How to Check Your Business Credit Score

A top-tier business credit score can allow you access to the most competitive rates and terms on financing and business insurance. It can also open the door to potential partnerships and trade credit arrangements.

You can stay on top of your score — as well as the financial health of other companies — by pulling business credit reports from the main business credit bureaus. Each agency has different ratings, as well as different steps to check your business credit. Here's how to get your scores.

» MORE: Business credit score basics and frequently asked questions

You can check your Dun & Bradstreet credit scores for free, as long as you have a DUNS number. Don't have one? You can apply on Dun & Bradstreet’s website (it's free) and receive one within 30 days.

Dun & Bradstreet rates your business’s financial health and assigns a Paydex score, a delinquency score and a failure score, along with several other ratings and predictors. Your free Dun & Bradstreet credit report includes the following scores:

• Paydex score (0 to 100): Evaluates your company's payment performance. A higher score indicates a better payment history.

• Delinquency score (101 to 670): Assesses the likelihood a business will pay late (91-plus days) in the next 12 months. A higher score translates to a lower risk.

• Failure score (1,001 to 1,875): Predicts whether a business will file bankruptcy or shut down without paying its debts within the next 12 months. A low failure score equals a high risk.

• Supplier evaluation risk rating (1 to 9): Evaluates risk of a supplier shutting down operations in the next 12 months. The lower the score, the lower the risk.

The free Dun & Bradstreet business credit report also includes summaries of legal events, business operations, payment history and financial ratios, as well alerts when other businesses access your business credit report.

Business owners can also upgrade to the Basic plan for $49 per month or Plus for $149 per month to access additional ratings and deeper analysis, plus alerts and monitoring. Annual subscriptions are also available.

» MORE: Best business loans for bad credit

Experian does not offer a free business credit report but you can purchase your CreditScore report — which includes your business credit score, financial stability risk rating, payments trends and account histories — for $39.95 per report. You can also subscribe to Business Credit Advantage for $199 per year for unlimited access to your Experian CreditScore report, plus alerts, monitoring and additional analysis.

Experian's business credit scores include:

• Business credit score (1 to 100): Looks at payment behavior, primarily on commercial accounts, including the number of delinquent accounts and the number of accounts with payment terms beyond net 30 days. A higher score equals a lower risk for delinquent payments.

• Financial stability risk rating (1 to 5): According to Experian's website, this "predicts the likelihood of payment default and/or bankruptcy within the next 12 months," using factors like commercial collection accounts, credit utilization, and business and industry risk factors. A low score indicates low risk for serious financial distress.

Owners can request their company’s Equifax’s business credit report at no cost, but there are a few caveats. First, you can only get your own credit report if you’re applying for business credit, like a business line of credit or business credit card. Second, you have to contact an Equifax representative and provide proof of a business credit application.

Equifax's business credit reports also include multiple scores — credit risk, failure risk and payment index — to assess a business’s creditworthiness.

• Credit risk score (101 to 992): Evaluates the likelihood of business failure or delinquent payments. A higher score equals lower risk.

• Payment index scores (1 to 100): Evaluate payment history, with delinquent payments leading to a lower score.

• Failure risk score (1,000 to 1,880): Aims to predict the odds a business will shut down operations in the next 12 months. A lower score equals a higher risk of failure.

Want to get insights on another business? You can contact Equifax to purchase a credit report for a competitor, partner or supplier. Unlike other business credit bureaus, Equifax does not publish pricing on its website.

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Each credit bureau weighs different factors from your credit report when calculating your business credit score, but most look at a combination of the following:

• Company size and age.

• Age of your oldest financial account.

• Available revolving credit limit.

• Established trade lines.

• Payment history to creditors and vendors.

• Public records for liens, judgments or bankruptcies.

A low business credit score — or no score at all — can make it difficult and more expensive to get business loans and payment agreements with suppliers.

You can build business credit in a number of ways:

• Get an employer identification number.

• Structure your business as a limited liability corporation (LLC), partnership or corporation instead of a sole proprietorship.

• Opening a business bank account.

• Acquire and use a business credit card.

• Establish trade lines with suppliers.

• Work with creditors that report to the main business credit bureaus.

Making on-time payments, correcting errors on your credit report and managing your business debt can be helpful in maintaining a solid business credit score.