Starting out as a teenager

As the title says, I’m a teenager with an interest in SEO, IM and content writing. The main issue is that I don’t even know where to begin; people are understandably unwilling to hire kids, and I can’t even open a PayPal under my real name. I’ve thought about using my parents’ names, but they refuse, dismissing my schemes as either bullshit or likely to get them into trouble. In truth, I just want to get an early start, since it won’t be long before I head off to university, start paying fees, etc.

So, how would I start whilst still under 18? Obviously, I wish to expand into other areas (especially dropshipping), but those require an initial investment; for now, I’d be happy to write and start making money.

I should add that before opening this thread, I tried looking for older ones in the archives, but they seemed outdated; PayPal, for example, apparently used to allow teenagers, but that’s no longer the case.

Go write on contract for a small content firm. You'll be able to work out something that works. Every country has different payment options for people under 18. In Canada, you can use Interac e-transfer, for example. You may be able to look into Payoneer with a pre-paid credit card.

I did PayPal under my own name and just lied about my birth year for a few years. You'll be fine until you crack $10k a week and start gathering some attention on your account.

Parents will give you issues early on about shit being a scam - just go make a ton of money and work in silence. Their opinion will change.

You could also buy or create a stealth PayPal account to build up a balance and transfer it to a legit account when you turn 18. I'm not sure I completely recommend this but the option is there.

We have many young successful members , so this can be done for sure.

I'm 13 and have used PayPal for over 2 years now. (across multiple accounts)

I signed up under my REAL name and lied about my date of birth.

I went to my bank, made a chequing account and linked it to my PayPal. (12 year old me ended up going $350 in debt because of a twitch donation, whoops!)

My point is, you can use PayPal under 18, not legally of course, but PayPal won't go after you if they find out you're under 18.

What I did was have my own PayPal account for a little bit, make a few hundred dollars off of side-hustles and show my parents this whole "PayPal" thing wasn't a scam.

I just had to show my parents I was actually having money entering my bank account and then they let me eventually sign-up under their name.

stxrm said:

I'm 13 and have used PayPal for over 2 years now. (across multiple accounts)

I signed up under my REAL name and lied about my date of birth.

I went to my bank, made a chequing account and linked it to my PayPal. (12 year old me ended up going $350 in debt because of a twitch donation, whoops!)

My point is, you can use PayPal under 18, not legally of course, but PayPal won't go after you if they find out you're under 18.

What I did was have my own PayPal account for a little bit, make a few hundred dollars off of side-hustles and show my parents this whole "PayPal" thing wasn't a scam.

I just had to show my parents I was actually having money entering my bank account and then they let me eventually sign-up under their name.

Click to expand...

I heard few people say that if PayPal eventually asks for ID to verify your account they'll hold your funds if they realize your account was opened before you were 18, even if you're now over 18.

stxrm said:

I'm 13 and have used PayPal for over 2 years now. (across multiple accounts)

I signed up under my REAL name and lied about my date of birth.

I went to my bank, made a chequing account and linked it to my PayPal. (12 year old me ended up going $350 in debt because of a twitch donation, whoops!)

My point is, you can use PayPal under 18, not legally of course, but PayPal won't go after you if they find out you're under 18.

What I did was have my own PayPal account for a little bit, make a few hundred dollars off of side-hustles and show my parents this whole "PayPal" thing wasn't a scam.

I just had to show my parents I was actually having money entering my bank account and then they let me eventually sign-up under their name.

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting. I’m older than you (closer to 18 than to 13), but the advice doesn’t cease to be helpful.

If you do not mind, I have a few questions; they’re all ultra-newb ones, so please forgive me.

1. When PayPal asked you to verify the account in your name did you just forfeit the money? I realise that the first account’s purpose was merely to serve as a proof of concept, so to speak, for your parents, but I’d like to retain my first few hundred, if only for sentimental reasons.
2. Would it be possible to link the account to a bank account without sending PayPal a copy of your ID?
3. If you don’t mind revealing them, which methods did you first use? I’d like vast riches, but a man must figure out where to start.
4. When dealing with clients, did you ever have to reveal your name? This is a worry of mine; were I to open an Upwork profile, for instance, customers could google my name and find me listed for school sports tournaments.

you goto local shop you buy a pre paid master card .(( top it up with what you need))

then go in the misc of this forum and buy a stelth paypal account .

link it with the pre paid card it will be verified then .

know crush it my man

stxrm said:

I'm 13 and have used PayPal for over 2 years now. (across multiple accounts)

I signed up under my REAL name and lied about my date of birth.

I went to my bank, made a chequing account and linked it to my PayPal. (12 year old me ended up going $350 in debt because of a twitch donation, whoops!)

My point is, you can use PayPal under 18, not legally of course, but PayPal won't go after you if they find out you're under 18.

What I did was have my own PayPal account for a little bit, make a few hundred dollars off of side-hustles and show my parents this whole "PayPal" thing wasn't a scam.

I just had to show my parents I was actually having money entering my bank account and then they let me eventually sign-up under their name.

Click to expand...

you are amazing 13 , god bless mate ....

i respect that most 13 are on street making trouble well done ...

stxrm said:

I'm 13 and have used PayPal for over 2 years now. (across multiple accounts)

I signed up under my REAL name and lied about my date of birth.

I went to my bank, made a chequing account and linked it to my PayPal. (12 year old me ended up going $350 in debt because of a twitch donation, whoops!)

My point is, you can use PayPal under 18, not legally of course, but PayPal won't go after you if they find out you're under 18.

What I did was have my own PayPal account for a little bit, make a few hundred dollars off of side-hustles and show my parents this whole "PayPal" thing wasn't a scam.

I just had to show my parents I was actually having money entering my bank account and then they let me eventually sign-up under their name.

Click to expand...

Hey @stxrm, thanks for the advice. I'm the same age, just looking to make some bank online. I just got approved for OGAds, and all I need to do is set up my payment tools. I understand that you can use a PayPal under your name and just use it as a payment gateway for your first few hundred, and as sort of a thing to show your parents that this "making money online" is legit and to prevent having your PayPal limited because you're under 18. I'm from the U.S, not sure if that means anything. Have a few questions, though:

1. On OGAds, how would I fill out the W9 Form? If I'm using PayPal, do I need to fill one out?

2. What about transferring to your bank? I'm (basically) ready to open up a joint with my parents, but would PayPal ask for some sort of identification, and/or would they detect if you're under 18 by just trying to link your bank?

3. What were your "side hustles"? Were they anything that's on this forum or something completely unrelated?

Glad to see another person like me on this forum. Good luck with your methods!

caffeinesn0w said:

On OGAds, how would I fill out the W9 Form? If I'm using PayPal, do I need to fill one out

Click to expand...

I’m also based in America, at least for the time being, so I’d also be interested in the answer to this question. I would think that, since we’ll eventually be using PayPal accounts under our parents’ names, there is no need to file. We should just use their taxpayer identification number.

By the way, how have you been doing with your gig? I am still sort of stuck and don’t know where to star. The forum is undoubtedly full of information, but it can get overwhelming. I’d say the first few cheques are the hardest; after that, it’s a matter of continuing to push yourself.