Where to check your business credit score

Your business credit score lives with three main bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and Dun & Bradstreet. Unlike personal credit, which most people check through one or two agencies, business credit is fragmented — you may have different scores at each bureau, and lenders often pull from whichever one they prefer. You need to check all three to see what creditors actually see about your business.

Dun & Bradstreet is the largest business credit bureau and the one most lenders and suppliers check first. You can view your Dun & Bradstreet score (called a PAYDEX score) free once per year through their website, or pay for monthly monitoring. Equifax and Experian also maintain business credit files and scores, and both offer free annual reports plus paid monitoring options. The free reports usually show your score and payment history, but not the detailed factors dragging your score down — you pay extra for that breakdown.

Some business credit bureaus are smaller and regional. If you do business in a specific industry or region, your score may also exist with specialty bureaus like Innovis or industry-specific agencies. These rarely matter unless a lender specifically mentions checking them, but it is worth asking lenders which bureaus they use before you spend money monitoring everywhere.

Key Takeaways

  • Business credit scores are held by Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian, and your score differs at each bureau because they use different data and formulas.
  • You can pull your Dun & Bradstreet PAYDEX score free once yearly, and Equifax and Experian offer free annual business credit reports as well.
  • The free report shows your score and payment history, but understanding what is hurting your score usually requires a paid detailed report.
  • Lenders do not check all three bureaus — ask which one they use before you pay for monitoring at the wrong agency.
  • Business credit is separate from personal credit, so checking your personal score tells you nothing about what lenders see when they check your business.

What information you need to pull your score

To check your business credit score, you will need your Employer Identification Number (EIN) or your Social Security Number if you are a sole proprietor. Most bureaus ask for the business name and address as well. If your business is very new or has never reported credit activity, the bureaus may not have a file on you yet — in that case, you will get a message saying no record exists rather than a score.

Some bureaus require you to verify ownership before showing you the score. Dun & Bradstreet, for example, may ask you to confirm details about your business or may send a verification code to your registered phone number. This is a security step to prevent someone else from pulling your score. Have your business registration documents or tax returns handy in case they ask for proof.

How to read your business credit score

Business credit scores work differently than personal credit scores. Dun & Bradstreet uses a PAYDEX score that ranges from 0 to 100, where higher is better. A score of 80 or above is considered good; below 50 is poor. Equifax and Experian use different scoring models — Equifax's ranges from 0 to 100 as well, while Experian's can go higher. Because the scales differ, you cannot directly compare a score of 75 at Dun & Bradstreet to a 75 at Equifax; they mean different things.

Your score is built from payment history (whether you pay bills on time), credit utilization (how much credit you use versus how much is available), length of credit history, and public records like liens or judgments. Payment history is the heaviest factor — a single late payment can drop your score by 20 to 50 points depending on how late it was. Public records like a tax lien or lawsuit stay on your report for years and damage your score significantly.

The free report usually shows your score and a list of accounts (suppliers, lenders, or trade lines that report to the bureau). It may also flag negative items like late payments or collections. The paid detailed report breaks down which factors are hurting your score most and gives you a roadmap for improving it.

Why your business credit score matters

Lenders, landlords, and suppliers use your business credit score to decide whether to work with you and what terms to offer. A higher score means lower interest rates on loans, higher credit limits, and better payment terms from suppliers. A lower score can mean you are denied credit entirely, or offered credit only at rates that make borrowing expensive.

Your business credit score is separate from your personal credit score. A lender may check both — your personal score to assess your personal finances and your business score to assess the business itself. If your business is new or has weak credit but you have strong personal credit, some lenders will use your personal score as a backup. Conversely, if your personal credit is damaged but your business has a strong payment history, the business score can help you get credit the personal score would not.

Steps to improve a low business credit score

If your score is low, the fastest improvement usually comes from paying down existing debt and making all future payments on time. A single late payment can stay on your report for up to seven years, but its impact fades over time — a late payment from two years ago hurts less than one from two months ago. Paying off collections accounts does not remove them from your report, but it stops them from actively damaging your score.

Diversifying your credit mix also helps. If all your credit comes from one supplier or lender, adding a second source of credit (a business credit card, a line of credit from a different lender, or a trade account with a new supplier) shows lenders you can manage multiple credit relationships. This takes time — new accounts need several months of on-time payments before they meaningfully improve your score.

Disputing errors on your report can provide quick gains if the errors are real. If a payment is listed as late when you paid on time, or if an account is listed twice, you can dispute it with the bureau. The bureau has 30 days to investigate and remove the error if it cannot verify it. Check your free annual report carefully for these mistakes — they are less common than in personal credit but do happen.

How often to check your business credit score

If you are planning to borrow money or apply for a business credit card in the next few months, check your score at least once before you apply. This gives you time to spot errors and dispute them, or to pay down debt if your score is low. If you are not borrowing soon, checking once a year is usually enough to catch major problems.

If you are actively working to improve your score, checking every three to six months makes sense so you can see whether your efforts are working. Checking too frequently (weekly or monthly) is pointless because scores do not update that fast — most bureaus update monthly or quarterly as new payment information comes in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does checking my business credit score hurt it?

No. Checking your own score is a "soft inquiry" and does not affect your score at all. Only hard inquiries — when a lender or creditor checks your score as part of a credit decision — can lower your score slightly and temporarily. Pulling your own report is always safe.

What if I find an error on my business credit report?

Contact the bureau in writing and describe the error. Include copies of documents that prove it is wrong (a receipt showing you paid on time, a letter from the creditor, etc.). The bureau has 30 days to investigate. If they cannot verify the information, they must remove it. Keep copies of everything you send.

Can I improve my business credit score quickly?

Paying off collections or disputing errors can help within weeks. Paying down existing debt takes longer — most bureaus update monthly, so you may see movement in 30 to 60 days. Building new positive payment history takes months. There is no fast fix, but consistent on-time payments will improve your score over time.

Do I need to check all three bureaus?

Yes, if you plan to borrow money. Different lenders check different bureaus, and your scores vary between them. Checking all three shows you the full picture of what creditors might see. If you are just monitoring your own credit, checking the one your lenders use most is enough.

What is a good business credit score?

For Dun & Bradstreet PAYDEX, 80 or above is considered good. For Equifax and Experian, it depends on their specific scale, but generally 70 and above is solid. Anything below 50 will make borrowing difficult. Ask your lender what score range they prefer before you apply.