Question 1

1. What is business credit and how is it different from personal credit?

Accepted Answer

Business credit is a separate credit profile tied to your business's EIN rather than your Social Security number. It is tracked by three commercial bureaus -- Dun and Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business which never share data with the personal consumer bureaus that track your FICO score. This means your business can build its own credit history completely independent of your personal credit, and a strong business credit profile lets you access financing without your personal assets ever being part of the equation.

Question 2

2. How long does it take to build business credit?

Accepted Answer

Building a complete business credit profile from zero to Tier 4 corporate cards with no personal guarantee -- typically takes twelve months when done correctly and consistently. Your first PAYDEX score usually appears within 60 to 90 days of your first vendor payment reporting. Tier 2 approvals become available around month four to six once your PAYDEX reaches 70. Tier 4 corporate card approvals become available around month ten to twelve once your PAYDEX reaches 80 or above.

Question 3

3. What is a PAYDEX score?

Accepted Answer

A PAYDEX score is a number from 0 to 100, calculated by Dun and Bradstreet, that measures how reliably your business pays its vendor invoices. A score of 80 means you pay on the due date. A score of 90 means you pay an average of five days early. Most vendor and lender approvals are tied directly to specific PAYDEX thresholds, making it the single most important number in business credit building.

Frequently Asked Questions - Business Credit

1. What is business credit and how is it different from personal credit?

2. How long does it take to build business credit?

3. What is a PAYDEX score?