Credit card offered to student

[RoseWei]

I'd like to know what you think ....

DS, 21, has just told me that at an interview for a bank acc/overdraft, he was offered a credit card. He has an account elsewhere but it's a building soc and doesn't entertain student o/ds. With little in the other account and with no job, he was offered, and accepted, a large o/d to pay a deposit for student houing.
I wasn't happy - but I'm even less pleased about the fact he was asked if he
wanted a credit card.

I know students have them but I don't like it - don't know if it was a student one, with limits, that the bank had in mind but it must have been obvious to them that DS, still only in his second year and in an area with very little in the way of employment possibilities (both in his Uni and home towns), couldn't pay off/would incur the inevitable high interest.

When I was 17, I was written to by my bank and offered a credit card. I was still at school and my dad told me that he sent a furious missive to the bank ..
Tempted to do this myself now - or is this an over-reaction to something that's going on anyway? I just hate the idea of encouraging irresponsible lending -

The difference here is - under 18s can't borrow, over 18s can. Sorry but he's an adult so the bank is not going to listen to you - you would be wasting your time...

All student accounts come with overdrafts - it's their main selling point. It will have a limit (but he'll need to not go over that - some banks might charge if he does) and if it's a student one it's probably 0% interest (if it's not then there will be interest payable). So - I don't think you would be able to argue that it's irresponsible lending.

Quite honestly, I couldn't have managed as a student without the free overdraft! I had a credit card as well, but paid off in full every month, so didn't pay interest - it came in handy sometimes, plus by the time I graduated, I had a good credit history, which came in handy looking for private rented housing, which involved credit checks. So - not necessarily irresponsible...

He's 21. He's old enough to both decide if he wants a credit card and to use one responsibly. So have a little faith in his intelligence, make it clear to him that you're not going to bail him out if he gets in financial trouble and let him take it from there.