Amazon has a new service specifically targeted at teens, allowing teenagers aged 13 to 17 to create their own account with a separate login, connected to their parents’ account. Teens will be able to use their account to shop on Amazon and enjoy some degree of independence, albeit limited – parents will still receive notifications of what’s going on and they will be able to approve or deny each of their teen’s purchases. When teens add an item to their shopping cart, they will also have the option to add a note to explain why they need or want that item. When the parent reviews the activity, they can approve or deny the purchase with a simple reply to the automated message they receive.
Parents will have to approve every order by default, but they can also forego this process and instead set up a spending limit within which the teen can shop without the parent having to approve every item. If the parents have an Amazon Prime subscription, the teen’s account will also be eligible for Prime benefits such as free two-day shipping, Twitch Prime gaming perks, and Amazon Prime Video. Since this new Amazon service allows teens to have separate logins, it also means that teens will have their separate accounts on Twitch Prime and Prime Video. Regardless of whether they choose to approve every item or just set a spending limit for their teen’s account, parents will get an itemized invoice for each order. If they change their mind later on or they don’t like what their teens ordered, parents will be able to cancel or return any item, as per Amazon’s regular policies.
According to Michael Carr, Amazon Households Vice President, this service aims to give teens more independence, while also keeping parents in the loop at all times for an optimal mix of trust and convenience for both parties. To set up the account, teens can also send an invitation via SMS or email, prompting their parent to go through the necessary steps to complete the process. Parents will have to select a payment method, as well as a shipping address for their teens to use when ordering things off Amazon. Teens can create their own user names and passwords, then get the Amazon App to enjoy the benefits of this new service.