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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 15.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Site institutionalizes "the gimmes" but allows veto power.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–17

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    This site offers no educational primer for smart spending and saving tips, for establishing good credit scores or for any other personal finance education lessons that would work well here for teens who do sign up for this service.

  • User-created content:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Internet shopping at will, only to be approved or vetoed by parents after the fact, may not be the best way to teach teens smart money management.

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    This site puts forth the idea that a teen can request that their parents, as well as other adult relatives and friends sign up their credit cards here so that the teen can shop with their money. Credit card use and Internet spending are promoted, yet many teens aren't prepared to handle credit cards in any capacity, including one with veto power.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

How safe is it?

  • Personal privacy:

    Not an issue.

  • Parental controls:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Bill My Parents

Parents need to know that this site allows kids to charge purchases on pre-selected sites to the credit cards of their parents, grandparents, and other adults in their life who sign up for this service. The site is free to sign up with but charges 50 cents per Internet shopping cart transaction.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about smart use of credit cards, budgets, and forethought in purchases. Talk with your teen about your family's policies when it comes to online shopping and credit cards. If your teen registers for this site, discuss what other adults in their life -- grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult friends -- you  approve of them approaching about signing up their card, which could be a rude, presumptious, or downright dangerous proposition if not handled properly.
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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    seagulledge
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 4.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Safety isn't an issue

    The site essentially works like a "Wish List" for kids to pick what they want to buy online, like for their birthday, and then the parent decides what to pay for. The parent also does not have to give their payment information to each site that the child wants to buy stuff from. Similar to paypal they can keep their credit card info secure for use on just one site.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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