What Is a Tradeline?
A tradeline is any account that appears on your credit report — mortgages, auto loans, student loans, installment loans, and credit cards. Below we explain authorized user tradelines, why people buy them, and how to evaluate options.
- • We sell authorized user tradelines.
- • Buying may add an account’s history to your report (issuer-dependent).
- • Seasoned tradelines (≥2 yrs) are generally stronger.
Definition
In the broadest sense, a tradeline is any account that appears on your credit report. Types include mortgages, auto loans, student loans, furniture loans, installment loans, and credit cards.
If you're looking to purchase tradelines, you’re likely referring to authorized user tradelines: you pay to become an authorized user on someone else’s card so the account (often with its history) appears on your credit report.
Why would someone buy a tradeline?
Tradelines form the core of your credit report. Adding a high-quality, seasoned tradeline with a strong payment history and a high credit limit can positively influence signals like average account age and utilization. Remember, scoring algorithms are proprietary — results vary by file and bureau.
If you currently have bad credit
Rebuilding is similar: open healthy accounts and make timely payments. Tradelines can accelerate certain signals, but removing errors via credit dispute processes is often essential as well.
What to watch for
- • Some issuers limit how much history is reported for authorized users.
- • Tradelines won’t remove negative items elsewhere on your report.
- • No provider can guarantee a specific score increase.
How can tradelines help?
When added as an authorized user, many issuers report the full account history on your report. For example, if you’re added to a 20-year-old card, it may appear as a 20-year account on your file — which can be valuable if that account has a clean payment history.
Tradelines can also affect utilization (total balances relative to total credit limits). Because scoring is complex and proprietary, the exact impact varies by bureaus and issuers. Use the calculator below to model the arithmetic for your specific situation.
Which tradelines should I buy?
Aim for tradelines that are older than your current average age and that have higher credit limits than your current accounts. That combination helps increase average age and reduce utilization impact.
- • Prefer seasoned, high-limit accounts from major issuers.
- • Avoid short-age, low-limit tradelines that won’t move averages.
- • Blend tradelines with primary account building for long-term strength.
Authorized user tradelines vs primary tradelines
Authorized user tradelines appear on your report but you aren’t financially responsible for them. A primary tradeline is an account in your name for which you are responsible. Primary accounts are best long-term, but a seasoned, high-limit authorized user tradeline can offer stronger short-term improvements in many files.
Buying primary tradelines is risky and often fraudulent — exercise caution. Legitimate credit in your name is ideal, but it starts with no age.
What is a seasoned tradeline?
“Seasoned” refers to how long an account has been open. Accounts under two years generally aren’t considered seasoned. Tradelines two years or older are typically considered to provide meaningful age benefits.