Selling tradelines is one of the most effective ways to generate passive income in 2025 by leveraging your established credit history. While individual results vary based on your card portfolio, experienced sellers often earn between $100 and $1,500+ monthly for minimal work.

Here is a breakdown of the earning potential and factors that influence your payouts in today’s market.

1. Potential Monthly Earnings

For most cardholders, selling tradelines is a "low-effort, high-reward" side hustle.

• Per Slot Payout: On average, sellers earn between $150 and $300 per authorized user (AU) slot per month.

• Monthly Total: If you have 2–5 high-quality card slots active, you can realistically expect $300 to $2,000 monthly.

• Time Commitment: Most sellers spend roughly one hour per month managing their accounts, primarily adding or removing authorized users via their bank’s online portal.

2. Factors That Maximize Your Payout

Not all tradelines are valued equally. In 2025, buyers pay a premium for specific data points:

• Age of Account: "Seasoned" tradelines (those open for 10+ years) are the most valuable because they significantly increase a buyer's average age of accounts.

• Credit Limit: Higher limits (e.g., $15,000 to $50,000+) command higher fees because they have a greater impact on reducing a buyer's overall credit utilization.

• Perfect History: Your account must have zero late payments and a low utilization rate (typically under 10%) to be eligible for sale.

3. The Brokerage Split

When you work through a reputable tradeline brokerage, they handle the marketing and buyer screening in exchange for a portion of the sale.

• Typical Split: Sellers often receive about 40% to 50% of the total price paid by the buyer. For example, if a buyer pays $400 for a $15k limit card, you might earn $160–$200 for that single slot.

4. Risks to Manage

While lucrative, selling tradelines is not without considerations for 2025:

• Account Closure: Some banks frown upon "piggybacking" for profit and may close accounts if they detect excessive AU activity.

• Data Security: You must share your Social Security number with your brokerage to verify your credit profile, so choosing a secure, established partner is essential.

• Limited Slots: Most banks limit how many authorized users you can add (typically 2–5 at a time), which caps your monthly earning potential per card.