There are far fewer genuine online jobs for teenagers in the UK than adverts suggest: most freelance, selling and survey platforms require users to be 18, including Vinted and eBay. Under 18, the safe ways to earn online are tutoring or helping people you know, and selling your own items or crafts through a parent-run account – Etsy, for example, lets 13 to 17-year-olds sell only with a parent listed as the shop owner. This guide explains the rules, the safe options and the scams that target teens.
What age do you need to be to earn online?
Platforms set their own minimum ages in their terms, and accounts opened with a false date of birth can be closed – sometimes with earnings held back. These are the rules as published by some widely used platforms; always check the current terms, because they change. The main guide to jobs for teenagers covers offline work and the law on hours.
| Platform type | Typical minimum age | Under 18? |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand selling (Vinted, eBay) | 18 | Only through a parent’s account, which the parent is responsible for |
| Handmade marketplace (Etsy) | 18 to own a shop | 13–17 can take part if a parent or guardian is listed as the shop owner |
| Freelance marketplaces | Usually 18 | Generally not, or only via a parent-owned account where terms allow |
| Paid survey sites | Often 16 or 18 | Check each site; pay is very low |
| Tutoring platforms | Usually 18 for tutors | Private tutoring through family contacts instead |
Which online jobs are safe for teenagers?
- Selling things you no longer need – clothes, games, books – through a parent’s account, with the parent handling payment.
- Making and selling crafts – jewellery, art prints, cards – with a parent as the shop owner where the platform allows it.
- Tutoring younger pupils by video call for families you know, arranged by a parent.
- Helping a local business online – photos, social media posts, a simple website – agreed with a parent and paid at a fixed rate.
- Creating content – videos or streaming – within each platform’s age rules and with a parent involved in any sponsorship.
Parents: if you run the account, you are responsible for what is sold and for any income – up to £1,000 a year of trading income is covered by the trading allowance. See our guide to side hustle tax.
Which online “jobs” for teens are scams?
Usually safe
- Work for people you or your parents know
- Selling your own things through a parent’s account
- Fixed price agreed before you start
Scam warning signs
- Messages offering money for likes, reviews or “tasks”
- Requests to receive money into your bank account and send it on
- Fees to join, deposits, or payment in gift cards
- Requests for photos, ID or personal details
Receiving money and passing it on makes you a “money mule”, which is a crime even if you did not know where the money came from – and it can stop you opening bank accounts for years. Our scam checklist explains the other warning signs.
What are the best alternatives offline?
Most teenagers earn more, and more safely, from local work: paper rounds and Saturday jobs from 13 or 14, and supermarket, retail and café jobs from 16. See jobs for 14 year olds and part-time jobs for 16 year olds.
Questions about online jobs for teens
Are there online jobs for 15 year olds in the UK?
Very few with a platform of their own, because most require users to be 18. Selling your own things or crafts through a parent’s account and tutoring people you know are the realistic options.
Can a 16 year old sell on Vinted or eBay?
Both require users to be 18. A parent can sell on your behalf through their own account, and is then responsible for it.
Can teenagers sell on Etsy?
Teens aged 13 to 17 can take part only if a parent or guardian is listed as the shop owner.
Is it safe to do online surveys for money as a teen?
Some legitimate survey sites accept 16-year-olds, but pay is low. Avoid any that charge a fee or ask for bank details up front.
More on this route: the main guide covers the whole topic – jobs for teenagers.
