Selling Tradelines / Piggybacking Part II: $1000+/hr, 20-40k/yr. Side Gig

[harrydogyo]

Barclays is inquiry sensitive.  So if you've applied for a lot of cards and then theirs you're not going to get much for them.  If you haven't applied in a while and don't have anything with them you have a better chance.

The conversation with a credit analyst can sometimes work "I want to make this my primary card but the CL is so much lower than my other cards, is there anything I can do... thinking I might just cancel because it's not enough."  If you have a good score they'll work with you... but you may also want to use your credit with them as well.  If you have a 5k limit (and no TL spots on it now) and charge 3k and pay it all off you're signaling you're a good risk.  If you never use it and want a higher CL, ain't going to happen. 

They're tougher than other companies but if you use a card that you have and know they're inquiry sensitive you can be okay.

[MoneyTree]

Looking for some guidance...

I have a few barclay cards that are selling out consistently lately at 2 spots each.  I am wondering if I should increase the # of AU slots from 2 to 3 or possibly even 4.  The only downside I can think of is that I will hit the max AU limit faster on each card.

Any thoughts?  Thanks in advance!

YMMV, but I have had no issue selling 4 slots every single month on my Barclays card. Yes you will reach your AU limit much more quickly, but there’s no reason to save them for later unless you are still seasoning them.

After 46 AUs, my Barclays card has finally hit its AU limit. I’m trying to reset my card number as we speak, but if that doesn’t reset the AU limit, I’ll reallocate the limit to a different card.

[Pizzabrewer]

My Barclays card with $19k limit sold 2 slots consistently ($125 for each sale). I asked Barclays for an increase of $9k. After a hard pull, they approved only a $2500 bump. So theoretically I’ll now get $175 per sale, but I haven’t had one yet. I probably should have left it at $19k.

[missundecided]

I've left my Chase cards untouched for sales but is there any risk of closure if I add one family member to several of my Chase cards?

[arebelspy]

I've left my Chase cards untouched for sales but is there any risk of closure if I add one family member to several of my Chase cards?

That seems unlikely (especially if they have the same last name), that's generally the purpose of adding authorized users.

[missundecided]

Thanks, ARS! And by adding that one person to multiple cards, does that boost their score even more, or does it just become marginal improvement per card?

[MasterStache]

My Barclays card with $19k limit sold 2 slots consistently ($125 for each sale). I asked Barclays for an increase of $9k. After a hard pull, they approved only a $2500 bump. So theoretically I’ll now get $175 per sale, but I haven’t had one yet. I probably should have left it at $19k.

It's certainly possible as I'm guessing it put your card into another level. My spouse and I have the same Barclaycard opened at roughly the same time. She has a higher limit and sells less spots pretty consistently. I have no intentions of reducing her CL though as she is still selling slots. 

[Nutty]

Thanks, ARS! And by adding that one person to multiple cards, does that boost their score even more, or does it just become marginal improvement per card?

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/how-does-being-an-authorized-user-affect-your-credit/
If I Add Somebody As An Authorized User, Will Their Score Go Up?
If you have a good credit history on that card (pay the credit card statement on time, have a low credit utilization and it’s an old card) then it will be beneficial. The opposite is also true though, if you have bad history (never pay on time, have a high credit utilization ratio and it’s a new card) then it will be detrimental to their credit. If you’re unable to be somebody and have them count as an authorized user, then it’s best for them to get a secured credit card to help build their credit history. This is true for the FICO score only, vantageScore doesn’t include authorized user data in their scoring process.

The cards are only a small portion of a FICO calculation and there are a lot of factors.  Lots of information from the credit monitoring sites that you can reference.  It improves only if they have little to no credit history and the bad things aren't killing the score.

So with little information, maybe.  What does their history look like today?

[katsiki]

Looking for some guidance...

I have a few barclay cards that are selling out consistently lately at 2 spots each.  I am wondering if I should increase the # of AU slots from 2 to 3 or possibly even 4.  The only downside I can think of is that I will hit the max AU limit faster on each card.

Any thoughts?  Thanks in advance!

How did you get a few barclaycards with high enough credit lines to use them for TL sales? I have three cards but can use only one of them for TLs because the total credit limit is quite low and even if they approve an application for a new card they'll just assign a very small credit line. They probably have a relatively low limit on the total credit line per customer.

Time, I suppose, mainly.  5 cards between 2 people (Application for my dog was denied - ha!)  One hit the AU limit, so I moved some of that CL to one of the others.

I am not sure of total credit line per customer.  That's a good question.  Looks like $44K for one and $31K for the other.

[katsiki]

Looking for some guidance...

I have a few barclay cards that are selling out consistently lately at 2 spots each.  I am wondering if I should increase the # of AU slots from 2 to 3 or possibly even 4.  The only downside I can think of is that I will hit the max AU limit faster on each card.

Any thoughts?  Thanks in advance!

The other main downside is that you may risk increasing your risk of card closure.  And I can tell you from personal experience that if you have a card closed on you with, say, 3 or 4 AUs on there, then you don't get paid for any of them, and it's a moderately major hassle for you and the TL company to deal with.

I personally just set my AU slots to whatever the company recommends.  Occasionally they have asked me to go one additional slot (they had a bug in their scheduling at one point where they were overbooking cards), and generally I've declined.

There is an old phrase "Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered" that people might apply here.

Thanks @secondcor521 and everyone else for chiming in on my question.

Interestingly enough, old co doesn't have a recommendation...  they did advise max is 5 for barclays.  I may increase a couple of cards to 3 and see how it goes.

[secondcor521]

Looking for some guidance...

I have a few barclay cards that are selling out consistently lately at 2 spots each.  I am wondering if I should increase the # of AU slots from 2 to 3 or possibly even 4.  The only downside I can think of is that I will hit the max AU limit faster on each card.

Any thoughts?  Thanks in advance!

The other main downside is that you may risk increasing your risk of card closure.  And I can tell you from personal experience that if you have a card closed on you with, say, 3 or 4 AUs on there, then you don't get paid for any of them, and it's a moderately major hassle for you and the TL company to deal with.

I personally just set my AU slots to whatever the company recommends.  Occasionally they have asked me to go one additional slot (they had a bug in their scheduling at one point where they were overbooking cards), and generally I've declined.

There is an old phrase "Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered" that people might apply here.

Thanks @secondcor521 and everyone else for chiming in on my question.

Interestingly enough, old co doesn't have a recommendation...  they did advise max is 5 for barclays.  I may increase a couple of cards to 3 and see how it goes.

Sure.  Well, remember that it all goes well until it doesn't.  The CC companies seem to generally just shut you down without warning (USAA being the apparent exception).  And AFAIK there is no appeal.

[ducky19]

Looking for some guidance...

I have a few barclay cards that are selling out consistently lately at 2 spots each.  I am wondering if I should increase the # of AU slots from 2 to 3 or possibly even 4.  The only downside I can think of is that I will hit the max AU limit faster on each card.

Any thoughts?  Thanks in advance!

The other main downside is that you may risk increasing your risk of card closure.  And I can tell you from personal experience that if you have a card closed on you with, say, 3 or 4 AUs on there, then you don't get paid for any of them, and it's a moderately major hassle for you and the TL company to deal with.

I personally just set my AU slots to whatever the company recommends.  Occasionally they have asked me to go one additional slot (they had a bug in their scheduling at one point where they were overbooking cards), and generally I've declined.

There is an old phrase "Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered" that people might apply here.

Thanks @secondcor521 and everyone else for chiming in on my question.

Interestingly enough, old co doesn't have a recommendation...  they did advise max is 5 for barclays.  I may increase a couple of cards to 3 and see how it goes.

Sure.  Well, remember that it all goes well until it doesn't.  The CC companies seem to generally just shut you down without warning (USAA being the apparent exception).  And AFAIK there is no appeal.

For the record, I have never heard of Barclay closing down an account for AU activity. Ever.

[harrydogyo]

And FWIW I've added 14 to my Barclays card and 20 to my Amex between two TL companies in the last two and a half months.  Outside of Barclays hard lifetime cap and Amex's 100 per year rule, why not?

[solon]

After hearing so many people extol Barclay's I think I'll get one. Is there one Barclay card that is the best right now? Does anyone want to send me a referral link?

[harrydogyo]

they don't do referrals like Chase for links that reward someone else AFAIK.  The JetBlue card had a great offer that's since expired when it was 100k.  The AA and some other travel cards  (depending what you'll use) have compelling valuations now and the AARP cards have decent rewards if you want to use it for spending while it seasons.   Over time they've had some great offers that went away (uber, arrival+) but they want to be a player in the US.

[Nutty]

With Old Companies latest email about Disc limiting AU to 7 per year, what happens if you hit that?  Do they kick off the AUs?

With Barclays, I received a card in December and applied for another in March and was just granted it after proving I am indeed me.  Having said that, the credit score took a nosedive due to all the cards.  I have a pile seasoning and after 6 months of research, I think I understand churning.  I don't understand how you get huge credit limits though.  Any thoughts to be shared?  Thank you

[katsiki]

How do you get your limits up to $30K?  I have a handful of cards and a 750 credit score and my highest limit is I think 15 or 20K. One is 10K and the rest only 5K or less. I use the cards for small purchases and have them all on autopay.  I think my Bank of America card is $1,000! I ask for increases and am either denied or they say that based on my use they don't think I need an increase.  How often do you request an increase and how? Do you call or go online?

I think there are many factors that go into it, including how much total credit you have, income, debt and housing payments, and how much you are using the credit you already have.

I only have anecdotal evidence, but i've found that the premium cards with annual fees are the ones that give really high limits. I only have 2 cards with 30K+ limits and both were cards that had annual fees. What you could try is to get the annual fee waived, or product change the card after getting approved for the high limit.

Look for "visa signature" credit cards.  Some have fees but some do not as I recall.  They require a higher limit to be issued.

Quoting myself since folks are asking about how to get higher credit limits.

Hope this helps!!

[secondcor521]

I don't understand how you get huge credit limits though.  Any thoughts to be shared?  Thank you

1.  Excellent credit history.  Excellent means long, varied, and flawless.
2.  High household income.  Most CC companies limit total exposure to some percentage of your household income.
3.  High usage can help.
4.  You can sometimes get there over time by piecemealing small credit limit increases, but this is a slow slog.
5.  A bit of a catch-22, but high limits with other issuers can help.

[Nutty]

Thank you.  I did read the whole thread over the course of a couple of weeks and that still slipped through.  Makes sense.  Slow slog it is.  Getting high usage will be a challenge trying to attack this many at once with household expenses.  Cheers

PS - I still want the magic that makes it happen all at once.  ;)

[MoneyTree]

as quoted above, i have 2 cards with over $30K limits. (I used to have 3, but alas got one shut down). All of them either still have an annual fee, or initially had an annual fee before I downgraded the card.

I think something about having cards with an annual fee somehow makes the card issuers more ok with giving higher limits.

If you are not cool with the annual fees, look for something that can be downgraded to a no fee version after your initial approval.

[Michael in ABQ]

If you're filing a Schedule C for your tradeline income any annual credit card fees are a fully deductible expense. So $80/year is a small price to pay if it lets you earn $175 instead of $125 per sale since they're more willing to offer higher limits.

Anecdotally my highest limit is $22k on a card with an annual fee. The rest of my cards are between $10k and $20k limits and only one of those has a fee.

[katsiki]

as quoted above, i have 2 cards with over $30K limits. (I used to have 3, but alas got one shut down). All of them either still have an annual fee, or initially had an annual fee before I downgraded the card.

I think something about having cards with an annual fee somehow makes the card issuers more ok with giving higher limits.

If you are not cool with the annual fees, look for something that can be downgraded to a no fee version after your initial approval.

MoneyTree brings up a good point...  I am pretty sure that my spouse's credit limits started going up after getting a 'premium' card from Chase.  It was Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred.  That CL was significantly higher than her other CL's (she has great credit).  After that card, future cards were typically higher as well.

Hope this helps.

[ducky19]

Anyone else having issues with Barclay card orders being cancelled? I have had 3 now in the past two weeks that only reported to one of the three credit agencies, resulting in the customer receiving a refund. This is particularly frustrating as this is my highest earning card ($250 per slot) and these users are still counting against my lifetime AU limit (which for me is around 28). The company I am working with has stated they have seen an increased number of Barclay cards only posting to one, so I've put the card on hold until I know more. Anyone else seeing this?

[Padonak]

I had one Barclays order that didn't post recently (didn't report to all the three bureaus).

[secondcor521]

No issues with Barclays for me (yet).  Had a successful add on 5/9/21.  A 6/9/21 add is still pending.

[MoMoney88]

re: Barclay... those of you having issues with Barclaycard posting, are you adding the AU via online or calling it in?

I was instructed to call it in every time to make sure the SSN was provided.  I have have added 8 over the last 6-7 months and never had an issue.... knock on wood.

[salt cured]

I had my first adds with new company this year—BoA and Citi. All have posted, and I’m now waiting on word to remove users. The BoA orders were back in Feb/Mar. Anyone know the typical timeline? Didn’t see anything in the docs they originally sent.

[secondcor521]

I had my first adds with new company this year—BoA and Citi. All have posted, and I’m now waiting on word to remove users. The BoA orders were back in Feb/Mar. Anyone know the typical timeline? Didn’t see anything in the docs they originally sent.

I think new company sends an email to you telling you when to remove.  Typical timeframe is 2 to 4 months.  Don't remove early or you risk not getting paid.

[salt cured]

I had my first adds with new company this year—BoA and Citi. All have posted, and I’m now waiting on word to remove users. The BoA orders were back in Feb/Mar. Anyone know the typical timeline? Didn’t see anything in the docs they originally sent.

I think new company sends an email to you telling you when to remove.  Typical timeframe is 2 to 4 months.  Don't remove early or you risk not getting paid.

Good to know! Thanks.

[Padonak]

re: Barclay... those of you having issues with Barclaycard posting, are you adding the AU via online or calling it in?

I was instructed to call it in every time to make sure the SSN was provided.  I have have added 8 over the last 6-7 months and never had an issue.... knock on wood.

Online.

[ducky19]

re: Barclay... those of you having issues with Barclaycard posting, are you adding the AU via online or calling it in?

I was instructed to call it in every time to make sure the SSN was provided.  I have have added 8 over the last 6-7 months and never had an issue.... knock on wood.

Online.

Also online. I have always added users online with Barclay for well over two years, and I believe I may have had one user not post total in that time.

[frugalnacho]

My discover card AU activity has been restricted.  I got a sale and when I go to add them I get this message:

"You've reached the maximum number of requests to add Authorized Users at this time.
You'll be able to add your next Authorized User on 08/21/2021 if you have fewer than 5 Authorized Users at that time."

I added 4 AU to this card in 2021 with the old company.  Prior to that I added 3 AU in 2020 with the new company.  Currently I have 1 AU still on the account.

I see that discover has a maximum of 5 simultaneous AU, but I don't see what the rules are for "maximum number of requests".  Anyone have any insight?

[MasterStache]

My discover card AU activity has been restricted.  I got a sale and when I go to add them I get this message:

"You've reached the maximum number of requests to add Authorized Users at this time.
You'll be able to add your next Authorized User on 08/21/2021 if you have fewer than 5 Authorized Users at that time."

I added 4 AU to this card in 2021 with the old company.  Prior to that I added 3 AU in 2020 with the new company.  Currently I have 1 AU still on the account.

I see that discover has a maximum of 5 simultaneous AU, but I don't see what the rules are for "maximum number of requests".  Anyone have any insight?

I, as well as many others, started seeing that message last year. I actually put my Discover card on hold for a while. Just started adding AU's again but set the limit to 1. Not quite sure myself but I thought it had something to do with reaching max number of AUs over a period of time. Someone else may know more.

[Nutty]

With Old Companies latest email about Disc limiting AU to 7 per year, what happens if you hit that?  Do they kick off the AUs?

I am at 6 AU for 2021 on the first Discover card and put it on hold.  Just reached 5 for the second Discover but expect I'll reach 6 next month.

I don't know if this is calendar year or rolling 12 months.  Interested to hear.

[frugalnacho]

I added an AU to discover in May 2020, then added 2 more on 8-21-20.  I've had a total of 7, so excluding the one from May 2020 I've had 6 in the last year.  I would suspect it's not per calendar year since I've only added 4 in 2021. 

[MoneyTree]

Yes, Discover cardholders started getting this message last year, but the exact rules have been unclear. For example, I had a message that I couldn't add AUs until December 2020, so I waited patiently for that time frame, and then when I go to add an AU in late December 2020, the message changed to say that I couldn't add AUs until June 2021!

Some people have reported that they were able to circumvent the restriction by calling in to add AUs, but I haven't tried that myself

[ZagNation]

Yes, Discover cardholders started getting this message last year, but the exact rules have been unclear. For example, I had a message that I couldn't add AUs until December 2020, so I waited patiently for that time frame, and then when I go to add an AU in late December 2020, the message changed to say that I couldn't add AUs until June 2021!

Some people have reported that they were able to circumvent the restriction by calling in to add AUs, but I haven't tried that myself

After reaching 7 AU in 2020, getting my AU access restricted, having my original date extended to January 2021 and placing my card on hold with the old company, I decided to log into my account back in May and discovered (ha) that I could add authorized users online once more.

June rolls around and I receive two AU add notifications. The first AU went through as expected but when I went to add the second AU I was greeted by the maximum authorized users have been added message. I almost gave up and was going to mark the AU as unable to add but recalled recent communication from the old company encouraging me to call in for adds even when receiving that message.

Lo and behold for the second AU I was able to call in and speak with a CSR (probably within five minutes of adding the first AU online). Gave the CSR name/address/dob/ssn, told them I did not want to receive a card at this time and that was it. Two Discover AUs were added in the same month (one online, one via phone). Please try calling in to add Discover authorized users rather than accepting defeat!

As an aside, I suspect Discover is using a rolling 12 month basis and not per calendar year to determine the maximum number of requests to add authorized users. YMMV.

[beekayworld]

I added an AU to discover in May 2020, then added 2 more on 8-21-20.  I've had a total of 7, so excluding the one from May 2020 I've had 6 in the last year.

You added an AU in May of 2020, but when did you remove that AU? If it was still on the card on July 7th, then you have had 7 in the last 12 months.

[beekayworld]

After reaching 7 AU in 2020, getting my AU access restricted,... in May and discovered (ha) that I could add authorized users online once more.

June rolls around and I receive two AU add notifications. The first AU went through as expected but when I went to add the second AU I was greeted by the maximum authorized users have been added message.

It looks to me like 7 is the limit in any rolling 12 month period.
You added 7 in 2020, got restricted.
You added 2 in 2021, got restricted. I wonder if you added 5 in the last half of 2020? (Between July and December 2020 would still be in your rolling 12-month period).

[stclurker]

could someone message me the TL companies they use? I think I'd like to try getting in on this. ty

[solon]

could someone message me the TL companies they use? I think I'd like to try getting in on this. ty

@arebelspy is who you want to talk to

[stclurker]

could someone message me the TL companies they use? I think I'd like to try getting in on this. ty

@arebelspy is who you want to talk to

thanks, I messaged him

[frugalnacho]

I added an AU to discover in May 2020, then added 2 more on 8-21-20.  I've had a total of 7, so excluding the one from May 2020 I've had 6 in the last year.

You added an AU in May of 2020, but when did you remove that AU? If it was still on the card on July 7th, then you have had 7 in the last 12 months.

I guess that makes sense.  I don't remember when I removed them, but I do not think it was same day that I added 2 more AU (8-21-20).  Seems odds that I would be re-eligible to add AU on a date coinciding with when I previously added AU rather than when I removed them, if that is how they are calculating the roling totals. 

[beekayworld]

... (8-21-20).  Seems odds that I would be re-eligible to add AU on a date coinciding with when I previously added AU rather than when I removed them, if that is how they are calculating the roling totals.

You're right! How about this scenario:
2020: you added 1 in May, you got an order for 2 more on 8-21-20 and thought you'd better remove the May AU before adding 2 more. ? Is that possible. I have sometimes not removed someone exactly when I was supposed to, but when I got a new order on the card, I decide I'd better remove the old AU before adding the new one.

For Discover are you supposed to keep AUs on for 3 months? Or could it have been on for 3 months (even if you were theoretically supposed to remove after 2 months).

I agree with you that the removal date is probably the criteria for the count.

In that case, you added 3 in 2020 (May and August) and you added 4 in 2021, so that totals 7. You didn't remove anyone until August 21, 2020.

[beekayworld]

When that single AU (the May 2020 person) drops off (has been removed for a year) on 8-21-21, I suspect you will only be allowed to add ONE AU.  Then when the 2 August 2020 people drop off, you will be allowed to add TWO Aus.

Please report back here so we can build the theory :)

[frugalnacho]

The May 2020 AU was with the new company.  I do not remember specifically removing that AU. I always remove them when instructed, or shortly thereafter.  It's possible I left them on and didn't remove them until 8-21-20, though I try to take them off as soon as instructed.  I'm unsure if the TL will put my slot up for sale if it's still marked as occupied in the portal so I try to not leave the AU on any longer than necessary.     

I'll update when I can add AU again.

[Car Jack]

I have found that the new company is forgetful about things.  I've removed AUs who were in place for 8 months without any notice to remove them.  Oh, and they don't pay me unless I remind them that they forgot to.....last time, for a year and a half.

[frugalnacho]

I have found that the new company is forgetful about things.  I've removed AUs who were in place for 8 months without any notice to remove them.  Oh, and they don't pay me unless I remind them that they forgot to.....last time, for a year and a half.

That's why I stopped using the new company and transferred all my cards to the old company.  New company never paid me without me asking, and I had to get arebelspy involved to finally get that done.  It baffles me that they can be so organized that they can keep track of tradelines and make sales, but can't automate the payment process, or apparently have any kind of system at all to make payments without being nagged at for weeks on end.  Based on my experience and the countless other data points in this thread I'm inclined to believe it's malicious and not simply negligence.  Maybe they want to hold onto the money for an extra couple of months? Maybe they hope a percentage of people will simply forget about it and they get to not pay them at all for some sales? Or maybe they really are just grossly incompetent?  Whatever the case it's a shitty business practice and I definitely don't recommend using the new company. 

[MoMoney88]

Just tried to add an AU on my Discover card and got this:

"We will notify you of a final decision in 3-5 days, but it can take up to 30 days if we need more information from you."

I see the AU on my list of AUs in Discover with "Pending" next to the name.

Ugh!!!  Now what!?  I guess I should try calling Discover and see if they can approve over the phone.

[MoMoney88]

Decided to log back into Discover... it is updated now with

"In order to verify your authorized user, we'll need some additional documents. Please upload your documents below, or call us at 1-866-236-8431".

And next to the AU's name it says:
Required:  Proof of Address, SSN

So I guess we will try calling and maybe just have to provide the SSN number.