Children's rights when shopping

Kinderab 5 J.

What can children buy? From age 7, small purchases with pocket money (Germany's “pocket money paragraph”). No contracts, no instalments, no overdraft – this protects children from debt.

Shopping rights by age (Germany):

Under 7: legally incapable of contracting. Can't make any legally valid purchase. In practice: sellers accept small purchases (bread rolls, ice cream) as a goodwill gesture.

7–17: limited legal capacity. Allowed to:

✅ Make small purchases with pocket money (§ 110 BGB)
✅ Accept gifts
✅ Pay into/withdraw from their own account

NOT allowed to:

❌ Sign contracts (mobile contract, subscription) without parents
❌ Order online without parental consent
❌ Take out loans or agree instalment payments

From 18: full legal capacity. Can buy anything, sign contracts, take out loans.

Good to know: if an 8-year-old orders a €500 smartphone online, the parents can revoke the purchase – the contract is "provisionally invalid".

Did you know? From age 7, children in Germany have “limited legal capacity” (§106 Civil Code). Contracts like phone subscriptions are provisionally invalid without parental consent.

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