What Is a Business Credit Score?
A business credit score rates how likely your business is to pay its bills on time, based on information reported about the business itself: payment history with suppliers and lenders, credit use, public records such as liens and judgments, and company size and age. It is separate from your personal FICO score, and it is tied to your business's identity rather than your Social Security number.
Business Credit Score Ranges
| Score | Bureau | Range | What's considered good |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAYDEX | Dun & Bradstreet | 1 to 100 | 80 or higher generally means you pay on time |
| Intelliscore Plus | Experian | 1 to 100 (legacy); newer versions use 300 to 850 | Higher is lower risk |
| FICO Small Business Scoring Service (SBSS) | FICO | 0 to 300 | Blends business and owner credit; used by many SBA lenders |
| Business credit scores | Equifax | Several models with different scales | Check the scale shown on your report |
Ranges as published by bureaus and lenders as of 2026; models are updated periodically.
Business vs. Personal Credit Score
| Personal credit score | Business credit score | |
|---|---|---|
| Tied to | Your Social Security number | Your business (EIN, D-U-N-S number) |
| Common scale | 300 to 850 (FICO) | Varies by bureau: 1 to 100, 0 to 300, 300 to 850 |
| Free annual reports by law | Yes, at AnnualCreditReport.com | No equivalent federal right |
| Who can see it | Lenders with a permissible purpose | Generally available to businesses that pay for reports |
| Used for small business loans | Almost always | Often, alongside personal credit |
How to Check Your Business Credit
- Dun & Bradstreet: get a free D-U-N-S number, then review your file; D&B sells detailed reports and monitoring.
- Experian and Equifax: both sell business credit reports, and some monitoring services offer free summaries.
- Your personal credit: check all three reports free at AnnualCreditReport.com, since lenders review it too for small businesses.
- Correct errors directly with the bureau that reports them.
How Lenders Use It, and How to Improve It
For small businesses, most lenders look at business and personal credit together. A strong business file can help with vendor terms, business cards, and some loans; your personal score still matters for most small business funding. The SBA stopped requiring a minimum FICO SBSS score for most 7(a) small loans in 2026, though many lenders still use it.
- Pay vendors and lenders on time, or early; PAYDEX rewards early payment.
- Open accounts with vendors that report to business bureaus.
- Keep business credit card balances low relative to limits.
- Keep your business name, address, and phone consistent everywhere.
For a step-by-step plan, read how to build business credit fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good business credit score?
It depends on the scale: on Dun & Bradstreet's PAYDEX (1 to 100), 80 or higher is generally good. On FICO SBSS (0 to 300), higher scores are better and lenders set their own cutoffs.
What is the business credit score range?
Ranges differ by bureau: PAYDEX runs 1 to 100, Experian's legacy Intelliscore Plus 1 to 100 with newer versions on 300 to 850, and FICO SBSS 0 to 300. Equifax has several models with different scales.
Can I check my business credit score for free?
Some monitoring services offer free summaries, and you can get a free D-U-N-S number, but detailed business reports are usually paid. There is no federal free-annual-report right for business credit like there is for personal credit.
Does my personal credit affect my business credit score?
Personal credit does not appear in most pure business scores, but blended scores such as FICO SBSS include owner credit, and most small business lenders review both.
How long does it take to build business credit?
Typically several months of reported, on-time payments on multiple accounts before scores become meaningful, and longer to build a strong history.