How Business Credit Scores Work: Bureaus, D-U-N-S Numbers and Trade Lines

You applied for net-30 terms with a new supplier, and they came back asking for your D-U-N-S number. Or a lender pulled “business credit” and you had no idea there was a separate file. Most owners know their personal FICO score to the point. Far fewer know their company has its own credit profile, scored by different bureaus on different scales, and often filled with gaps.

That matters because business credit affects the terms suppliers offer you, the limits on business cards, insurance pricing and how much a lender relies on your personal credit and personal guarantee. This guide explains who keeps business credit files, how the main scores work, what a trade line is and how to build a file from scratch.

Business credit vs personal credit

Personal credit is tied to your Social Security number and built mostly from loans and credit cards. Business credit is tied to your company, identified by its legal name, address, Employer Identification Number (EIN) and, at some bureaus, a bureau-specific ID.

The differences go further than the ID number:

• Who reports is voluntary and patchy. Many suppliers never report to business bureaus at all, so 2 equally reliable companies can have very different files.
• Scores use different scales. Most business scores are not the 300–850 range you know from consumer credit.
• Anyone with a business reason can usually buy your report. Suppliers, landlords and potential partners can pull business reports without the consent rules that apply to consumer reports.
• Consumer protections are narrower. The Fair Credit Reporting Act was written for consumer reports. Regulators and courts have generally treated reports used only for commercial purposes as outside it, although reports that include an owner’s personal credit can be a different matter. This is not legal advice.

If you want a refresher on how the consumer side is scored, see how credit scores are calculated. Lenders often look at both.

The 3 main business credit bureaus

Business credit in the US is dominated by 3 companies. Each keeps its own file on your business, and they don’t share data with each other.

Scales and versions change over time. Experian has published a newer Intelliscore Plus version on a 300–850 scale, for example, so always read the legend on the report you’re looking at.

Dun & Bradstreet and the PAYDEX

Dun & Bradstreet assigns each business location a 9-digit D-U-N-S Number. Federal contractors used to need one, and many large companies, app stores and suppliers still ask for it to verify who you are.

The PAYDEX score is a dollar-weighted measure of how promptly you pay the suppliers that report to D&B. In D&B’s documentation, a score of 80 means you pay on time, and scores above 80 mean you tend to pay before the due date. Lower scores mean payments arrive later, with larger invoices weighing more heavily than small ones.

Experian’s Intelliscore Plus

Experian’s Intelliscore Plus predicts the chance that a business will become seriously delinquent over the next 12 months. On the widely used version, scores run from 1 to 100. Experian’s glossary groups 76–100 as low risk and 1–10 as high risk. The model draws on payment history, credit use, public records such as liens and judgments, company size and age, and in some versions the owner’s consumer credit.

Equifax business scores

Equifax business reports include a Payment Index that summarizes how promptly you pay, alongside separate risk scores that estimate delinquency or failure. Equifax uses several score types with different ranges, so the number only makes sense next to the scale printed on that report.

FICO SBSS: the score lenders used for SBA loans

The FICO Small Business Scoring Service (SBSS) blends business bureau data, the owner’s personal credit and financial details into a 0–300 score. For years the SBA required lenders to prescreen 7(a) small loans with it. In January 2026 the SBA issued a procedural notice sunsetting the SBSS score requirement for 7(a) small loans, with supplemental guidance effective March 1, 2026. Lenders can now use their own credit models, though many still use SBSS. Check the SBA’s current SOP and notices before you apply, because lender requirements change. Our guide on how to apply for an SBA loan covers the rest of the process.

Key takeaway: There is no single business credit score. You have separate files at Dun & Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax, plus lender scores like FICO SBSS, and each fills up only when someone reports to it.

What goes into a business credit file

Every bureau assembles its file from similar building blocks:

• Identity data: legal name, DBA, address, phone, EIN, industry code, years in business and number of employees.
• Trade lines: payment records reported by suppliers, vendors and lenders.
• Credit accounts: business credit cards, loans and lines of credit, if the issuer reports them.
• Public records: tax liens, judgments, UCC filings and bankruptcies.
• Collections: unpaid accounts sent to collection agencies.
• Inquiries and firmographics: how often others pull your file, and company details used for risk models.

Identity data is the foundation. If your name, address and phone don’t match across your Secretary of State filing, IRS records, bank account and website, bureaus may split you into duplicate files or fail to attach payments to the right one.

How trade lines build your file

A trade line is any account where a supplier or lender extends you credit and reports how you pay. The classic example is net-30 terms: the vendor ships today and you pay within 30 days.

Trade lines matter because payment scores like PAYDEX are built almost entirely from them. Without at least a few reporting accounts, many bureaus can’t score you at all. Experian, for instance, shows a special code when there isn’t enough information to score a business.

Here is how the flow works:

1. You open an account with a supplier that offers terms, such as an office supply, shipping, fuel or packaging vendor.
2. The supplier reports your account and payment timing to one or more bureaus, often monthly.
3. The bureau matches the payment data to your business file using your name, address and identifiers.
4. Scores update as more payment experiences accumulate, weighted by invoice size.

Not every vendor reports, and those that do may report to only 1 bureau. Before you rely on an account to build credit, ask the vendor directly which bureaus it reports to.

Business credit cards and loans

Many business credit cards and loans report to business bureaus, but practices vary by issuer. Some report only negative events. Others report to the owner’s personal file too. Read the card agreement or ask the issuer. If you’re comparing card options for a team, see our guide to corporate cards and expense apps for small teams.

What hurts a business credit score

The biggest negatives are easy to predict:

• Paying suppliers late, especially on large invoices.
• Collections, liens and judgments on public record.
• High use of available credit on reported cards and lines.
• Thin files, with too few trade lines to score.
• Inconsistent business identity, which can scatter payments across files.
• Industry and size risk factors in some models, which you can’t change directly.

Short-term financing deserves a mention. Some products, such as merchant cash advances, can strain cash flow and lead to late supplier payments even when the advance itself isn’t reported. Our explainer on merchant cash advance risks covers why.

Where to start: building business credit step by step

If your company is new, or you’ve never checked its file, work through these steps in order.

1. Set up the business as a separate entity. Form an LLC or corporation if appropriate, get an EIN from the IRS and register with your state.
2. Make your identity consistent. Use the same legal name, address and phone everywhere. A dedicated business phone and address help.
3. Open a business bank account. Keep business money separate from personal money. Our guide on how to open a business bank account walks through it.
4. Get a D-U-N-S Number. Dun & Bradstreet issues one at no cost through its website. Standard processing can take up to 30 business days, and D&B sells a faster paid option you don’t need.
5. Check for existing files. Look yourself up at Dun & Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax. You may already have a file created from public records.
6. Open 3 to 5 reporting trade lines. Start with vendors you’d use anyway and confirm they report.
7. Pay early or on time, every time. Paying before the due date can push a PAYDEX above 80.
8. Add a business credit card that reports to business bureaus, and keep balances low.
9. Monitor and correct errors. Each bureau has its own dispute process for business files.

Expect this to take months, not weeks. Scores need a history of payments before they mean much.

Checking and disputing your business credit report

Each bureau sells business reports and monitoring plans, and some offer limited free views. Prices and plans change often, so compare current options on each bureau’s site.

When you review a report, check:

• Identity details: Is the legal name, address and EIN correct?
• Trade lines: Are any accounts missing or belonging to another company?
• Payment timing: Do late marks match your records?
• Public records: Are liens or judgments released when they should be?

To fix errors, use the dispute process on each bureau’s business site and include invoices, payment confirmations or release documents. Because business reports generally fall outside consumer credit law, timelines may differ from what you’re used to on the personal side. This is not legal advice.

Your personal credit still matters while your business file is young. Lenders often require a personal guarantee, and fraud on your personal file can spill over. Consider a credit freeze on your personal reports if you aren’t applying for new credit.

The bottom line

A business credit score is a record of how your company pays, kept separately by Dun & Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax, plus lender scores like FICO SBSS. It fills up through trade lines and reported accounts, and it rewards consistent identity data and early payments. Start with an EIN, a business bank account and a D-U-N-S Number, then add a few reporting vendors and pay them on time. For financing options once your file is established, see how online small business loans work, and browse the glossary for terms you meet along the way.

Sources

• Dun & Bradstreet: Get a D-U-N-S Number — free D-U-N-S Number, processing time and expedited option
• Dun & Bradstreet: Risk terminology (PAYDEX) — PAYDEX scale and the meaning of a score of 80
• Experian Business glossary: Risk ranking — Intelliscore Plus 1–100 scale and risk bands
• Equifax small business sample credit report — Payment Index scale and score types on Equifax business reports
• SBA Procedural Notice 5000-875701: Sunset of SBSS Score for 7(a) Small Loans — end of the SBSS requirement for 7(a) small loans
• FTC staff opinion on commercial credit reports — FTC view that reports used for commercial purposes are generally outside the FCRA