I've got a 16 year old customer wanting to enroll in online bill payment. He currently has a checking account (with mom) that he established two years ago. He has handled the account rather well, and now wants to add online bill payment. My concern is, because the bill payment agreement is executed with a single customer, we wouldn't have mom backing him up as we do with the checking account. So this leaves me two choices:
1) Get mom's blessing
2) Decline the request
Any thoughts?

I'd say that the agreement is a contract in disguise as an agreement, so mom has to sign. The fact is that you would not let the minor open the account without mom's signature, so adding products that require a separate agreement should include the same safeguard.

Sounds like the 16 year old is getting a great start in the financial world.

I'll agree and disagree with Grist. It is a form of a contract and minors generally can't enter into these. There are exceptions but it doesn't sound as though the minor is emancipated so those won't apply.

In Texas, a minor is allowed to have a bank account without parental ownership. If the parent later demands to be added to the account, they must be. So state law may allow the bank account.

The next question is, is this a part of a bank account as authorized by law? I could see this both ways.

Thanks for the input.