Q: How yo create an apple id for children if you do not have a credit card

Alex,

Debit cards also have the CVV code on the back. I do not have credit cards. We try to only purchase things we can afford. Is there a way around this?

Thank you

Ryan

There are quite a few threads with the same problem: parents who want children IDs for young family members, but don't have credit cards (even though their debit card has been used successfully with their account for years).

Apple has not yet stated this outright, but they are essentially saying:

"if you don't have a Credit Card to post on your account for 5 minutes, then we don't want your child to be an Apple customer, we want to limit and frustrate your family experience with Apple and restrict possible revenue streams and marketing opportunities and alienate you as a customer."

Multiple iPods or iPads or laptops or an iMac may NOT be purchased over the next 4-5 years because I am not able to set them up with an ID that allows me to manage my child's access & permissions in the way that I as a parent want, and Apple has presented as an option, because I choose to not use Credit Cards.

Two days before Christmas and I discover my 11 year old will not be able to use the iPod or the iMac in the way I had expected. Thank goodness for that 1 month return policy, but Christmas morning won't be what I was hoping it would be.

It is SHOCKING!

It's seems that apple are wanting to force us into debt. I choose not to own a credit card so I also am excluded from family sharing.

There must be a way for apple to get around this.

see below

I totally agree credit cards suck! (Go Dave Ramsey!) but let's not be bigots .

Apple may have a perfectly valid reason for not accepting a debit card as proof of being an adult which is pretty much what is stated below.

Family Sharing and Apple IDs for kids - Apple Support

Create an Apple ID for your child

Before you begin, make sure that you're using a credit card as your iTunes Store and App Store payment method. To comply with child online privacy protection laws, you will use the CVV or security code from a valid credit card as part of providing your parental consent. If the card on file is a debit card or another payment method, you’ll be asked to provide a credit card before you can continue. After you create the child's Apple ID, you can change your payment method back to a debit card.

So because you can get a debit card before you are 18 it's not a good way to prove your an adult. Even though it has a CVV code.

(A credit card is the perfect way to prove you're an adult that doesn't know how stupid it is to use a credit card. I have been there)

I hate this just as much as you do. The real question is what do we do about it.

Not "waa waa mean evil apple you big bully" (said in a whiny tone)

It is a problem with a law, cue big government hate , so as usual our laws are way behind technology.

After talking with Apple Care they have a lot of us smart people who live debt-free call in and there is not a good work around.

Work arounds that I have thought of that don't work:

Prepaid card (shows as a debit card)

Gift Card (shows as a gift card)

Work around that does work:

1.     Get a credit card > change your payment method to the credit card > Use it to set up the kids accounts > switch your payment method back to your debit card > cancel the credit card

(Isn't really a work around because it's basically stated in the above support article)

This does suck, but it's not like getting a credit card is hard, they will give a dog a credit card, it just might be against your moral code. (Like it is mine)

2.     Heck, get your dumb friends credit card and use it then switch it back to your debit card.

I will be using the use someone else's card option.