US Business Credit Bureaus: What Non-Resident Founders Need to Know (2026)

Independence note: Keystone Bridge Global has no affiliate relationship with any bureau or monitoring service mentioned here. All data is sourced from bureau websites, verified August 2026.

When you build US business credit, your payment history is reported to business credit bureaus — not the consumer bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) that track your personal credit score. The three main US business credit bureaus are Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Commercial. Each maintains a separate file on your business and uses different scoring models.

This page explains what each bureau tracks, what scores they produce, how to get your business listed, and what monitoring costs. All data is sourced from bureau websites, checked in August 2026.

Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)

D&B is the oldest and most widely referenced business credit bureau. Its identifier is the D-U-N-S Number — a nine-digit number assigned to each business entity. Many vendors, lenders, and government contractors require a D-U-N-S Number before extending credit or entering into contracts.

Getting listed: You apply for a D-U-N-S Number directly at dnb.com. The standard path is free. D&B states: "There is no charge to receive a D-U-N-S Number." Standard processing takes up to 30 business days. Expedited processing is available for a fee — D&B does not publish the price on the page; it states "for a small fee" and promises delivery within eight business days.

Scores D&B produces:

• PAYDEX Score — measures how promptly a business pays its bills, on a scale of 1–100. A score of 80 means bills are paid on time; above 80 means early payment.
• D&B Delinquency Predictor Score (DPS) — predicts the likelihood of severe delinquency.
• D&B Failure Score — predicts the likelihood of business failure.
• D&B Credit Limit Recommendation — a suggested credit limit based on the business's profile.

Monitoring: D&B Credit Insights® is available in tiers:

• Free: $0/mo
• Basic: $49/mo or $499/yr
• Plus: $149/mo or $1,499/yr

For non-resident founders: D&B's application process asks you to select "I have a U.S.-based business" — a US LLC qualifies regardless of where the owner lives. Non-US business locations are addressed separately. Foreign ownership of a US entity is not addressed on the pages checked.

Experian Business

Experian Business (also called Experian Business Information Services) maintains credit files on US businesses and produces several scoring products.

Scores Experian produces (verbatim from Experian's site):

• Intelliscore Plus℠ — ranges from 1 to 100. Experian states: "business credit scores range from 1 to 100."
• Intelliscore Plus V3 — updated model; Experian states the new scale "aligns with many consumer score scales ranging from 300 to 850."
• BusinessIQ Premier Profile℠
• Business Score Planner™

Getting listed: Experian's steps (verbatim): "Incorporate or form an LLC to ensure your company is seen as a separate business entity" and "Obtain a federal Employer Identification Number." Experian's file on your business is created when vendors and lenders report payment data to them — there is no separate registration step.

Monitoring: Experian's monitoring products (verbatim from pricing page):

• Business Credit Advantage℠: $199/yr (1 business; includes Business Credit Score, monitoring, and alerts)

For non-resident founders: Experian does not address foreign ownership of a US entity on its small-business pages.

Equifax Commercial

Equifax's commercial credit division is separate from its consumer division. It produces several scoring products under different names.

Scores Equifax produces (verbatim from Equifax's site):

• OneScore for Commercial (also "EQUIFAX ONESCORE FOR COMMERCIAL" and "OneScore™")
• Business Risk Scores
• MasterScore® v2
• Payment Index™
• FICO® Score (Equifax is one of the providers)

Score ranges: Equifax does not publish numeric score ranges on its HTML product pages. Ranges appear in PDF product sheets, not on the public web pages.

Monitoring: Equifax routes business credit report purchases through third parties. Pricing: one-time report $49.99; monthly monitoring "starting at $39.99/month."

How business credit files are built

Business credit files are built by vendors and lenders reporting your payment history to the bureaus. The steps that apply to non-resident founders:

1. Form your US entity and obtain an EIN. The EIN is the tax identifier that ties your payment history to your business file.
2. Get a D-U-N-S Number from D&B. Free, takes up to 30 business days standard.
3. Open vendor accounts that report to bureaus. Net-30 vendor accounts (Crown Office Supplies, Uline, Grainger, Quill) report payment history to D&B and sometimes Experian. Paying on time builds your PAYDEX score.
4. Open a business credit card. Cards that report to business bureaus (not just consumer bureaus) build your file faster.
5. Monitor your files. D&B's free tier is sufficient to start. Experian's $199/yr plan adds monitoring and alerts.

The consumer bureau question

Many business credit products — particularly for small businesses and sole proprietors — also pull your personal credit score. This is called a personal guarantee. If you have no US personal credit history (common for non-resident founders), this can block approvals even if your business credit file is strong.

Building US personal credit alongside business credit is covered in our build US credit as a foreigner guide (replace the country in the URL for your specific guide).

See also: Amex Global Transfer country eligibility — one of the fastest paths to a US personal credit card for founders with an existing Amex relationship.

All bureau data sourced from bureau websites, August 2026. Scores, ranges, and pricing change; verify directly before relying on any figure here.