Teens On Amazon: Parents, Here's How-To Approve, Block Purchases

Amazon has shifted is attention towards teenagers. The company announced on Wednesday a new method for teens to shop using their parents' Amazon account -- but with more freedom.

Minors ages 13 through 17 will now be allowed to create their own login and independently shop on the Amazon app, instead of using their parents' account log in. However, teens won’t be completely free to do as they please, since parents will be alerted about purchases and will have to approve transactions.

“As a parent of a teen, I know how they crave independence, but at the same time that has to be balanced with the convenience and trust that parents need,” Amazon Households Vice President Michael Carr said in a statement. “We’ve listened to families and have built a great experience for both teens and parents.”

How To Sign Up Teens For Separate Prime Account

To get started, Teens and parents can go to amazon.com/forteens and click on the “Teens Start Here” option. On the next page teens can click Let’s Go, which shows a link they will need to send their parents for approval to create a separate login. The invitation will be sent to parents via text message or email. Once approved, teens can create a username and password to start ordering in their own separately downloaded app.

Parents also have to go to amazon.com/forteens and click on the “Parents Start Here” option, then “Get Started Now” on the next page and log in to Prime. Users have to fill out some information about their child, including their name, birthdate and phone number. Parents will also choose a payment method and shipping addresses their teen can use when buying items.

How Teens And Parents Can Shop On Amazon Separately

When teens download the Amazon app and use a separate account, they can choose the products they want, then click “Place Your Order.” That option then takes teens to write a short note to send to their parents about the purchase, where they can say “I need these sneakers,” or “I ran out of granola bars.” Parents will then receive a text that includes the item, cost, shipping address, payment information and the note. The text message also tells parents to reply by typing in the letter “Y” to approve the transaction or to go to their orders page to review the purchase further.

For parents who trust their kids won’t go crazy on orders, they can remove the approval step.

Parents can also set pre-approved limits per order, which allows teens to keep purchases under a certain budget. If there’s a mistake in ordering, parents will be able to cancel and return any item as long as it meets Amazon’s policies.

Parents who have Amazon Prime will be allowed to share benefits with their teens, including Prime’s two-day shipping, Prime Video and Twitch Prime. Parents will not be charged for adding their teen to their account, Amazon said.