How to Increase Your Business Credit Score Fast

Business credit scores — from Dun & Bradstreet (PAYDEX), Experian Business, and Equifax Business — operate very differently from personal credit scores. Most business owners don't realize they have business credit scores, or that they can take deliberate actions to build them quickly.

The Three Major Business Credit Bureaus

Dun & Bradstreet issues a PAYDEX score (0–100) based on how promptly your business pays its vendors and creditors. Experian Business issues an Intelliscore Plus (0–100) that factors in payment history, credit utilization, and business characteristics. Equifax Business tracks trade lines and payment history similarly.

Unlike personal credit (where all three major bureaus track essentially the same information), business credit bureaus receive data from different sources and may have very different pictures of your business. Building relationships with vendors who report to all three is the most efficient way to build comprehensive business credit.

Get a DUNS Number and Verify Your Business Listing

Dun & Bradstreet's PAYDEX score requires a DUNS number — a unique 9-digit identifier for your business that you register at dnb.com for free. If you don't have one, no D&B credit score exists for your business. Get one immediately.

Also verify your Experian and Equifax Business listings. Incorrect information — wrong address, misspelled business name, wrong founding date — can suppress your score or prevent vendors' positive payment reports from being properly attributed to your business. Verify and correct any discrepancies.

Open Trade Lines With Vendors Who Report to Bureaus

The fastest way to build business credit is to establish trade lines with vendors who report payment history to business credit bureaus. Net-30 vendor accounts — where you receive goods or services and have 30 days to pay — are the standard vehicle for this.

Vendors known to report to D&B, Experian Business, and/or Equifax Business include: Uline, Grainger, Quill, Summa Office Supplies, Crown Office Supplies, and many more. The strategy: purchase goods you actually need from these vendors, pay on-time or early, and the positive payment history flows to your business credit files. 3–5 active trade lines with on-time payments can build a strong PAYDEX score within 6–9 months.

Use a Business Credit Card Under Your EIN

Business credit cards from Amex, Chase, Capital One, and other major issuers report to business credit bureaus. Keeping a business credit card with low utilization (under 30%) and paying on time each month creates ongoing positive payment history.

Crucially, use your EIN rather than your SSN when applying. Business cards applied for with only a personal SSN often report to personal credit bureaus (which helps personal credit but not business credit). Applying with your EIN — even if the issuer does a personal credit pull as part of approval — often results in reporting to business credit bureaus rather than personal ones.