What's the Price of Buying Your Way Into a Better Credit Score?

If you've been thinking about buying tradelines to increase your credit score, you've probably been researching various suppliers and companies to see what they're offering and how much authorized user tradelines really cost. This can be a daunting task since there are many ways and places to buy tradelines, and each line itself has its own characteristics.

To provide a basic idea of the price, you can expect to pay anywhere from $150 to $1000 or more to purchase a tradeline. You may find cheaper options and you may find more expensive options, but this provides you with an idea of just how widely they range.

The price to buy a tradeline is going to depend on five factors:

  • The length of time the card has been open/active (the longer the better)
  • The card's total limit (the higher the better)
  • The percentage of utilization (the lower the better)
  • The payment history (generally this should be nothing less than perfect)
  • The issuing bank or institution (some are more desirable than others)

Of course, what you pay for your tradeline will also depend on the amount of time you plan to use it. The five factors listed above are how the cost will be determined for each purchase, or period of use, which is usually 60 days. With that being said, the length of time the account has been open and the credit limit are by far the most important aspects of the price. Why? Because most companies who sell tradelines already have a requirement that the utilization is only enough to keep the account in movement each month, and, they won't accept less than perfect payment history.

The issuing bank can also be a factor in the overall cost, but this is because some tend to report more (and others less) to credit bureaus. Not only does this make certain cards more desirable, but it provokes some tradeline companies to exclude certain cards from their inventory completely. For example, some say that American Express is a bad choice because they don't always report authorized users to credit bureaus. This can result in wasted time and money, unsatisfied customers, and be more hassle than it's worth.

When you visit a tradeline company's website, you should be able to browse through their inventory and see a variety of choices that are readily available for purchase. If you can't find what you're looking for, the best option is to always pick up the phone and give them a call. Not only will you be able to learn a bit more this way, but you might also be informed about tradelines that haven't yet been listed on their site since new tradelines usually arrive daily. Even if you're confident in which specific lines you're interested in, giving them a call and asking a few questions is always a good screening process to gauge the knowledge of the company you'll be buying from. They'll also be able to help you make the best decision for your individual circumstances, if needed.

Which Tradeline for Which Price?

If you have been gifted with a high limit card of your own but the account has only been open for a couple years or less, you'd want to seek a card with an older account age. Ideally, you'd want that card to also have a higher limit than your own to keep both your average limit and overall account age as high as possible.

If your own credit card limits are low and the card's account age isn't long, you can benefit greatly from a credit card that has two or three times the age and at least triple your current credit limit. These tradelines will deliver the biggest boost possible since your average limit and age will improve drastically. You might want to inquire about tradeline packages, too. When you purchase more than one at a time, you'll see better results than by using a singular card in most instances, and will often get discounted pricing.

The truth is that there is no "set price" to buy tradelines, and you should never assume there is. Every person's needs or requirements are different, as is each tradeline. The reason you're seeking tradelines in the first place - or let's say the underlying reason for needing/wanting to raise your credit score - will be the final deciding factor how much authorized user tradelines costs.

At the end of the day, tradelines can work wonders for your credit score but you have to understand that your credit profile is important and sensitive. It shouldn't be played with or put at risk. For this reason, you should always choose a reputable company with solid reviews. Avoid purchasing tradelines from eBay, craigslist, or other potentially shady sources. Even if you don't get scammed, you could harm your credit if the process is not completed properly.

GFS Group, for example, has been dealing in tradelines for over 6 years and has an excellent history with no instances of information breaches. Their website features a state-of-the-art system to buy tradelines quickly and easily. In addition, our customer service is second-to-none (unlike some of their large competitors). You can buy with confidence and receive quick personalized attention. You'll even get a money-back guarantee in the instance that you have any problems, of if your tradeline doesn't post to your credit report.

So instead of worrying only about how much authorized user tradelines really cost, take everything into consideration and choose what you need from a company you can trust.