Your business has a credit score. Actually, it has THREE credit scores from three different bureaus, each with different scoring ranges.

Confused yet?

Most business owners are. They spend years worrying about their personal FICO score, not realizing their business credit scores matter just as much—maybe more—when it comes to accessing business funding.

Let me break down exactly what these scores mean, what lenders look for, and how to improve yours.

The Three Business Credit Bureaus

Just like personal credit has Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, business credit has its own bureaus:

1. Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)

•Score name: PAYDEX

•Range: 0-100

•Most widely used for business credit decisions

2. Experian Business

•Score name: Intelliscore Plus

•Range: 0-100

•Used by many lenders and vendors

3. Equifax Business

•Score name: Business Credit Risk Score

•Range: 101-992 (yes, really)

•Less commonly checked but still important

Important: Unlike personal credit where all three bureaus usually have similar scores, your business credit scores can vary WILDLY between bureaus. You might have an 80 PAYDEX but only 60 Experian score.

DUN & BRADSTREET PAYDEX SCORE (0-100)

This is the big one. Most lenders check your PAYDEX first.

How It’s Calculated:

Based entirely on payment history with vendors and creditors. It measures how quickly you pay your bills:

•Pay before due date = Score goes up

•Pay on due date = Score goes up slightly

•Pay late = Score drops significantly

The Score Ranges:

80-100: EXCELLENT ✅

•What it means: You pay bills early (before due date)

•What you qualify for:

•Major business credit cards with high limits

•Large business lines of credit ($100K+)

•Best interest rates

•Net-60 and net-90 vendor terms

•Essentially everything

70-79: GOOD ⚠️

•What it means: You pay on time, right on the due date

•What you qualify for:

•Most business credit cards

•Moderate lines of credit ($25K-$75K)

•Standard net-30 vendor terms

•Most funding options (with some limits)

50-69: FAIR ⚠️⚠️

•What it means: You sometimes pay 15-30 days late

•What you qualify for:

•Starter business credit cards

•Smaller credit limits

•Higher interest rates

•Limited vendor terms

•More scrutiny on applications

Below 50: POOR ❌

•What it means: You regularly pay 30+ days late

•What you qualify for:

•Very limited options

•High-risk lenders only

•Steep interest rates and fees

•Most applications will be denied

No Score: You don’t have enough payment history yet (common for new businesses)

Target: Aim for 80+. This is where lenders start offering their best terms.

Reality Check: A 70 PAYDEX isn’t bad—it means you pay on time. But an 80+ means you pay EARLY, which signals strong cash flow and financial discipline.

EXPERIAN BUSINESS INTELLISCORE PLUS (0-100)

Experian’s score is more complex than PAYDEX—it looks at multiple factors.

How It’s Calculated:

•Payment history (like PAYDEX)

•Credit utilization

•Company size and industry

•Public records (liens, judgments, bankruptcies)

•Years in business

•Recent credit inquiries

The Score Ranges:

76-100: LOW RISK ✅

•What it means: You’re an excellent credit risk

•What you qualify for:

•Best loan terms and rates

•High credit limits

•Premium business credit cards

•Major vendor accounts

51-75: MEDIUM-LOW RISK ⚠️

•What it means: You’re a good credit risk with minor concerns

•What you qualify for:

•Most standard business credit products

•Moderate limits and terms

•Some premium options

26-50: MEDIUM RISK ⚠️⚠️

•What it means: You’re a moderate credit risk

•What you qualify for:

•Limited credit options

•Higher interest rates

•Smaller limits

•More documentation required

11-25: HIGH RISK ❌

•What it means: Significant credit concerns

•What you qualify for:

•Very limited options

•Alternative/high-risk lenders only

1-10: HIGHEST RISK ❌❌

•What it means: Severe credit problems

•What you qualify for:

•Almost nothing through traditional channels

Target: Aim for 76+. But even 51-75 gets you access to most standard business funding.

EQUIFAX BUSINESS CREDIT RISK SCORE (101-992)

Yes, this scale is weird. Higher is better, unlike personal credit where 300-850 is the range.

How It’s Calculated:

•Payment history

•Outstanding balances

•Credit utilization

•Public records

•Business demographics

•Industry risk

The Score Ranges:

160-992: LOW RISK ✅

•What it means: Excellent creditworthiness

•What you qualify for: Best terms available

140-159: MEDIUM-LOW RISK ⚠️

•What it means: Good creditworthiness

•What you qualify for: Most standard products

120-139: MEDIUM RISK ⚠️⚠️

•What it means: Moderate concerns

•What you qualify for: Limited options, higher rates

101-119: HIGH RISK ❌

•What it means: Significant concerns

•What you qualify for: Very limited

Target: Aim for 140+. Realistically, most new businesses start around 120-140.

Reality Check: Equifax is the least-checked of the three bureaus. Focus on PAYDEX and Experian first.

What Lenders Actually Look For

Different lenders care about different scores:

Major Banks (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo):

•Want to see: PAYDEX 80+, Experian 70+

•Also check: Personal credit 680+

•Time in business: 2+ years preferred

Business Credit Card Companies:

•Want to see: PAYDEX 70+, Experian 60+

•Also check: Personal credit 650+

•Time in business: 6+ months

Vendors (Net-30 Accounts):

•Want to see: PAYDEX 70+ (if you have history)

•New businesses: Often don’t check at all initially

•They report TO build your score

Alternative Lenders:

•Less focused on scores

•More focused on revenue and bank statements

•Will work with PAYDEX 50+ if revenue is strong

Common Score Scenarios

Scenario 1: The New Business

•PAYDEX: No score

•Experian: No score or very low

•Equifax: 110-120

Why: Not enough payment history yet. This is normal for businesses under 6 months old.

What to do: Focus on building vendor accounts that report. Give it time.

Scenario 2: The “Good Payer” Paradox

•PAYDEX: 70

•Experian: 65

•Equifax: 135

Why: You pay everything exactly on time (not early), and you have moderate utilization.

What to do: Start paying key vendor accounts 5-10 days EARLY to boost PAYDEX to 80+.

Scenario 3: The Strong Profile

•PAYDEX: 85

•Experian: 78

•Equifax: 155

Why: Excellent payment history (pay early), low utilization, good business age.

What to do: Maintain what you’re doing. You qualify for premium products.

Scenario 4: The Late Payer

•PAYDEX: 45

•Experian: 30

•Equifax: 115

Why: Consistent late payments, possibly some collections or public records.

What to do:

1.Bring all accounts current immediately

2.Set up autopay for every bill

3.Focus on rebuilding over 6-12 months

4.Consider credit repair if there are errors

How to Improve Your Scores

For PAYDEX (Payment-Focused):

1. Pay Early, Not On Time

•Due date is December 15? Pay December 10.

•Even 3-5 days early makes a difference

•Set up autopay for 5 days before due date

2. Use Vendor Accounts That Report

•Uline, Quill, Grainger, fleet cards

•Make small purchases monthly

•Pay immediately or early

3. Never, Ever Pay Late

•One 30-day late payment can drop your PAYDEX by 20+ points

•Takes 6+ months to recover

For EXPERIAN (Multiple Factors):

1. Keep Utilization Under 30%

•If you have $10K credit limit, use less than $3K

•Pay down balances before statement dates

•Request credit limit increases (lowers utilization automatically)

2. Maintain Multiple Tradelines

•5-10 active accounts is ideal

•Mix of vendors, credit cards, and credit lines

•Shows you can manage multiple obligations

3. Avoid Too Many Hard Inquiries

•Each application = hard inquiry

•Too many in short time = red flag

•Space out applications by 30-60 days

4. Age Your Accounts

•Older accounts = better score

•Don’t close old accounts unless necessary

•Keep your oldest vendor accounts active

For EQUIFAX (Comprehensive):

1. Clean Up Public Records

•Pay off any liens, judgments, or collections

•File for satisfaction/release of liens

•These hurt your score significantly

2. Maintain Business Consistency

•Same business name across all bureaus

•Same address (moves can hurt score)

•Update business info annually

3. Build Time in Business

•Age matters

•2+ years = significant score boost

•Can’t rush this one

Checking Your Business Credit Scores

Free Options:

•Nav.com - Free business credit monitoring (limited)

•CreditSignal.com by Dun & Bradstreet - Basic monitoring

Paid Options:

•Dun & Bradstreet CreditBuilder Plus: ~$149/month (get full PAYDEX report)

•Experian Business Credit Report: ~$39.95/report

•Nav Prime: ~$29.99/month (monitors all three)

Recommendation: Check your scores quarterly at minimum. Monthly if you’re actively building.

The Timeline to Good Scores

Months 0-3:

•Scores: None or very low (starting out)

•Focus: Open vendor accounts, make purchases, pay on time

Months 3-6:

•Scores: PAYDEX 0-50 (building), Experian 20-40

•Focus: Establish payment history, add more tradelines

Months 6-12:

•Scores: PAYDEX 60-75, Experian 50-65, Equifax 130-145

•Focus: Pay early to boost PAYDEX, keep utilization low

Months 12-18:

•Scores: PAYDEX 75-85, Experian 70-80, Equifax 145-160

•Focus: Maintain excellence, start accessing premium products

Months 18+:

•Scores: PAYDEX 85+, Experian 80+, Equifax 160+

•Focus: Leverage your strong profile for major funding

Bottom Line

Your business credit scores determine:

•How much credit you can access

•What interest rates you pay

•Which lenders will approve you

•Whether you need a personal guarantee

The magic numbers:

•PAYDEX 80+ (pay early)

•Experian 70+ (multiple good factors)

•Equifax 140+ (comprehensive strength)

Get here, and business funding becomes significantly easier.

Want to build strong business credit scores faster? Our coaching includes credit monitoring, score optimization strategies, and the exact path to 80+ PAYDEX in 12 months.

[Apply for Business Credit Coaching →] https://copecart.com/us/products/58488ee2/checkout