Business credit scores work differently from personal FICO scores — different agencies, different scales, different factors. There are four main scoring systems, and lenders, vendors, and landlords can check any of them without your permission. Here’s what each score means and what drives it.
The Four Business Credit Scoring Systems
| Score | Bureau | Scale | Primary Factor | Who Uses It |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paydex | Dun & Bradstreet | 1–100 | Payment timing vs. terms | Vendors, trade creditors, lenders |
| Intelliscore Plus | Experian Business | 1–100 | Payment history + firmographics | Lenders, commercial credit decisions |
| Business Delinquency Financial Score | Equifax Business | 101–992 | Delinquency risk prediction | Lenders, landlords |
| FICO SBSS | FICO (pulls from D&B, Experian, Equifax + personal) | 0–300 | Blended business + personal | SBA loan pre-screening |
D&B Paydex Score: The Most Widely Used
The Paydex score is the business credit score most people mean when they say “business credit score.” It answers one question: how quickly does this business pay its bills?
Paydex Score Ranges
| Paydex Score | Payment Behavior | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | Pays 30+ days early | Minimal risk |
| 90 | Pays 15 days early | Low risk |
| 80 | Pays on time (exactly on due date) | Low-moderate risk |
| 70 | Pays 15 days late | Moderate risk |
| 60 | Pays 30 days late | Medium-high risk |
| 50 | Pays 60 days late | High risk |
| 40 | Pays 90 days late | Very high risk |
| Under 40 | Pays 120+ days late | Critical |
Target for most loan applications: Paydex 75–80+. Many SBA lenders use Paydex as one factor — a score below 70 can be a deal-breaker.
What Drives Paydex
- Trade payment experiences: Each time a vendor reports your payment, it contributes to your score. D&B requires at least 2 reported experiences to calculate Paydex.
- Recency: Recent payment behavior weighs more than old payments.
- Number of reporters: More trade lines = more data = more reliable score.
- Dollar weighting: Some versions of Paydex weight larger invoices more heavily.
Key insight: Paying at the due date gives you 80 — the minimum “good” score. To push past 80, you need to consistently pay 10–30 days early. This is why the “pay in 10 days” strategy matters when building credit with net-30 vendors.
What Paydex Does NOT Measure
Paydex is purely about payment timing — it doesn’t factor in:
- Company size or revenue
- Credit utilization
- Length of credit history
- Number of inquiries
- Public records (tax liens, judgments are reported separately)
Experian Business Intelliscore Plus
Intelliscore Plus uses a broader set of factors than Paydex:
- Payment history (primary factor)
- Company age and size
- Industry delinquency rates
- Number of trade lines
- Public records (bankruptcies, liens, judgments)
Score ranges:
| Intelliscore | Risk Category |
|---|---|
| 76–100 | Low risk |
| 51–75 | Low-medium risk |
| 26–50 | Medium risk |
| 11–25 | High risk |
| 1–10 | Very high risk |
Lenders using Experian for underwriting typically want 60+ for favorable terms. A score below 40 will likely require a personal guarantee or higher rates.
FICO SBSS: The SBA’s Screening Score
The SBA uses FICO’s Small Business Scoring Service (SBSS) to pre-screen loan applications — a score below 155 automatically fails SBA 7(a) loan pre-screening. Most SBA Preferred Lenders want 160+.
What FICO SBSS weighs:
- Personal credit score (pulled from personal bureaus)
- Business credit data from D&B, Experian, and Equifax
- Business financial data (revenue, assets, liabilities)
- Business application data
Because SBSS blends personal and business credit, a strong personal score (720+) can offset a thinner business credit file — giving newer businesses a path to SBA financing.
How to Improve Your Business Credit Scores
Faster Paydex improvement:
- Open 3–5 vendor accounts with net-30 terms that report to D&B
- Pay every invoice in 10–15 days (not 30)
- Ensure your business information is consistent and accurate in D&B records (update via dnb.com)
- Dispute any inaccurate negative payment records
Broader business credit improvement (all bureaus):
- Add trade lines across bureaus — some vendors report to all three; some only to D&B
- Get a business credit card that reports to business bureaus
- Avoid maxing out revolving credit (utilization affects Intelliscore)
- Keep public records clean — pay any tax liens, avoid judgments
FICO SBSS improvement:
- Improve personal credit score (35% of SBSS weight comes from personal credit)
- Build D&B, Experian, and Equifax business profiles
- Show growing revenue and positive business financials
Checking Your Business Credit Scores
| Bureau | Direct Access | Free Option |
|---|---|---|
| D&B Paydex | D&B CreditMonitor ($39–$99/mo) | Nav.com (summary) |
| Experian Intelliscore | BusinessCreditAdvantage ($189/yr) | Nav.com (summary) |
| Equifax Business | Per-report purchase | Nav.com (limited) |
| FICO SBSS | Only through lenders | N/A |
Set a calendar reminder to check your scores quarterly. Dispute errors by contacting each bureau’s business credit dispute process — response times are typically 30 days.
- How to Build Business Credit — step-by-step credit building plan
- Net-30 Vendors for Building Business Credit — which vendors report and what to buy
- SBA Loans Guide — FICO SBSS minimum for SBA loan approval
- Business Credit Hub — complete business credit guide
The content on Wealthvieu is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, tax, or investment advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Full disclaimer · Editorial policy