Buying Tradelines: How Many Tradelines Do I Need?
What’s the Difference Between Credit Repair and Adding Tradelines?
10/08/2020
What Happened to Equal Credit Opportunity for All?
03/29/2021
When purchasing tradelines, there are some cases where it is best to get a single tradeline and other cases when multiple tradelines might be more appropriate. To help you decide, we’ve provided some examples for each scenario below.
When to Buy Two or More Tradelines
Thin Credit File (Too Few Accounts)
Balance out derogatory accounts with positive tradelines.
Credit scoring models value a mix of several different types of credit accounts, so a thin file with only a few accounts might be limited in what it can achieve. In this case, adding a few tradelines would be ideal because it would help increase the number of accounts in the file.
On the other hand, someone with no credit at all or an extremely thin file can also experience significant benefits from adding one tradeline, since they didn’t have much there to begin with. Of course, more than one tradeline will help even more.
Balancing Out Derogatory Accounts
Accounts that have negative marks such as late payments and collections can really drag down credit. Derogatory accounts need to be outweighed by positive accounts, so one’s credit report should contain at least 2-3 positive tradelines for every negative account. Therefore, multiple tradelines may be necessary to balance out derogatory accounts damaging one’s credit.
Posting to a Specific Credit Bureau
In time-critical situations, purchasing additional tradelines will help protect against potential non-postings.
If it is important for a tradeline to post to a specific credit bureau, this is a good time to consider purchasing more than one tradeline.
Unfortunately, banks and credit card companies are not always 100% accurate in their reporting process, so while we guarantee that each tradeline will post to at least any two out of the three major credit bureaus, we do not have any control over which of the three bureaus the tradelines will post to.
Because there is always a degree of uncertainty with tradelines, if you are looking to get a tradeline to post to a specific bureau, purchasing extra tradelines will help provide the added security you need.
Important Time-Sensitive Events
Similarly, if something important and time-sensitive is going on that depends on the tradelines posting, the safest bet is to get more than one tradeline. Again, we do offer a money-back guarantee in the event that a non-posting occurs, but the fact is that non-postings do occasionally happen due to inconsistent reporting by the banks.
In time-critical situations, there may not be time to exchange a non-posting tradeline for a new one and wait for the new one to post. If you are counting on tradelines to post within a certain time frame, investing in additional tradelines will help hedge against potential non-postings.
When to Buy One High-Quality Tradeline
It’s usually best to purchase one high-quality tradeline if there are budget constraints.
Budget Constraints
If your budget is constrained to a certain dollar amount, it is usually better to purchase one high-quality tradeline rather than dividing that amount between two tradelines that are not as high in quality.
This is because credit scores consider both your average age of accounts and the age of your oldest account. A single account with lots of age has more potential to increase those numbers, while two accounts with less age may not offer as much improvement or might even dilute the credit file.
Here is a hypothetical example to consider. Let’s say your current average age of accounts is 2 years. If you were to spend the same amount of money in either case, would it be better to buy two tradelines that are both 4 years old, or one tradeline that is 8 years old?
If you decided to buy the two 4-year-old tradelines, this would increase your average age of accounts to about 3 years ([2 + 4 + 4] / 3 = 3.3) and your oldest account would be 4 years old.
On the other hand, if you were to buy one 8-year-old tradeline, this would bump up your average age of accounts to 5 years ([2 + 8] / 2 = 5) and your oldest account would be 8 years old.
In the second scenario, you end up with a higher age for both of these important credit history factors. Be sure to check out our tradeline buyer’s guide and tradeline calculator to help determine the best plan of action for your situation.
| Current credit file | After adding 2 4-year-old tradelines | After adding 1 8-year-old tradeline | |
| Average age of accounts | 2 years | 3 years | 5 years |
| Age of oldest account | 2 years | 4 years | 8 years |
It is more difficult to affect the average age of accounts when there are many accounts, so one high-quality tradeline tends to be the best choice for very thick files.
Extending the Age of Your Oldest Tradeline
The age of the oldest account in your credit file is a very important data point. If the goal is simply to extend the age of the oldest tradeline in the credit report, then of course only one tradeline is needed. The tradeline just needs to be older than the oldest account that is currently on file, but obviously, the more age the better, so we recommend going significantly older.
Very Thick File (15 or More Accounts)
A very thick file with a large number of accounts will “dilute” the power of any tradelines that are added. Since there are so many tradelines already in the file, it will be more difficult to affect the average age of accounts. Therefore, one premium tradeline with a lot of age and a high credit limit will be a better fit for a very thick file, rather than multiple less potent tradelines.
Focusing on Credit Limit
Some consumers are less concerned with the age of the tradelines and more concerned with the credit limit for their specific circumstances. If a high credit limit is the main priority, it will usually make more sense to purchase one tradeline with a high credit limit rather than multiple tradelines that have lower credit limits.
If a high credit limit is the goal, usually one tradeline is enough.
The strategy on this topic may vary depending on what you are trying to accomplish and what your goals are, but in general, if you can accomplish the goal with one tradeline, that would probably be the better option.
Modest Goals
Depending on what a person’s goals are, they may not need to get the maximum results possible. For smaller goals, one tradeline may be all they need. However, it is always best to try to overshoot the goal in order to have some extra insurance in making sure the goal is truly achieved.
No Credit File or an Extremely Thin File
As we mentioned previously, adding a few tradelines to a thin credit file is ideal because it greatly increases the number of accounts in the file.
Adding just one tradeline to a very thin credit file can make a big difference.
However, it’s also important to keep in mind that someone with no prior credit history or an extremely thin file may still find value in buying just one tradeline, since adding one account to a baseline of zero or one existing accounts is still a significant change.
As an example, adding one tradeline to a credit report that previously only had one account in it represents a 100% increase in the number of accounts in the file! This not only adds valuable age and payment history but also impacts the “credit mix” factor in credit scoring.
Key Takeaways on How Many Tradelines to Buy
To summarize when you should consider purchasing a single tradeline versus when you should consider investing in more than one tradeline, we have included the main points of this article in the table below.
| When to Buy Two or More Tradelines | When to Buy One High-Quality Tradeline |
| If you have a thin credit file (too few accounts) | If you have budget constraints |
| If you need to balance out derogatory accounts | When you want to increase the age of your oldest tradeline |
| When you want to maximize results | If you already have a very thick file (15 or more accounts) |
| When you need a tradeline to post to a specific credit bureau | If you want a high credit limit |
| If you need a tradeline for an important, time-sensitive event | If you have modest goals |
| If you have no credit file or an extremely thin credit file |
If you are wondering how many tradelines you need, remember that the power of tradelines is always going to be relative to your current credit file and it is important to consider what will be the best fit for your specific situation.
In some situations, it may be important to maximize results using multiple powerful tradelines, such as when you are trying to accomplish a major goal or when there are serious hurdles to overcome. In other cases, one good tradeline might be all you need.
Whatever the case may be for you, it is always best to understand how tradelines work first and foremost and avoid making any common mistakes.
In simplest terms, the safest option is always to overshoot your goal and stick with the highest quality tradelines within your budget, and remember that in most cases, age is key. If budget is a big concern, then it’s usually best to just buy one of the highest quality tradelines your budget allows.
What are your thoughts on this article about how many tradelines to buy? We would love to hear your feedback, so leave a comment below!
34 Comments
Hi I want to get a personal loan of 25k. I have a thin file just one secure card. How many tradelines do I need?
This would be a question for the underwriter of the loan, we would recommend contacting your loan provider. You might find this article useful as well: https://tradelinesupply.com/how-many-tradelines/
i’m trying to buy a house but i filed bankruptcy in 2017 and i got 4 credit cards 1 is secured but my scores are rising but not fast enough and i don’t know how many trade lines to buy,
We need more information to give you the best advice, please give us a call at 619-255-9588.
I have 2 negatives on my credit and 5 tradelines they’re all under a year but I’m trying to get high funding but also I have 23 inquiries from buying my new car
Hello, I have two separate 30 day late payments on a credit card and both have been brought to current. Total payments are 77 on time out of 79. My score was dropped from 683 to 536. Credit age is around 2.5 years, what route would be best for me to have a major score increase in 1 month?
We do not do credit repair, but if you have questions about tradelines, feel free to give us a call at 619-255-9588. We also have articles and FAQs that may help.
Hi Trina. I’m new to trade lines but need to raise my credit score fast. Did you buy your trade lines here ?
I’m new to business credit. I have 0 tradelines. How may tradelines do I need to have a high credit score within 45 days?
One Highest quality tradeline on a thin credit profile with little to none accounts, this high end tradeline with 10years to boost credit score to how much. Starting out fresh and I need to get my own rental property. Will one tradeline work. I also heard if you have no score then fico starts you off with 300 pts. Is this true?
We do not guarantee any positive results on your credit score or that you will be able to achieve any financial goal as a result of purchasing our tradelines. Check out Our Guarantees here for more info.
Generally, however, we usually recommend investing in one high-quality tradeline if you are looking for maximum impact. You may also want to take a look at our Tradeline Buyer’s Guide, which can help you determine the best strategy for you, and Common Mistakes Made When Buying Tradelines.
You are correct that the FICO score range starts at 300, but it is very rare to see someone with a credit score in the 300’s. People usually start off closer to the middle of 300 and 850 when they first start building credit.
If you do not have a credit score because you have never used credit before, then you should be fine, but if you have no credit score because of aggressive credit sweeps and deletions, keep in mind that there may be blocks on your credit file that could prevent tradelines from posting.
Hi- I am in the last stage of my credit repair process. I currently have scores of about 580 from all three bureaus. A few late payments (hopefully the credit repair process will remove them), auto loan, installment loan, myjewelersclub account and a secured credit card. I am looking to trade my car in on a new car for about 50k in December and wondering if I need to purchase a high quality tradeline and a lower quality tradeline or just one large tradeline. I am looking to maybe get my score to about 720 if possible.
We do not give credit advice and we do not guarantee any improvements to credit in any way. As we state in this article, generally, it is usually better to purchase one high-quality tradeline rather than two tradelines that are not as high in quality.
Do tradelines help offset late payment history ??? (Car loan)
Check out the section called “Balancing Out Derogatory Accounts” in this article. 🙂
This is great information
I currently do not have ANY credit established but, I am looking to purchase a new Mercedes and I’m considering of buying a tradeline to help me do so – after I purchase my tradeline, approximately how long would it take for the tradeline to post to my profile and how soon may I put it to use?
I am two points away from a 600 credit score to qualify for a mortgage. What can I do to instantly boost my score by 2 or more points
We do not offer individual credit advice and we do not help with funding. In general, an effective way to improve your credit is to lower your revolving utilization by paying down credit card balances and/or increasing your credit limits. You can find more ideas here and throughout our website:
https://tradelinesupply.com/credit-hacks/
I have bad/poor credit. I’m trying to get a car loan but every dealership tells me that my credit is too thin and too low because Ive never purchased anything on credit and because I haven’t paid off my student loans. Would purchasing a tradeline help with getting approved for this auto loan? I read your article and your correct life is extremely difficult with bad credit. Please help
Thank you for reading our article, and we’re so sorry to hear about your difficult situation! Unfortunately, we do not guarantee any specific results beyond getting the tradeline to post since we do not market our tradelines for the purpose of improving credit. Be sure to look at our guarantees (https://tradelinesupply.com/guarantees/). You may want to talk to your prospective lenders about what they want to see in order to approve an auto loan. Additional content on our website should help you in making your decision and if you have questions about tradelines specifically, we can help if you contact us at 619-255-9588.
Hello i have a cpn and looking to get a rental property. I have an unsecured card of a 500 credit limit. I have ha. I am looking to build the number profile and want to rent immediately. if i purchase 2 tradelines will i be able to rent by end of June?
We do not accept CPNs.
https://tradelinesupply.com/whats-a-cpn-and-why-dont-we-accept-them/
Hi I don’t have any credit at all I need to know if just one or two will help me get started
Do the tradelines disappear from credit ?
https://tradelinesupply.com/how-long-do-tradelines-stay-on-your-credit/
I would like to know what will happen to my credit score after the 2 billing circle and I am removed from the tradeline as authorized user? Will my credit be affected negatively?
https://tradelinesupply.com/how-long-do-tradelines-stay-on-your-credit/
Hello, we started a cleaning business 2 years ago and the company has no credit history. I wonder if buying a few tradeline accounts may help the business to build its credit, please advise, thanks.
We sell personal AU tradelines, however, here are some business credit resources that may be useful:
https://tradelinesupply.com/faq-2/do-you-sell-business-tradelines/
https://tradelinesupply.com/business-credit-personal-tradelines/
https://tradelinesupply.com/business-credit-business-funding/
hello, your price list: is that monthly charge or if I pay for a tradeline I get for life?
The price is for two reporting cycles, which is about two months. You can purchase extensions if you want to stay on a tradeline for longer than two months. Read more here:
https://tradelinesupply.com/how-long-do-tradelines-stay-on-your-credit/
https://tradelinesupply.com/do-you-have-tradelines-that-will-stay-on-my-credit-for-longer-than-2-months/
How long does the trade line stay on your credit??
https://tradelinesupply.com/how-long-do-tradelines-stay-on-your-credit/