Short answer
An authorized user tradeline is an existing credit card account, with its own history, that you are added to as an authorized user. If the issuer reports authorized users to the bureaus, the account may appear on your credit report. It can add history to a thin or young file. It does not remove late payments, collections or charge-offs, it does not guarantee a score increase, and it does not guarantee a loan approval.
What is an authorized user?
An authorized user is someone added to another person's credit card account. They may or may not get a physical card, and they are not responsible for paying the bill. The primary cardholder is. People have done this for years: parents add children, spouses add each other.
A tradeline is the credit bureaus' name for an account on a credit report. An authorized user tradeline, as we use the term, is a seasoned card account with positive payment history and low utilization that a buyer is added to for a set period. You will also hear "piggybacking" or "piggyback credit." It is the same idea. For a longer walkthrough, see How Does Authorized User Piggybacking Work?
How a tradeline gets onto your report
The sequence matters more than anything else on this page, because most confusion about "when will it post" comes from skipping it.
- You are added to the cardholder's account.
- The statement closes. Each card has a statement date every month.
- The issuer reports the account's balance and status to the bureaus. This is the reporting date. The issuer sets it, not you and not us.
- The bureaus update your file, each on its own schedule.
- You may see it on your credit report.
Because everything keys off the statement and reporting dates, the day you pay matters less than whether you ordered before the card's cycle. Miss the cycle and reporting can slip by about a month. That is why every line in our inventory shows its reporting date, and why our written guarantee asks that you buy at least 5 days before the reporting date.
The standard term is two reporting cycles, normally at least 60 days.
What it can do
- Add an older account to a young file.
- Add available credit, which can lower your overall utilization on paper.
- Add positive payment history to a file that has little of it.
"Can" is the right word. How much a scoring model weighs an authorized user account varies by model, by lender and by what else is on your file. Some lenders treat authorized user accounts differently than others. We do not guess how many points anyone will gain, and you should be wary of anyone who does.
What it does not do
- It does not remove late payments, collections or charge-offs.
- It does not guarantee a score increase.
- It does not guarantee loan approval.
- It is not credit repair.
Who it may not help
This is the part many sellers skip.
Recent negative items. If you have recent late payments, collections or charge-offs, one more positive account may not outweigh them. Address those first.
A file that already has stronger accounts. If your oldest card is 15 years old with a high limit, a line that is younger or smaller adds nothing. Look for lines that are older and have a higher limit than what is already on your file.
High utilization on your own cards. Paying down your balances may help more than any added account.
A deadline that has already passed. If your lender needs documents next week and the next reporting date is five weeks out, a tradeline will not arrive in time. We would rather tell you that than take the order.
A hope for a permanent change. After the term ends you are removed from the account. What stays on your report afterward depends on the bank, the bureau and the scoring model, so do not count on a lasting benefit.
How to evaluate a line
Before you pay anyone, you should be able to see these details:
Detail
Why it matters
Bank
Affects how the account is reported and viewed
Credit limit
Higher limits can lower the reported utilization on the account
Account age
Older accounts add more history
Reporting date
When the account could first appear
Order-by date
The last day to buy for that cycle
Compare each one against the accounts already on your file. For a fuller checklist, see What to Check Before You Buy a Tradeline.
Authorized user vs. primary tradelines vs. CPNs
- Authorized user tradeline: you are added to an existing account. You do not own the account or its debt.
- Primary tradeline: an account opened in your own name. That is an ordinary credit account, not something you buy. See Primary Tradelines and Why You Should Avoid Purchasing Them.
- CPN (credit privacy number): sometimes sold as a way to start a "new credit identity." The FTC has warned about these. Using a number that is not your own Social Security number on credit applications can be fraud. We do not sell them and we do not consider them an alternative to anything on this page.
Is it legal?
Being added as an authorized user to someone's card is a legal, common arrangement. What matters is how a tradeline is bought and used: be accurate on any application, and do not represent yourself as something you are not. Lenders' policies on authorized user accounts also differ. For your own situation, a lender or attorney can answer questions. See also Are Tradelines Legal?
Frequently asked questions
How long does a tradeline stay on my report?
You stay on the card as an authorized user for two reporting cycles, normally at least 60 days. You can extend one cycle at a time for half the original purchase price.
How many bureaus will it report to?
Our guarantee is that every line posts to at least 2 of the 3 bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
How many points will my score go up?
We do not know, and neither does anyone else. It depends on the scoring model, the lender and your whole file.
Do I need more than one?
Not necessarily. A single line that is older and higher-limit than your existing accounts is a better test than a count of lines.
Can I be the cardholder instead?
Yes. Cardholders can earn money by making authorized user spots available. See our supplier program.
Talk to a person
If you are not sure whether an authorized user tradeline fits your situation, call our Raleigh office at (919) 200-0484. Matt, Kathleen and the team will go through your file with you. If a tradeline will not help, we will say so before you buy.
Authorized user tradelines do not guarantee any change to your credit score or approval for any loan.