Skip to content 
What is a Tradeline?
A tradeline is any credit account that appears on your credit report. Credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, student loans; all of them show up as tradelines.
Each tradeline includes details like the account’s age, credit limit, balance, and payment history. These details are what the credit bureaus use to calculate your credit score.
How tradelines affect your credit
Lenders look at your tradelines to get a picture of how you manage debt.
A few things that matter most:
- Payment history — whether you’ve paid on time
- Credit utilization — how much of your available credit you’re using
- Age of accounts — older accounts carry more weight
- Credit mix — having different types of accounts helps
The stronger your tradelines, the stronger your credit profile.
What is an authorized user tradeline?
An authorized user tradeline is a credit card account you’ve been added to by someone else.
When you’re added as an authorized user, the account’s history shows up on your credit report. This is why parents often add their kids to their credit cards; it gives them a head start building credit.
The credit scoring models treat authorized user tradelines as second-class citizens compared to accounts you opened yourself, but they still improve your overall credit profile. That’s the main downside to using AUs vs primary tradelines.
How people buy and sell tradelines
Some people with strong credit cards rent out authorized user spots to others for a fee.
The buyer gets temporary access to a well-aged, low-utilization tradeline. The seller gets paid without ever handing over a card or taking on any financial risk.
The process is covered under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. Around 33% of Americans already have a family member added as an authorized user; selling tradelines extends that same benefit to people who don’t have that family connection.
Who sells tradelines?
Anyone with aged credit cards, a clean payment history, and low utilization can potentially sell tradelines.
The value of a tradeline depends on two main factors:
- Age — a 15-year-old card is worth more than a 2-year-old card
- Credit limit — higher limits command higher payouts
At Tradeline Express, cardholders can use our earnings calculator to see exactly what their cards are worth before applying.
