Business Credit Bureaus Explained: D&B, Experian, and Equifax

How Business Credit Bureaus Differ From Personal Bureaus

Personal credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion on the consumer side) are heavily regulated by federal law, specifically the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Creditors are required to report your payment activity accurately, you are entitled to free annual reports, and you have a formal dispute process backed by legal enforcement. Business credit bureaus operate with far less regulation. Reporting is voluntary, there is no federal law requiring free annual business credit reports, and the dispute process is less standardized.

This lack of regulation has practical implications. Your personal credit report is generally consistent across all three consumer bureaus because the same creditors report to all three. Your business credit reports can vary significantly across D&B, Experian Business, and Equifax Business because each receives data from different vendors and lenders. A vendor might report to D&B but not Experian. A credit card might report to Experian Business but not D&B. This is why you need to build tradelines at all three bureaus rather than focusing on just one.

Another key difference is accessibility. Your personal credit report is private, viewable only by you and entities you authorize (or those with a permissible purpose under FCRA). Your business credit report is essentially public. Anyone can purchase your D&B or Experian Business report without your knowledge or consent. This means competitors, potential partners, customers, and journalists can all see your business credit profile.

Dun and Bradstreet

Overview and History

Dun and Bradstreet is the oldest and most widely recognized business credit bureau, with roots dating back to 1841. Their database covers over 500 million businesses across more than 200 countries. In the United States, D&B is the most commonly referenced bureau for business credit decisions. Many lenders, suppliers, and government agencies specifically require a D&B report or DUNS number as part of their evaluation process.

Scoring Models

D&B produces several scores, but the PAYDEX score is the most widely used. PAYDEX ranges from 0 to 100 and measures how promptly you pay your bills. An 80 means on-time payment. A 100 means you pay an average of 30 days early. PAYDEX is based solely on payment performance and is dollar-weighted, meaning larger invoices have more influence.

D&B also produces a Delinquency Predictor Score (1 to 5, with 1 being lowest risk), a Financial Stress Score (1,001 to 1,875, with higher scores indicating lower stress), and a Credit Score (1 to 5). Lenders who pull a D&B report typically see all of these scores along with a detailed payment history, company profile, and public records section.

Data Sources

D&B collects payment data from vendors and lenders that voluntarily report to their database. They also pull data from public records (liens, judgments, bankruptcies, UCC filings), government registrations, and their own proprietary research. D&B's database is strongest for vendor payment terms, because they have the longest history and the most vendor relationships of any business bureau.

How to Get Started

Apply for a free DUNS number at dnb.com. Once assigned, build tradelines by opening net-30 vendor accounts that report to D&B. You need at least three reporting tradelines for a PAYDEX score to generate. Monitor your progress through D&B CreditBuilder ($229/year) or the free summary at Nav.com.

Experian Business

Overview

Experian is better known as a consumer credit bureau, but their business division tracks over 30 million businesses in the United States. Experian Business is the second most commonly checked bureau after D&B and is particularly popular with banks, SBA lenders, and commercial insurance companies. Because Experian operates both consumer and business credit divisions, they have the unique ability to cross-reference personal and business credit data in their scoring models.

Scoring Models

Experian's primary business credit score is Intelliscore Plus, which ranges from 1 to 100. Higher scores indicate lower risk. The score predicts the likelihood of your business becoming seriously delinquent within the next 12 months. A score of 76 to 100 is considered low risk. A score of 51 to 75 is medium risk. A score of 25 to 50 is high risk. Below 25 is very high risk.

Intelliscore Plus considers more factors than the PAYDEX. In addition to payment history, it factors in credit utilization, company age and size, industry risk classification, public records, and in some cases, the personal credit of the business owner. This cross-referencing of personal credit is unique to Experian and means that improving your personal credit score can also improve your Experian Business score, and vice versa.

Experian also produces a Financial Stability Risk Score that predicts the likelihood of a business experiencing financial distress, and a Business Owner Profile that combines business and personal data for a more comprehensive risk assessment.

Data Sources

Experian collects data from lenders, suppliers, and other creditors that report through Experian's data contribution programs. They also receive data from the Small Business Financial Exchange (SBFE), a cooperative data-sharing network that includes many banks, credit unions, and fintech lenders. Public records, including UCC filings, tax liens, and court judgments, are incorporated from government sources. The SBFE connection means that Experian often has more banking and financial lending data than D&B, while D&B tends to have deeper vendor payment data.

How to Get Started

You do not need to apply for a number or register with Experian Business. Your business file is created automatically when vendors, lenders, or other data sources begin reporting activity under your EIN and business name. To build your Experian profile, choose vendor accounts and business credit cards from issuers that report to Experian Business. Check your Experian Business report through experian.com/business (individual reports from approximately $40) or through Nav.com for a free summary. Read the detailed Experian Business guide for scoring details and improvement strategies.

Equifax Business

Overview

Equifax Business is the least discussed of the three major bureaus, but it is still widely used by banks, insurance companies, and commercial landlords. Equifax tracks business credit data for millions of US businesses and produces reports that include payment history, public records, and risk scores. Their business credit data tends to be most influential in insurance underwriting and commercial real estate decisions.

Scoring Models

Equifax Business produces a Business Credit Risk Score ranging from 101 to 992. Higher scores indicate lower risk of the business becoming 90 or more days delinquent on a payment within the next 12 months. They also produce a Business Failure Score that predicts the probability of a business ceasing operations entirely, and a Payment Index that measures recent payment performance on a scale of 0 to 100, similar in concept to the PAYDEX.

Equifax's scoring models factor in payment history, credit utilization, number and type of tradelines, company age, industry classification, and public records. The Business Failure Score also incorporates financial indicators about the broader industry and regional economy, providing a wider lens than pure payment data.

Data Sources

Equifax collects data from vendors, lenders, and financial institutions that report through their business data networks. They also receive SBFE data, public records, and telecommunications payment data. Equifax's unique data sources include some utility companies and telecom providers that do not report to D&B or Experian Business, which means certain payment activities may appear on your Equifax report but not on the other two.

How to Get Started

Like Experian, Equifax does not require a registration or application to create a business file. Your file is created when data sources begin reporting under your business identity. Build Equifax tradelines by choosing vendors and credit products that report to Equifax Business, such as Crown Office Supplies and Strategic Network Solutions, which report to all three bureaus. Individual Equifax Business reports cost approximately $100 through equifax.com, or use Nav.com for a free summary.

Which Bureau Do Lenders Check

Different lenders check different bureaus, and there is no single standard. SBA lenders commonly pull D&B reports because the SBA's own scoring models incorporate PAYDEX data. Traditional banks often check Experian Business because of its integration with personal credit data through the SBFE network. Insurance companies frequently use Equifax Business data in their underwriting. Online lenders like OnDeck, Fundbox, and BlueVine may check one, two, or all three bureaus depending on their internal risk models.

Because you cannot predict which bureau a specific lender will check, the safest strategy is to build tradelines at all three. This means selecting a mix of vendors and credit products that collectively report to D&B, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. Vendors like Crown Office Supplies and Strategic Network Solutions that report to all three bureaus are especially valuable for this reason.

Building a Complete Profile Across All Three

Start by mapping your existing and planned vendor accounts to the bureaus they report to. If you have Uline (D&B), Quill (D&B and Experian), and Crown Office Supplies (D&B, Experian, and Equifax), you have coverage at all three bureaus with just three vendor accounts. Add an American Express business credit card, which reports to D&B and Experian, and you have multiple tradelines across each bureau.

Check your reports at all three bureaus every 90 days during the first year to verify that tradelines are appearing correctly and scores are progressing as expected. Read our guide on how to check your business credit report for specific instructions and free monitoring options.