This week, Junior Achievement USA published a survey of 1,000 teenagers that found that while they most often received cash from their parents, about a quarter had used a parent’s credit card to buy something online. Two-thirds said they had a bank account, and a little under a third of those respondents also had a credit card.

Understanding the difference between spending with a debit card, which is linked to a bank account, and borrowing on a credit card is an important lesson for teenagers, said Jeanne Fisher, a certified financial planner in Bowling Green, Ky. But it’s one best learned, she emphasized, with close supervision by a responsible adult.

Parents or guardians, she said, must establish a “controlled environment,” in which they set rules for the card’s use — such as what it may be used for and how much may be charged. Parents should monitor spending and discuss the card’s management with the teenager, including how to pay the bill on time to avoid interest charges. Parents should also explain what a credit score is, and how it is affected by use of the card. The teenage years, she said, are “the perfect time” to teach responsible credit behavior.

“I think you should get your teen a credit card,” Ms. Fisher said. “We live in a credit-driven society.”

One benefit of having your teenager use a credit card is that consumer protections against fraud are generally more robust for credit cards than for debit cards, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. That makes credit cards less risky to use at certain locations, like gas pumps, where they may be subject to “skimming” fraud that steals account numbers. (One less thing to worry about when your teenage driver fills up the tank.)