Teens Can Now Have Their Own Amazon Accounts
Traditionally, teens who needed to buy laptops or new sneakers on Amazon had to either ask their parents to do it for them, or sign in to their parents’ account, where Mom and Dad’s browsing history was fully displayed (“ Fifty shades darker? Fu, Mom ! ”) Amazon never had clear rules on minimum age to shop, just the terms of service stated that anyone under 18“ can only use the Amazon Services with a parent or guardian ”and that you must be 21 to buy alcohol …
Amazon is now giving teens ages 13 to 17 more autonomy – and let’s be honest, plugging them into a colossal shopping directory early – by introducing teen accounts . Parents choose a payment method and shipping address and decide whether they want to approve every order their teen makes or set a pre-approved spending limit. Then, to start shopping, teens must download the Amazon app and create a login. When they go to buy something, their parents will receive a text message or email listing the product, price, and an optional note from their child that says something like, “Dad, can I get these pants for my ski trip? ” or “I really, really need shiny goo.” Parents can answer “Yes” or view the order on the website.
Parents with Prime members can share “select benefits” with their teen, including free two-day shipping for over 50 million items, Prime Video, and Twitch Prime. Teens and parents can create a Teens account at amazon.com/forteens .