How Did They Pay for That?

Kids spend alot of time online.  Among the various activities they do, some like to buy, buy, buy!  How exactly are your teens paying for their online purchases?  Have you ever wondered?  

Perhaps they asked and received permission from you to use one of your credit cards. As long as the arrangement was made and permission granted - no problem.  But what about those kids who aren't as honest and know that you're not so meticulous with your records?  Are they using your credit card without your permission?  Avoid this situation by periodically checking online purchases on your credit card statements.  

Some adults like to setup a Paypal, Google Checkout, Amazon.com or some other online vendor account and have their credit card information saved.  If this is your situation and you don't keep your login and passwords secret OR you log on automatically, then your kids could be using your saved credit card numbers to make purchases.

Of course not all kids are dishonest, or even realize what they are doing.  They click, buy, checkout and poof - a UPS or FedEx truck arrives with their new purchases.  Amazing!

If you want to allow your kids to buy online, but control their spending, there are several options.  You can, for a small fee, purchase a prepaid credit card that they can use for purchases.  You can buy gift cards for a variety of online stores. 

What we need to realize is that as with everything else these kids do, the computer is central to their operations, shopping is no exception.  Browsing and shopping on the Internet allows our kids to compare prices, read product reviews and become educated consumers.  Let's help them realize that there needs to be real green cash to backup all their purchases.

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