How common are $100 listings for stolen credit card data on dark web markets?
Executive summary
Listings for stolen credit-card data on dark web markets commonly price individual U.S. cards in the low‑double digits: multiple researchers and reporting put averages roughly in the $10–$40 range and typical single‑card listings around $4–$17, though premium “fullz” or cards with balances can fetch much more (up to $110–$240) [1] [2] [3]. Sources do not present $100 as a dominant regular price point for ordinary stolen cards; instead $100+ appears associated with higher‑value variants such as cards with existing balances, verified bank access or bundled identity data [3] [4].
1. Market snapshot: most cards sell for pocket change
Security firms and reporting consistently find that most individual card entries trade cheaply—researchers reported average prices around $10–$17 for U.S.‑issued cards and modal or typical listings often under $20, with some marketplace samples clustering near $4–$17 per card [1] [2] [5]. Coverage from Comparitech and Trend Micro underscores that large volumes and commoditization drive prices down: millions of cards for sale and bulk listings make single numbers low enough that attackers profit from scale [2] [5].
2. When $100 appears: higher quality, balances or “fullz”
Listings and price indexes identify clear conditions that raise a card’s value into the $100+ territory: inclusion of CVV, full identity details (“fullz”), higher credit limits or an attached balance, and cross‑border cards or those easier to monetize command premiums. PrivacyAffairs and Statista cite examples where cards with up to $5,000 balance or enhanced data bundles sell for roughly $110–$240 [3] [4]. Wipfli’s reporting echoes that cards tied to substantial balances can be marketed for triple‑digit prices [6].
3. Pricing varies by geography, quality and source trust
Analysts explain that geography and the card’s exploitable surface matter: U.S. cards are often cheaper due to supply and exploitation methods, while cards from countries with stricter fraud controls sell for more; sellers’ reputation and sample validation also influence price [7]. Trustwave and Dark Web price indexes put typical U.S. ranges at $10–$40 but note variance by region and card attributes [7] [1].
4. Trends: downward pressure from oversupply, but spikes after breaches
Multiple reports point to overall downward pressure on average card prices because marketplaces increasingly favor bulk sales and huge breach dumps—surplus supply depresses per‑card value [8] [3]. Yet targeted, fresh breach disclosures or high‑quality curated lists can temporarily raise prices for that specific offering, and some actors wait for media coverage to monetize attention [5].
5. What “$100 listings” reflect in practice
A visible $100 listing on a dark market typically signals added value beyond a lone card number: longer validation, linked PII, confirmed balances, or packaged payment access such as e‑wallets or bank logins. Reporting that full credit‑card details commonly fetch $10–$100 supports that the $100 mark is in the upper tier of ordinary thefts, not the baseline [9] [3].
6. Competing viewpoints and limits of the evidence
Published price indexes and vendor analyses diverge on exact averages—Comparitech and PCMag report low single‑digit to teens averages in some datasets, while privacy‑index aggregators and Trend Micro show wider bands and occasional high prices up to the low hundreds [2] [10] [5]. All sources rely on snapshot sampling of illicit markets; availability, vendor tactics, and market churn mean reported figures are estimates not immutable truths [11] [3].
7. Implications for consumers and organizations
Because ordinary card data often trades cheaply, attackers can monetize large dumps and scale fraud even if per‑item prices are low; conversely, cards that sell for $100+ are concentrated targets for fraud and identity misuse and indicate deeper compromise. That dynamic explains why security advisories treat both mass‑breach prevention and rapid response to fullz‑style leaks as high priorities [5] [3].
Limitations and transparency: available sources are market studies and vendor reports with differing methodologies; they document price ranges and examples but do not provide a single exhaustive marketplace ledger. If you want, I can compile a short table comparing the cited price ranges and the conditions that move a listing above $100 using only the same sources.