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Selling Tradelines: How to Turn Your Credit Cards Into Monthly Income
Selling tradelines means adding people as authorized users on your credit cards for a fee.
Your card’s age and credit limit determine how much you can get paid.
You add someone, they get the credit history boost (they don’t get access to your credit card though), you get paid, wait a few months, and finally remove them.
That’s the whole model.
How selling tradelines works
You provide your card details to a tradeline company: bank name, credit limit, account age, statement date, etc.
When a buyer purchases a spot on your card, you get notified to add them as an authorized user online. It takes under 10 minutes on average.
After 3 reporting periods or 3 months, you remove them and collect your payout.
The buyer never receives your physical card. They never make purchases. They have zero access to your account.
This is the biggest misconception when it comes to selling tradelines.
How much you can make
Your earnings depend on four things:
- Age of your cards (older = higher payout)
- Credit limits (higher = better)
- Number of cards you list
- How often you cycle authorized users
A card that is 5 years old with a $15,000 limit can earn $150+ per posting. A newer card with a smaller limit typically earns $40-$80.
Most sellers with 5+ active tradelines listed bring in $500 to $2,000 per month. You can calculate exactly what your cards are worth using the Tradeline Express earnings calculator before you commit to anything.
The risks you should know about
Selling tradelines is legal under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. Some banks dislike it because authorized users are not spending on the accounts, which can work against their terms of service.
Banks to avoid:
- Bank of America (accounts frequently get shut down)
- Chase (strict on authorized user volume)
Banks that tend to work well:
- Citi
- Discover
- American Express
- Barclays
Working with a company that controls how many users get added to your cards at once keeps your risk low.
How to get started
You need at least one credit card that is 2+ years old with a clean payment history. The older and the higher the limit, the more you earn per posting.
Steps to start:
- Use the earnings calculator to see what your portfolio is worth
- Submit your application to list your cards
- We handle buyers, payments, and timing
- Add users when notified and get paid after the reporting period
No money out of pocket. No complicated process.
