Which Credit Cards Help Authorized Users Build Credit? - NerdWallet

Buying authorized user accounts, often called is a controversial practice where a consumer pays a fee to be added to a stranger's well-established credit card account. The goal is to "piggyback" off the primary cardholder's positive credit history to artificially boost one's own credit score.

While companies like Tradeline Supply Company claim this can provide a quick bump, major financial institutions and credit bureaus often view the practice as deceptive or even fraudulent. How Buying Tradelines Works

In a typical transaction, a third-party company acts as a broker between "sellers" (people with high-limit, long-aged credit cards) and "buyers" (people looking to improve their credit).

You pay a fee (often ranging from $300 to over $1,000) to be added as an authorized user.

Many issuers report the account’s history—including its age and credit limit—to the authorized user's credit report.

Usually, the buyer does not receive a physical card and cannot spend the seller's money; the card is sent to the primary cardholder’s address. The Benefits vs. The Risks