authorized user tradelines information

Everything you need to know about authorized user tradelines.

If you’re on this page, you might be wondering, what are tradelines? The term authorized user tradelines (also known as piggybacking credit) has become synonymous with a credit enhancement technique where people – like you – can pay to be added as an authorized user to an account. This is for the sole purpose of having the positive credit history associated with that account appear on your account.

This – if the account is in good standing (i.e. good credit score, perfect payment history, etc…) – can result in an improved credit score.

Buy tradelines here

Help! My credit score has fallen and it can’t get up!

login to authorized user account
The primary account holder has the ability to add authorized users to their account The authorized users credit score is then affected by the primary users credit rating either positively or negatively

Authorized user tradelines are simple in theory. You add individuals as authorized users to credit cards in good standing and their credit scores increase.

However, the practice of piggybacking credit becomes more complicated when it is applied to the unique nature of individual credit reports.

As such, we dedicated this page to explaining the process and answering the most common questions we receive.

What is a tradeline?

what are tradelines
Examples of tradelines

According to Experian.com, a tradeline is an entry by a credit grantor to a credit history for a primary account holder credit maintained by a credit reporting agency. A tradeline describes the account status and activity of the primary account holder.

Tradeline information includes names of companies where the applicant has accounts, dates accounts were opened, the credit limit, types of accounts, balances owed and payment histories.

Tradelines are the various accounts in your credit report, provided that you have applied and been approved for a credit line. This would be anything that gets sent to a credit reporting agency, such as credit cards, student loans, mortgages, or foreclosures. The major credit score reporting agencies in the United States that collect information about your debts and payment history are: 

  • Experian
  • Transunion, and
  • Equifax

The importance of credit scores.

Whenever lenders give loans, they want to have a reasonable amount of assurance that they’re going to be paid back. This is where credit scores come in. Any activity on your credit history – including the total amount of your debt, your payment history, late payments, and defaulted accounts – gets reported to these agencies.

The agencies then generate the credit score based on your past payment information. A high score indicates a borrower who is more likely to pay back their debts according to their agreements. A low score indicates that a borrower may be less reliable.

credit score on phone
Watching your credit score go up can be like watching paint dry

This can make it a lot more difficult to find housing or get approved for loans, if you happen to have a low score. 

Once you have a low credit score, it can be a long and tedious process to dig yourself out of that hole. With time, dedication, and the right knowledge, anyone can turn their credit around and get back to a place where they’re more likely to get approved for credit again.

How do authorized user tradelines affect credit score?

Sometimes time is not always on our side. We may need a higher score faster than we can raise it on our own. 

This is where authorized user tradelines come in. Authorized user tradelines are a way to rent a primary user’s credit history. This can increase their credit score in a relatively short amount of time.

Read on to find out how.

Difference between Primary User and Authorized User.

Primary User

The primary user on an account is the person in whose name the account was opened under. For example, if someone opens up a credit card, they become the primary user. This gives them access to the account and all of the decisions involved in it.

The primary user is responsible for the account and all of the activity under it. It is under their name that the information gets reported to the various credit reporting agencies. 

Authorized User

An authorized user is a person who is given access to the account as a user. However, they is not responsible for the balance. They are merely authorized to be on the account, but never receive the actual card.

In addition, the authorized user “rents”, so to speak, the previous payment history and characteristics of the account established by the primary cardholder. This is why credit scores can increase when a person is added as an authorized user to an account in good standing. It’s also why credit scores can decrease if that same person is added to an account in bad standing.

Authorized user tradelines defined.

Authorized user tradelines mean only one thing: a revolving credit card account onto which an individual is added as an authorized user. They are typically revolving lines of credit on which someone places another as an authorized user account holder. The tradeline then appears on the user’s credit report and the authorized user (hopefully) receives a credit score boost.

seasoned tradelines
Authorized user or seasoned tradelines

The practice of buying seasoned tradelines for credit enhancement came about in 1974 when the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) was passed. This implementation of this law gave rise to the unintended consequence of piggybacking credit. 

Despite what the “rumor net” will tell you, piggybacking credit has not changed since 1974. It’s basically a credit hack, so to speak. But, it must be done correctly for the best results.

Anyone with a credit card could add you as an authorized user, despite any relationship (e.g., mother, father, son, friend, stranger…). The information associated with that account (including its history) will report to your credit reports and impact your credit scores.

An unbiased view:

These numbers appear to indicate that the practice of piggybacking credit can increase credit scores to an economically significant extent if the account to which a nonprime borrower is being added is of sufficiently high quality. Furthermore, it appears that a large fraction of borrowers particularly borrowers with thin or short credit histories can obtain substantially higher credit scores as a result of this practice. This suggests that the practice of piggybacking credit offers the substantial potential to increase the credit scores of individuals added as authorized users on existing accounts and consequently to enhance their access to credit at lower costs.

From the Finance and Economics Discussion Series, Division of Research & Statistics and Monetary Affairs, Federal Reserve Board, Washington, D.C.

This is as simple as we can make it; here’s how tradelines work:

  1. Someone adds you as an authorized user on their credit card.
  2. The information associated with that credit card appears on your credit report.
  3. Your credit scores change.*

*Note, I didn’t say your credit scores go up; I said they change. Why?

If you add an authorized user credit account which has poor payment history, a high balance, etc., the negative information could lower your credit score.

The goal is to be added to a credit card (i.e., a “tradeline”) that’s in good standing. The positive information on the tradeline could help increase your credit score.

Synonyms:

You may have heard several terms thrown around interchangeably. It can be incredibly confusing trying to figure out the difference. What’s important to take away is that all three of these terms refer to the exact same thing, just for slightly different reasons. 

Seasoned tradelines

The name seasoned tradelines came about because the age of a credit account is one of the most important factors in determining your credit score. Two years or more is usually an adequate amount of time for a tradeline to mature. Obviously, someone looking to increase their credit score rapidly doesn’t have two years to wait. 

This is why a seasoned tradeline has value. When you purchase seasoned tradelines, you are getting added as an authorized user to a primary user’s account. So you are then the authorized user of a seasoned tradeline. 

Piggybacking credit.

dictionary definition of piggybacking
Definition of piggybacking

In short, piggybacking credit refers to hitching a ride on someone else’s good credit standing. Initially, the ECOA was passed to allow family members to “piggyback” off of one another’s credit in instances where one family member wasn’t able to build a credit history for various reasons.

However, not everyone has a family member with good credit to piggyback off of, so the federal government passed regulations to make the playing field more level. 

As a result, you don’t have to be related to be able to piggyback off of someone else’s credit, as long as you have their permission. When you piggyback on a primary user’s account, you become an authorized user on their primary account. 

Authorized User Tradelines.

Keep in mind that the two terms (piggybacking & seasoned tradelines) both refer to exactly the same thing – authorized user tradelines. When someone is added to a primary user’s account, they become an authorized user.

Whether you are purchasing seasoned tradelines, authorized user tradelines, or piggybacking off of someone else’s credit, you are essentially doing the exact same thing: becoming an authorized user on a primary user’s account.

Authorized User Abuse and Legalities

One of the biggest problems in the tradelines industry is that people think they are magic tools that can fix all of their problems. Because they actually are such powerful tools, people take advantage of them, or assume they work in all situations.

Reasonable expectations are the most important element when considering authorized user tradelines. 

Some people try to use them inappropriately, such as adding them to synthetic identity fraud, credit reports, or credit profile numbers. There are many businesses out there that will say whatever it takes to get you to pay for their service, whether or not they provide tradelines. It is an industry rife with abuse for consumers and service providers. 

Because of that, there have been many regulatory actions taken against service providers and consumers by the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

If you want to read a very complicated, yet extremely informative essay on the matter, please read “Credit Where None Is Due?”.  The Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C. wrote this article, so it is an unbiased source!

The basic legal answer is threefold:

However, the banks and bureaus treat all authorized user accounts the same. I can’t tell you why they do this. However, I can suggest that distinguishing between spousal and non-spousal authorized user tradelines would be virtually impossible.

To learn more about legalities, check out our article “Are Tradelines Legal?”

Do tradelines work for everyone and all credit situations?

No.

In fact, tradelines do not work every single time for every single situation. Well, they kind of do, but in some circumstances, the “increase” in score would be so minimal, that you can say it essentially didn’t work.

In other circumstances, you could see huge increases in scores and still get denied for a loan, such as in the case of someone with recent bankruptcy and good credit scores.

The trick is getting a credit report analysis so we can help you create a credit plan to achieve your credit goal. This is one of the reasons you pay a company to add you.

Difference between Authorized User Tradelines and Credit Repair  

Credit repair is a process through which individuals challenge negative items in their credit report if those negative items are inaccurate, misleading, outdated, or obsolete.

It is a process of challenging information in your credit report, which gives the subscribers and credit bureaus a federally mandated time frame in which they can respond.

As explained above, credit repair can be defined as simple as this: removing negative credit items from your credit file. As explained elsewhere on our site, tradelines can be defined as simple as this: adding positive credit items to your credit report. Yes, both have a positive impact on your credit score.

Putting the cart-before-the-horse.

If you add tradelines to a report with too many negative items, you may not realize the full benefit of the authorized user accounts.

On the other hand, piggybacking off of seasoned authorized user tradelines can drastically increase credit scores if you add them to a credit report with few-to-no negative accounts.

You don’t add tradelines before credit repair services (assuming credit repair is needed). This is because the positive impact you may experience from tradelines may be outweighed by the negative information in your credit report. The credit report needs to be repaired first, then tradelines can be added.

You rarely do them together, because you typically do credit repair before you add tradelines. This is because changing credit report information – from the credit repair – can inhibit the tradelines from reporting at all.

Who should (or should not) be using authorized user, or seasoned tradelines?

should you buy tradelines
We dont always recommend purchasing tradelines to every single one of our customers We are here to help you find a solution that works with your specific needs

Authorized user tradelines are a powerful tool, but they are never a replacement for being responsible with your credit and finances. As we mentioned in the previous section, tradelines are not actually credit repair. They can increase your score, but they can’t get rid of negative items.

For this reason, tradelines may or may not be right for everyone. So who should, and shouldn’t, buy tradelines?

Should Buy Seasoned Tradelines:

  • People who are looking to boost credit score and fill out credit profile.

Shouldn’t Buy Seasoned Tradelines:

  • People who have significant derogatory items on their credit report.
  • Anyone using false identities such as CPNs.
  • People who have not researched ahead of time (because they could be misled).
  • People who have a significant amount of debt.

If you found yourself checking more “shouldnt’s” than “shoulds”, your next step would either be credit repair or debt settlement. It is important to repair your credit first because too many negative items on your credit report will significantly impact how much the tradeline will help.

Who should I trust… friends, family, or a professional tradeline company?

There are several ways to become an authorized user on someone’s account. One way is to go through one of many tradeline companies who provides this service for a profit. Another way is to become authorized by a family member or friend who is willing to share their good credit.

There are several pros and cons to going with a friend or family member, versus a professional tradeline company.

Friend/Family Pros

  • Usually, family or friends will not charge a fee.
  • You may consider a friend/family member more trustworthy than a stranger.

Friend/Family Cons

  • Friends and family are not experts on the process or the legalities.
  • The friend/family member may not have the right type of tradeline you need, or they may not have a positive credit history.
  • If your friend/family member racks up a bill and is late on their payments, it could affect your credit score negatively.
  • Relationships could be damaged if things go wrong. You’re already working on repairing your credit, you don’t want to have to repair your relationships too!
  • You may not know a friend or family member that is trustworthy enough, has good enough credit, or is willing to help.

Business Pros

  • Professional, legitimate organizations are bonded and insured.
  • A professional tradeline company will know the ins and outs of the legal system, and will protect you from making any costly legal errors.
  • Brokers with experience have the expertise to help you find exactly what you need.
  • You will probably have better results working with professionals because they specialize in this practice.

Business Cons

  • You may not know if the company is trustworthy, if they are going to rip you off or not, or if the tradelines they are offering are in good standing.
  • Using a professional service is going to cost money.

Just go with the professionals…

As you can see, it is usually in your best interest to trust the professionals when considering authorized user tradelines. A professional company will have the experience to know exactly what you need, and how to help you achieve it.

The price you pay will ultimately offset the hassle and inconvenience of trying to figure out the process on your own.

The truth about authorized user tradelines.

Despite the confusion about what are and how they work, one thing is for sure:

Authorized user accounts can be a great way to increase your credit score because they can add years of history, positive payment history, and also adjust debt to credit ratio.

If you are thinking about purchasing authorized accounts, please get started here or email us at info@superiortradelines.com.

Before you buy tradelines, please first read why you should buy tradelines from us.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.) Is there such a thing as an automobile authorized user tradelines?

No, authorized user tradelines and the practice of buying them for credit score improvement are related to credit cards and credit cards alone. They don’t work for auto loans.

2.) Is there such a thing as a mortgage authorized user tradelines?

Same answer as above. Authorized user tradelines and the practice of buying them for credit score improvement are related to credit cards and credit cards alone.

3.) Do seasoned tradelines help after bankruptcy?

That all depends on what state your credit was left in. If your credit was a mess, all your accounts were discharged, and you have relatively nothing on your credit report, then it could potentially help. But if you reaffirm your accounts, and you still have derogatory items after the bankruptcy, then tradelines wouldn’t help as much.

4.) How long does it take for an authorized user tradeline to post to a credit report?

Typically within 30 days. Each tradeline reports once per month. If you order a tradeline on the 1st and it reports on the 20th, that tradeline is going to be posted in 20 days. The only time it takes longer to post is in the scenario that you order a tradeline too close to the report date and you have to wait until the next reporting cycle (1 month plus a few days, give or take).

So, if you order a tradeline, it should be on your report within 30 days, tops. If the tradelines do not post within 30 days, then the company either dropped the ball or there is something wrong with your credit report (security freezes, fraud alerts, etc.).

5.) Does making someone an authorized user help their credit?

Not always, but it can if it’s done correctly. The tradeline has to be of sufficient quality with a high enough limit, low balance, and perfect payment history. Too many negative items on the report will prevent it from helping.

6.) Can piggybacking credit hurt your credit?

In some cases, it could. If the tradeline you’re added to has missed payments, high balance, and an imperfect payment history, the tradeline could actually hurt your credit.

7.) Do authorized user tradelines still work?

Yes, since 1974 the law has not changed. Despite all the propaganda about FICO 08, credit bureaus, etc., authorized user tradelines still work and we do this every single day.

8.) What are some reasons authorized user tradelines do not report?

There could be several reasons. There may have been data glitches at the bank, or the authorized user has security freezes or fraud alerts on their credit report which prevents the tradeline from showing up. It’s also possible that the authorized user was added too close to the reporting date, so the tradeline didn’t get on for that cycle.

There are many more reasons why tradelines do not post on an authorized users credit report, but we have yet to encounter a scenario in which we were unable to get the tradeline to post correctly.

9.) Are primary tradelines better than authorized user tradelines?

To cut to the chase – no. You cannot buy primary tradelines like authorized user tradelines. This is a common misconception, and we’ve written quite a bit about it here, if you’d like to learn more.

10.) Can I add too many tradelines?

More tradelines = better score? Yes, but there’s limits. It is possible to add too many tradelines. A lot of clients ask how many tradelines to add for optimal credit score results. So, we wrote this article (and published a video regarding the same thing) to answer that question.

66 thoughts on “Authorized User Tradelines”

    1. Hey Calvin. Please give us a call at 800-431-4741, email us at info@superiortradelines.com or register for free at https://superiortradelines.com/start/

      Discussing tradelines options, pricing, etc., is very easy from there. Authorized user tradelines are for sale, daily. So, for example, there are deals right now which you can ask about. View https://superiortradelines.com/specials/ for more details, but don’t forget to ask about these special pricings when you hop on the phone with us.

  1. I need to get a loan for 12000 but my credit score is between 575 and 603. I want to know how can trade lines increase my credit score in s month to get a loan.

    1. Possibly. But, a full answer requires more information than you provided. For example, what score do you need to get approved? Supposed we boosted your score with authorized user tradelines to (hypothetical for the same of discussion) 850… do you otherwise qualify for the loan (income, purposes, no significant collections or charge off accounts, etc)? Also, your credit scores could be 575 to 603 for many different reasons (limited credit to bad credit). We may be able to help under certain circumstances and may no be able to help under other circumstances. So, yes, authorized user tradelines will increase your score, but… the real important question is whether or not it will help achieve your goals. To answer that question, we’d need to do a (free) credit report analysis.

      Just give us a call anytime at 800-431-4741 or email us at info@superiortradelines.com Also, you can get access to the members portal (for free) at https://superiortradelines.com/start/

      Thanks!

  2. Hi, I would like to purchase a home within the next 6 months. I need help with boosting my credit score. I am interested in learning more about adding trade lines.

    1. Mignon,

      You’ve certainly come to the right place. As you can we, we write non-stop about authorized user tradelines. “Competitors” steal our content, constantly. But, what’s easier than reading hundreds of pages about tradelines is hoping on the phone with us. We can answer your questions, directly, within minutes rather than indirectly searching hours online. You can call us at 800-431-4741 or email us at info@superiortradelines.com

      To answer your question: It depends on what’s in your credit report. Tradelines may or may not help. The good news is that you’re 6 months out from your credit goal. So, whether you need credit repair or tradelines, you have plenty of time to get things going.

  3. What is the length of time a trade line is good for? Say if I purchase today is this purchase good for 3 months, 6, or 1 year?

  4. I want to get me a truck by December 2017 but my credit is at 440-468 coz of one charge off n 2 collections of which am paying off my collections already. I wanted a boost to 750 only thats all i can ask if its possible. I have one open account which is in good standing

    1. What’s good about your situation is that you have a good, a reasonable timeframe and you’re seeking advice. That’s a good combination. Given those scores, authorized user tradelines may not be an option. I believe you need credit repair first. Please check out https://credzu.com/ You can match your specific credit goals with credit services providers, like credit repair, debt settlement, etc.

  5. I am interested in using tradelines for a credit boost because I want to refi my truck next year. Right now, I have a credit school of 614 but I have a collection item on my account. Will this help?

    1. It depends on the age of the collections, if they’re actively reporting, how large the collection debt is, the origins of the debt (medical, student loans, credit cards, car loans, etc.). So, it depends on a lot of things, which requires a credit report analysis to determine. My gut says, no, it’s not going to work. I think you’d be better off doing credit repair, especially since you have time before you need to refi. Tradelines will work after credit repair, as well.

  6. Hey does income have to match trade line? Let’s say I have a 50000 trade line, does my income have to match it?

    1. That’s an interesting question! The answer is, “no.” However, a $50,000.00 tradeline may look out of place and could get flagged as “authorized user abuse.” So, there’s not exact formula, but it should probably make sense. Moreover, keep in mind that you don’t need a $50,000.00 line to get the largest impact from tradelines. For example, suppose a $10,000.00 line got you 35 points, whereas a $20,000.00 got you 40 points, whereas a $40,000.00 line got you 43 points. This isn’t exact, but the concept of diminishing returns DOES, in fact, apply. So, you should get a credit report analysis and we can help you determine the best, most cost effective, tradelines for your goals.

    1. No, CPNs are illegal versions of a Social Security Number. Authorized user tradelines are added to your social security number so as to increase your credit score. We do not add authorized user tradelines to CPNs (or anything other than a social security number).

      As far as the duration, please see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gX2jpHU84g

      As far as the cost, please see here: https://superiortradelines.com/faqs/tradeline-costs and here https://superiortradelines.com/forum/how-much-do-tradelines-cost

  7. Hi, I would like to purchase a home within the next 2 months. I need your help with boosting my credit score. I am interested in learning more about adding trade lines. My current credit score is 719.

    1. Kumar, if your score is a 719, you do not need tradelines. You’re 1 point away from the best rates available. You could get 1 point by paying down one of your credit cards (or something similar). In other words, take the money you’d pay us for tradelines and pay down a balance on one of your accounts. Also, this all assumes your credit score you mentioned above is real/the score a lender is going to use. If you want to elaborate on your situation, I’ll be glad to give you my opinion. However, I can’t imagine a scenario in which you would not be approved for a mortgage (unless it is an income or other issue for which tradelines wouldn’t help anyway). Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

    2. I have no credit cards. No length of credit history except 10yr old student loans(paid off) and one repo 5 years ago. Credit score is 527 on Experian 572 Equifax 563 TransUnion. If I add AU tradelines to my credit would it possible to get a 40k auto loan?

    1. Unfortunately not. Our process only works for United States Social Security numbers. So, you can be from the UK with an US SSN. In that case, we can help. Otherwise, no. Thanks!

  8. Hi
    I would.like to get a home in the next 3-6 months. My credit score is at 621 but I need it higher to qualify for down payment assistance and better rates. I’ve recently paid off a collection account and that is what helped boosted me up. How long does these AU headlines stays on before it comes off?

  9. my payment history is perfect but my credit score is low because I’ve recently started rebuilding my credit and I have 4 accounts with low limits (around $500 each) and the average age is only 6 months. will adding authorized trade lines that are years older help the “average age” of my credit lines and improve my credit score?

    1. Bindo! Yes. Not only will it help your average ago of accounts, but it can pull you out “adolescent” score cards (people with different ages receive different calculations under scoring formulas… FICO probably thinks you’re a young kid, based on what you just said). Call us so we can discuss in detail: 800-431-4741 or go here: https://superiortradelines.com/start/

  10. I have a timeshare that just hit my credit for 1400.00 2 months ago, and i have high balance on my credit card. will a tradeline be wise at this moment?

  11. Interested in buying legitimate tradelines I have a business I help people too build their credit and restore their lives I am looking for a company I can work with that is legitimate that actually post when they say they’re going to post and can put real tradelines on an account that will not fall off and will not be delinquent and that are not expensive

    1. Wow, Dr. Daniels, sounds like you had some pretty bad experiences with tradelines. We’d be more than happy to show you how we operate and I think you’d be ecstatic to know the company you’re looking for does exist. Please contact Raj at raj@superiortradelines.com or 407-796-1076 and ask him about our affiliate program. By the way, what’s the name of your company?

  12. Appreciating the commitment you put into your blog and detailed information you
    provide. It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same
    outdated rehashed information. Great read! I’ve saved your site and
    I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.

  13. I’m wanting to purchase a home this June. I would be a new home buyer if approved, however Credit Karma says that my Transunion is 586 and my Equifax is 594. I would feel comfortable around a 680-720 credit score. What is a good time frame to get a Tradeline(s) to boost my score and maintain that score until June when I’m wanting to purchase?

    1. Hey Mira,

      First, don’t go by online scores; they can mislead you.

      Second, your score is what it is for a reason. And, depending on that reason, you may or may not need tradelines or tradelines may or may not help you (such as in the case of needing credit repair first).

      Third, to find out how long tradelines take, go to our videos page, here: https://superiortradelines.com/videos and scroll down until you see “How long do tradelines take?” It’s a great video.

      Finally, what you really want to do is get a free account here, https://superiortradelines.com/start/ and then have us review your credit report (for free) so that we can tell you what we think. It’s a bit more complicated than it seems, but it is pretty simple once we see what’s in your report (as apposed to simply what your score is).

      Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!

  14. I do credit repair and would like to know if my clients have to buy a tradeline or do I buy a tradeline and have them piggyback off my credit?

    1. It depends what you mean by “offset.” If mean, alter your debt to credit ratio, yes. If you mean, counter act missed payments on your student debts, no. If you could provide more details, I can be more specific and be more helpful to you. I would make a general recommendation, though. Look at your overall goal. Then, say “What do I have to do to get to X?” Don’t get bogged down in the minutia of credit. Leverage off the time and experince of others and say “Hey, can tradelines get me approved for X?” So, let’s talk about your goal and we’ll let you know whether or not tradelines will help. If so, great. If not, we can probably point youu in the right direction.

  15. I have never had credit. My credit report is blank- I’ve only recently applied for a credit card and was declined. I’m 42 years old.

    I would be interested to know how you could help me get credit and quickly. I’ve recently been diagnosed with cancer and need funds for treatment etc.

    1. It’s not necessarily a requirement, but in certain circumstances especially when the trade line doesn’t report correctly, it becomes necessary. Some clients and some cardholders don’t like this and in those situations we usually end up refunding a client. However, it does work, and so long as you trust the people you’re working with, it is a good technique to get the results you’re looking for.

    1. First, tradelines = accounts on a credit report (usually referring to revolving accounts, like credit cards).
      Second, a “primary” tradeline (or account, usually a revolving account, like a credit card) is issued to the primary account holder who applied for it. For example, Joe applies for a capital one credit card and gets approved for a $10,000.00 credit card (or “tradeline”). Years later, after maintaining a perfect payment history, he has a “seasoned” account, otherwise known as a “seasoned tradeline.” This remains Joe’s “primary” tradeline, because he is the “primary” account holder.
      Now, Joe adds you, George, as an authorized user to Joe’s primary account. You become an “authorized user” of Joe’s “primary” account. As a result, the information associated with this account appears on your credit report, which makes your credit score increase. You did not apply or get approved for this account, so it is not your primary tradeline. You were added as an authorized user to someone else’s primary tradeline… as an authorized user.

      Make sense? Hope that was helpful!

  16. What is the best age of a trade line to get the most points? I’m considering between 16, 19, and a 26 year old trade lines. With limits between 16k and 35k. Thanks

    1. This probably isn’t the answer you want, but I always put people’s interest above all. When it comes to tradelines, bigger and older is not always better. In fact, you could hurt your score or you could flag the tradelines as authorized user “abuse” and receive no benefit at all if the tradeline selected is not appropriate. Also, consider this: What if you don’t need those tradelines and that you could achieve your credit goals with something less (and less expensive)? For example, is your average age of accounts really low? Okay, then old tradelines might make sense. On the other hand, how old are you? Because, if you’re 24 and add a 26-year-old line, you’re going to get flagged. As far as limit goes, do you have a high debt to credit ratio? If so, those limits look good and maybe you need more. On the other hand, if you don’t have a high debt to credit ratio, those might be overkill.

      If the company you’re working with is NOT telling you these things, they should. Here’s what I’d recommend.

      You should call us at 800-431-4741, email us at info@superiortradelines.com or get started here: https://superiortradelines.com/start/ so that one of our trained and qualified experts can help you.

      Essentially, we will match your credits with credit solutions and pick the best tradelines for you.

  17. What if you have no credit history at all, can I still buy tradelines and should I pick an older account with a higher credit limit?

    1. Hey James,

      First of all, having “no credit” is extremely rare and in almost all cases (except for very young people or immigrants) it’s almost always the case that someone gets a CPN. So, just right of the bat, can you tell me about your lack of credit?

      To answer your question, you will see substantial gains in the score if you have no credit. The study we often cite for authorized user information was done by the Federal Reserve Board and in it they reported:

      “Our analysis suggests that piggybacking credit can materially improve credit scores, particularly for individuals with thin or short credit histories.”

      However, bigger and older isn’t always best. Your age is a factor in determining which tradelines to add. And, that’s just one example. The best way to determine if which tradelines are best is to have a discussion with us. You can get started here.

  18. I’m 42 yrs old, paid cash most my life, last time I could get my actual score (Credit Karma) over 2 years ago and it was about 570. 1 credit bureau had a single derogatory mark (pretty old) and another bureau had two remarks, both old and combined for under $400. Every other section was blank. I’m now a N/A on Credit Karma and a 0 on a similar service. Friend at dealership did inquiry on me and I was also a 0 and he said he never seen that. I just became a authorized user for a friends new AMX Plat card and I’m about to have 24 months backdated to credit report for my rent ($2400) per month. When my credit file reactivates I can easily deal with the two minor blemishes if they even still exist. Would I be a good candidate for a seasoned tradeline, about what age in length and range in size would best suit me??

  19. Hi. I really like the comments and detailed answers I’ve read here. I am 40 years old and my credit score is about 650. My income is good, however I have not always been very wise with my credit and trying to get it cleaned up. My wife and I are currently in a chapter 13 because we did not qualify for a chapter 7 and trying to get our credit cleaned up. We have a lot of medical bills among other things. This has been a very expensive process and will take us a while to get on the other side of it. 12 months after discharge I would be able to apply for a VA home loan. I figured after the discharge using your services would be a great way to boost my score to get a vehicle or help me get a home loan. IDK if this works during bankruptcy and I know it doesn’t clean my credit. Is there any options better than bankruptcy?

  20. I recently added authorized users on my account and my card was closed. They said one person was unverifiable and wont let me dispute it. How can you prevent that this doesn’t happen to me when I’m on one of your tradelines.

    1. Great question. We actually brief our cardholders on how to avoid this situation, upon enrollment into our program.
      So, why did this happen? It happened because you added an authorized user who very likely has false information associated with their credit “profile.” This could include fraud, such as credit profile numbers (or CPNs).
      This issue was likely flagged at the bank and they requested documents to attempt to verify the problematic information. At the moment you were unable to do that, the bank rightfully assumes the information is “unverifiable” (as you said), meaning, it’s likely fraud.
      The bank likely has a zero-tolerance policy, so you’re likely not going to talk them out of it.
      How do you prevent this? You work with a company like us that screens clients for fraud and other issues. We have sophisticated systems we use to verify information, but some scammers even get passed that So, we have a staff person dedicated to manually reviewing files, including looking at copies of SSNs, IDs, etc., to make sure they are not fakes.
      I hope that was helpful.

  21. Hello,
    I want to purchase a home soon. I have a 643, 665,678 credit score. I paid off all my credit card debt, but I have $34,000 in student loans with late payments a few years ago. My score has remained consistent. It went down a few points from mortgage inquiries otherwise, it won’t increase. After purchasing a home, my goal is to start paying down my student loan. I want to get a car. Will a tradeline help me raise my score?

    1. It’s complicated, actually. The first thing we will consider when we review your credit report is whether or not your credit files are actually open and active. You cannot actually “open” a credit file by adding authorized user tradelines. For example, when you get a loan or a credit card, that loan or credit card can actually open your credit files and make them active. However, adding authorized user tradelines will NOT open your file, and nothing will happen. If, on the other hand, you files are open and active and simply have nothing on them, then adding tradelines will work and you will see dramatic increases in score.

      tradelines with no credit report accounts

      So, we will need to see your credit report prior to answering your question with accuracy.

      The next question after that will be; what are you trying to accomplish in terms of credit? In your situation, with a limited file, lenders are not going to have much to evaluate. Sometimes this is good, sometimes they want to see primary tradelines that you’ve had for a certain period of time.

      At the end of the day, in your situation, I cannot see adding tradelines as a bad thing (unless your files aren’t open). Because, you will boost your scores and be able to establish credit on your own much faster than if you got the traditional and typical “starter” credit cards, which kind of lump you into a “starter” file.

    1. Holly, it’s Matias.

      I re-read your email and Kate’s answer. I saw that you said he has a “0” credit score.

      Here’s the problem. We right and the mortgage lender is right. That is, authorized user tradelines MUST be accepted by lenders and the lender SHALL except the new scores once added (by law). There is no question here about that.

      However, there are underwriting procedures that exceed mere qualifying credit scores. So, for example, if he has nothing on his credit file and we add authorized user tradelines and his scores jump into the 800s, they could still deny his loan application if he doesn’t have, for example, 12 months of reporting on a primary tradeline (or whatever underwriting standard they set for which he does not meet).

      The trick here, is finding a lender with underwriting standards most favorable to your client’s circumstances. If you are using FHA, VA, etc., you may be SOL, because those standards are mandated and the lenders have no discretion over them. That is to say, if the lender says you need a 12 month old primary line and he doesn’t have it… well, you’d need to open a primary line and wait 12 months.

      So, it really depends on the circumstances, but the mortgage professional’s opinion about authorized user tradelines not working still remains incorrect.

      Thanks!

  22. HI Kate,

    I was suggesting a tradeline addition for a mortgage broker’s client who currently has no score and, as you can see below, he responded that AU’s don’t work for Mortgage loans. Have you seen that in the past?

    Thanks,

    Holly Jewell

    Sent: Friday, December 06, 2013 1:20 PM
    Subject: RE: updated credit score now showing 0 credit score!

    Auth users doesn’t work for mortgage loan’s they are wise to that now.

    [MODERATED]

    Sent: Friday, December 06, 2013 1:06 PM
    Subject: RE: updated credit score now showing 0 credit score!

    Thanks. I do know some trradeline companies I could suggest he be added as an Authorized User… but I doubt if he is willing to pay for that. I could coach him to re-establish his credit but I’m sure he just wants that for free too! Sorry to be so cynical but this guy has really gotten on my last nerve – if you know what I mean…

    Cheers,

    Holly

    [MODERATED]

    Sent: Friday, December 06, 2013 12:38 PM
    Subject: RE: updated credit score now showing 0 credit score!

    He doesn’t have repair needed, he needs to get some tradelines and establish his credit, he told me to send that report to you and him so I did that’s all. That guy is a mess I agree he just doesn’t get it.

    [MODERATED]

    Sent: Friday, December 06, 2013 11:56 AM
    Subject: RE: updated credit score now showing 0 credit score!

    Hi,

    I’m sure you will agree – [MODERATED] is a Mess! After I repaired his credit he refused to buy a home in his price range… and kept trying all these strange approaches… like a joint loan with his mother in law (or something like that).

    He has called me on at least three occasions since I straightened out his credit to get free information and tips regarding his credit. I don’t mind giving free advice but each time after I review his credit and give him free advice about what to do then he never calls me back about following through with my suggestions which often involve debt settlement or other things to get his scores up…

    Is he wanting to go through credit repair again?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *