As students are heading back to college, many parents are wondering how to make sure their child has the money they need for school and food, and extra money for emergencies. Prepaid credit cards for teens are a great way to make sure that your teenager has the money that he or she needs.

The advantage of using prepaid credit cards for teenagers is that they can only spend the amount that you prepay to the card company. This prevents them from running up credit card debt.

You can also have money automatically transferred to the card when you get paid.

Anyone can qualify for a prepaid card. Your credit report is not checked because you are not borrowing any money. There are no interest charges either. However, a prepaid card will not establish credit.

It is easier to get a credit card while you are a college student then if you wait until after you get out of college. This is because several credit card companies offer college student credit cards because the student's parents will usually bail them out if the student cannot pay the bill. The student cards will start with a low credit line of up to $500.

The first step for establishing credit is to have a checking account.

Establishing first time credit will be very difficult if you have not had a checking account for at least six months. The credit card companies want some way to measure whether you can handle money. If you have ever had a parent co-sign on a loan, that also helps establish credit.

The second step is to apply for one credit card.

Do not apply for multiple credit cards at one time. This can hurt your credit because each request shows up on your credit report. If the second and third company see that you have already requested credit, they could turn you down for fear that you will get multiple cards and charge all of them to their maximum limits. Each inquiry to your credit report can remove two to five points from your credit score.

If you are denied, read the "Your Rights When You Receive an Adverse Action Letter"

part of our article titled How to Dispute and Repair Your Credit History Report at http://www.thecreditbeacon.com/credit-advice/how-to-dispute-repair-credit-h/.

If you are denied, then you can apply for a secured credit card that will require that you make a deposit or put up some collateral. This will allow you to get your credit established.

If you are a full-time student you could start off with a pre-paid credit card until you have had a checking account for at least six months. Then apply for a student credit card, since the easiest time to establish first time credit is while you are a student.

For more information on obtaining credit cards, saving money, and managing your debt, visit our website at http://www.thecreditbeacon.com/. Be sure to enter our latest contest for a chance to win a prize.