is so much more satisfying answering "no" when Lenders ask you "Do you have any credit cards".

[Watermonkey 0]

The problem is that even if you are careful with your credit card it still fudges your credit rating. When you get older and actually want to do something worthwhile with your credit (like get a house), you'll get asked "do you have a credit card" at every turn. Lenders HATE giving loans to people with credit cards and will avoid it if possible. Don't bother, it's not worth it! If you need to get something that only takes credit cards (like on the net), borrow someone else's! If you can't do that, then forget it. Absolutely do NOT get a credit card. It is so much more satisfying answering "no" when Lenders ask you "Do you have any credit cards".

Funny, when I went in to buy a house with my American Express, Visa, and Mastercard, (not to mention my auto loan) the lender nearly tripped over himself rushing to give me my loan! I'd have to say that you don't know what you're talking about here. There's a hard and fast rule in the world of credit, NO credit is even worse then BAD credit. And people should take more responsibility for their own behavior. Having a credit card doesn't mean you'll ruin your credit. You might start out with a debit Visa a.k.a. an ATM card with the Visa functionality. That way, when you use it, you draw from your bank account. After getting used to that behavior, allow yourself to graduate to a credit card. Then, hopefully, your good habit of only swiping if you've got the money to pay for it will follow you. But which ever way you go, take some personal responsibility for godsake!