Personal credit has three main bureaus — Equifax, Experian, TransUnion — and most lenders pull from all three. Business credit works differently. There are three primary business credit bureaus, each operates on different data, produces different scores, and gets used in different contexts. Understanding which lenders use which bureau changes how you should prioritize building your profiles.
Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)
Dun & Bradstreet is the oldest and most widely known business credit bureau, founded in 1841. Their database includes over 500 million business records globally. D&B is particularly dominant in trade credit decisions — when suppliers decide whether to extend net-30 or net-60 terms to a new customer, D&B is often the bureau they check.
The D-U-N-S Number
D&B assigns a unique 9-digit identifier called a D-U-N-S number to businesses. This number is required for many purposes beyond just credit:
- Federal government contracting (required by SAM.gov)
- Apple App Store and Google Play developer registration
- Many corporate vendor applications
- Import/export licensing in some jurisdictions
Register for a free D-U-N-S number at D&B’s website. Registration typically takes 5–30 days for the number to be issued.
D&B’s Primary Scores
PAYDEX (1–100): Pure payment performance metric. Based on how promptly you pay your bills relative to terms. 80 = on time, 100 = consistently early. This is the score most trade creditors check first.
Delinquency Predictor Score (1–5): Predicts the likelihood of severe delinquency in the next 12 months. Lower is better. Incorporates payment history, financial data, and industry factors.
Failure Score (1–5): Predicts business failure risk over 12 months.
D&B Rating: A combined assessment of business size (based on employees or net worth) and composite credit appraisal. Shows as something like “1A” or “2R” — the letter indicates financial strength, the number indicates composite credit rating.
Who Uses D&B
- Trade creditors and suppliers extending net payment terms
- Large corporations evaluating new vendors
- Government contracting agencies
- International business partners
How to Establish Your D&B Profile
- Register for your D-U-N-S number
- Open vendor accounts that report to D&B (Uline, Grainger, etc.)
- Pay invoices on time or early to build PAYDEX
- Claim and update your business listing at dnb.com to ensure company information is accurate
Experian Business
Experian Business is the business credit division of Experian, the same company that maintains personal credit files. Their business database covers over 27 million businesses in the US and is particularly relevant for bank and financial institution lending decisions.
Experian’s Primary Scores
Intelliscore Plus (1–100): A predictive risk score, not just payment history. It incorporates payment behavior, credit utilization, company age, industry risk, and trends in your payment patterns over time. Higher is better: 76–100 is low risk, 1–25 is high risk.
Financial Stability Risk Score (FSR, 1–10): Predicts credit default risk. Banks and lenders use this as a creditworthiness indicator.
Who Uses Experian Business
- Banks and credit unions evaluating business loan and line of credit applications
- Business credit card issuers (Experian business data supplements personal credit for some issuers)
- Online lenders (many fintech lenders pull Experian Business data)
- Landlords evaluating commercial lease applications
How to Establish Your Experian Business Profile
Experian Business files are created through vendor reporting. You can’t register directly with Experian Business the way you register for a D-U-N-S number. The file gets created when vendors or creditors submit payment data associated with your business name, address, and EIN.
- Open accounts with vendors that report to Experian Business
- Apply for business credit cards — most major issuers report to Experian Business
- Access your Experian Business profile through Nav or directly through Experian’s business portal
Equifax Business
Equifax Business is the least discussed of the three major business credit bureaus among small business owners, but it’s used by a significant number of commercial lenders and enterprise vendors.
Equifax’s Primary Scores
Business Credit Risk Score (101–992): Predicts the likelihood of your business becoming severely delinquent (90+ days past due) within the next 12 months. Higher is better. 800+ is considered very low risk.
Business Failure Risk Score (1000–1610): Predicts business failure (bankruptcy, cessation) likelihood. Higher indicates lower risk.
Payment Index (0–100): Similar to D&B’s PAYDEX — measures payment performance. 90 = pays on time; 100 = pays early.
Who Uses Equifax Business
- Commercial banks and SBA lenders
- Some business credit card issuers
- Corporate vendors evaluating large trade credit decisions
- Commercial real estate landlords
How to Establish Your Equifax Business Profile
Similar to Experian — the profile gets created through vendor and creditor reporting. Access your Equifax Business file through Equifax’s business credit monitoring service or through Nav.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Dun & Bradstreet | Experian Business | Equifax Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Score | PAYDEX (1–100) | Intelliscore Plus (1–100) | Credit Risk Score (101–992) |
| Score Focus | Payment history | Predictive risk | Predictive risk |
| Best for building | Trade credit | Bank financing | Commercial lending |
| Unique identifier | D-U-N-S Number | EIN-based | EIN-based |
| Can self-register | Yes (D-U-N-S) | No (vendor reporting) | No (vendor reporting) |
Which One Should You Focus On First?
Start with D&B because you can register proactively with a D-U-N-S number, and D&B is the most commonly checked bureau for early-stage trade credit decisions. Getting your PAYDEX to 80+ through net-30 vendor accounts is the most accessible first step.
Build Experian and Equifax simultaneously through the same vendor accounts and credit activity — many vendors report to multiple bureaus. After 6–12 months of active credit building, check all three bureaus to ensure profiles exist and scores reflect your payment history accurately.
For businesses approaching bank financing or SBA loans, Experian and Equifax become more important because commercial lenders are more likely to pull from those bureaus. By the time you’re applying for significant financing, you want all three profiles healthy.
The easiest way to monitor all three without subscribing to each bureau’s individual monitoring service is through Nav, which aggregates business credit data from all three bureaus in one dashboard alongside your personal credit scores. Their paid tiers provide more detail, but even the free tier gives you a meaningful overview of where you stand.
