How do you check your business credit score?

The three business credit bureaus

Business credit is reported separately by three bureaus — none of which share data with the consumer-credit-side Experian/Equifax/TransUnion. Each uses a distinct scoring model:

• Dun & Bradstreet — PAYDEX (0-100): 80+ means paying on or before terms. The most-cited business credit score in trade-credit and lending decisions. Free CreditSignal view at dnb.com/business-credit/. Paid reports start ~$60.
• Experian Business — Intelliscore Plus (1-100): lower = higher risk. Widely used by suppliers extending net-30/60 terms. Pull at experian.com/small-business. Reports ~$40.
• Equifax Business — Business Credit Risk Score (101-992): lower number = higher risk of severe delinquency. Used heavily by larger commercial lenders. Pull at equifax.com/business. Reports ~$100.

What you need before pulling

Two prerequisites: (1) the business must have a registered legal entity — sole proprietorships generally don't have a distinct business credit profile because there's no legal separation from the owner; (2) a DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet — free at dnb.com/duns-number/get-a-duns.html, typically issued within 30 days. Without a DUNS number, D&B has no way to identify your business in its system.

What's in a business credit report

A typical business credit report includes: trade payment history (UCC filings, supplier payment records), public records (liens, judgments, bankruptcy filings), business demographics (revenue, employees, years in business), credit utilization on business cards and lines, and the bureau's calculated score. Unlike personal credit, business credit reports are PUBLIC by default — any business or person can pull a report on your business (and you can pull on theirs). This visibility is a feature, not a bug: it lets suppliers, lenders, and partners assess your business's credit-worthiness before extending terms.

If this fits your situation, apply with ClearValue Lending — your file routes to the funding partners best matched to it.

Free vs paid options

Free options: D&B's CreditSignal alert service (monitors changes but doesn't show the full score), some business banks' included credit monitoring (Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America offer it on certain business accounts), Nav.com's free score-tracking tier (limited but usable). Paid options: full reports from each bureau ($20-100), monthly monitoring services ($30-100/month). For most SMB owners, free monitoring + a one-time paid pull at major-application moments (loan, line of credit, new vendor) is sufficient.

How often business credit updates

Business credit data updates as new information reports — typically monthly for active businesses with consistent trade-line activity. PAYDEX score updates within 30 days of new payment records. This is faster than personal credit's typical 45-60 day update lag. Per the CFPB Section 1071 rule, lenders now report demographic data on small business credit applications — adding federal-level data on top of the three private bureaus.