High School Student Credit Cards

High school credit cards -- they're a teenager's dream come true and a mom and dad's worst nightmare. Students beg for them, mom and run from them like they carry the plague. What has mom and pop so freaked out? If you want to have even half a hope of getting one of these coveted pieces of plastic, there are some things you need to know...

Better Do Your Homework

I'm not talking about that math assignment you turned in late last week. I'm talking about learning the ins and the outs of responsible credit card use. Your parents are more likely to consider high school student credit cards if they know you have the knowledge necessary to handle them responsibly. This means learning about credit limits, late fees, statement payments and everything else that goes along with credit card account ownership.

Speaking of Responsibility

If you really want to prove you're ready for high school student credit cards, you'd better start showing mom and dad you're a responsible individual. Responsible, as in, curfew is not a general guideline. Responsible, as in, that money you borrowed from mom for the movies has been paid back. You want to prove you're ready? Start showing mom and dad you're up for the challenge by taking your other responsibilities seriously.

Create a Contract

If you're serious about high school student credit cards, get to work creating a contract for mom and dad to review. You'll want to include highlights such as who's responsible for what (ideally, you'll be responsible for all charges) and how much you will be allowed to charge per week before mom and dad's permission is required. This let's your parents know that you understand a credit card is not a free-for-all spending spree.

If All Else Fails

If you do all of the above and your parents still think you're not ready for high school student credit cards, here's a last-ditch approach.

Start saving money. You'll need about $600 for this to work. Once you have your $600 saved up go to mom and dad and tell them you want a secured credit card in order to start building a positive credit history. Tell them to use $300 of your $600 as the security deposit and the remaining $300 in a savings account in case you were unable to pay your bill for some reason.

This will show your parents that you understand the financial responsibility of being a credit card holder and that you're ready to live up to that responsibility.

It may seem like a lot of effort, but the above steps really will help your parents feel better about getting you your own credit card. Remember, high school student credit cards are as scary for mom and dad as they are exciting for you.