Call it an allowance for the 21st century.
Amazon said Wednesday it’s rolling out a new Prime service that will make it easier for teens to shop its products on mom and dad’s dime, but with parental oversight.
Teens age 13 to 17 can now create their own login on the Amazon mobile app that links to mom or dad’s Prime account.
Parents can sign up to either pre-approve each order via text or email (the default), to set a spending limit for each order or to automatically approve all purchases. No matter which option they pick, they’ll receive an itemized receipt for each purchase.
“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,” said Michael Carr, vice president of Amazon Households, in a statement.
Teens using the service will also be able to include a personal note when making a purchase (for example: “This is a book I need for class”).
Parents who aren’t pleased with their child’s purchase have up to 30 minutes to cancel an orders, according to an Amazon spokeswoman.
The set up aims to encourage teens to use Prime — they’ll also receive access to Prime Video and Twitch Prime, Amazon’s gaming service — but still gives parents some privacy.
Parents’ credit card information will be hidden on the teen accounts, as will their purchase and browsing histories.
