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Tradeline Seller: What the Role Involves
A tradeline seller earns income by adding people as authorized users to their credit card accounts for a set period. The authorized user receives the account’s history on their credit report, and the seller receives a payout for the spot. The physical card and the money gets sent to the seller, the AU gets the credit boost. It’s a win-win for both parties.
That is the full arrangement.
How a tradeline seller earns money
A tradeline seller can either sell tradelines to someone directly, usually a credit repair professional, OR they can partner with a tradeline website, like the one you are on right now, and take less money for less work.
Partnering with a tradeline website is usually the most common option people take because they don’t want selling tradelines to become another job, just a side hustle.
What affects your payouts
Not every card is worth the same amount. Four factors shape what you earn:
- Account age (older accounts tend to pay more)
- Credit limit (higher limits tend to pay more)
- Number of cards you list
- How often you cycle authorized users
A card that is several years old with a high limit can earn more per posting than a newer card with a small limit. You can estimate your own numbers with the Tradeline Seller Earnings Calculator before you commit.
The risks worth knowing
Adding authorized users is permitted under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. Some banks still discourage it because authorized users are not spending on the account. A few issuers are stricter than others, so the cards you choose matter.
Banks that tend to cause problems:
- Bank of America
- Chase (if you don’t know what you’re doing)
Banks that tend to work well:
- Citi
- Discover
- American Express
- Barclays
Working with a company that does risk-checks on AUs, doesn’t take CPNs, and limits how many users are added to your cards at once helps keep your exposure low.
How to become a tradeline seller
You need at least one card that is two or more years old with a clean payment history. From there, the process is straightforward:
- Use the earnings calculator to estimate what your cards are worth
- Submit an application to list your cards
- Add users when you are notified
- Collect your payout after the reporting period
Tradeline Express handles buyers, payments, and timing on your behalf.
