There is no single business credit score. The PAYDEX score from Dun & Bradstreet measures payment timing. Intelliscore Plus from Experian Business is a multi-factor score. FICO SBSS is a composite score that banks have used for small business lending. They sit on different bureaus, use different formulas, and are used by lenders in different situations, so a strong PAYDEX score is a useful third of the picture, not all of it.
The three bureaus and three scores
Business credit is tracked by three separate bureaus. Each keeps an independent file on your business, uses its own methodology, and is used by different lenders and vendors for different purposes.
- Dun & Bradstreet is the oldest and most widely used bureau for trade credit. Its primary score is PAYDEX.
- Experian Business is a division separate from Experian's consumer operation. Its primary score is Intelliscore Plus.
- Equifax Business is another separate division. It produces its own business credit reports, though its scores are referenced less often by name than PAYDEX and Intelliscore.
FICO SBSS, the FICO Small Business Scoring Service, sits outside the bureau system. It draws from several sources and is used by banks for small business lending.
No single bureau has the whole picture. A vendor pulling your D&B file will not see your Experian Business data, and a bank running SBSS is pulling from a different dataset than a supplier checking your PAYDEX. Building business credit means building all three profiles, not one.
| Score | Source | Range | Primary use |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAYDEX | Dun & Bradstreet | 1 to 100 | Vendor and trade credit decisions |
| Intelliscore Plus | Experian Business | 1 to 100 | Lender and vendor evaluations |
| FICO SBSS | FICO, multiple sources | 0 to 300 | Bank small business lending |
PAYDEX: the Dun & Bradstreet score
PAYDEX is a dollar-weighted score from 1 to 100 that measures one thing: how promptly your business pays its bills. It does not consider the amount of credit you hold, the types of accounts, how long you have operated, or your revenue. It is entirely about paying on time, early, or late.
D&B publishes the scale:
| PAYDEX | Payment behavior |
|---|---|
| 100 | About 30 days early |
| 90 | About 20 days early |
| 80 | On time |
| 70 | About 15 days late |
| 50 | About 30 days late |
| 40 | About 60 days late |
| 30 | About 90 days late |
| 20 | About 120 days late |
An 80 means you pay on terms. Anything above that requires paying early. Many vendors look for roughly 75 to 80 or better before extending credit.
What it takes to get a score. D&B does not calculate a PAYDEX with fewer than three payment experiences, and it requires at least two suppliers reporting. Because the score is dollar-weighted, larger invoices paid early carry more weight than small invoices paid on time. For most small businesses starting out, the practical priority is simply to pay on time or early on every account.
How to build it:
- Get a free DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet.
- Open three to five Tier 1 net 30 accounts that report to D&B. See net 30 vendors that report.
- Pay before the due date. Paying about 20 days early is what earns a 90.
- Allow 60 to 90 days for payment history to begin reporting.
- Check your D&B profile to confirm a score has generated.
- Add trade lines over time. More accounts reporting makes the score more stable.
A PAYDEX of 80 or higher is a common target before applying for Tier 2 accounts and most business credit cards.
Intelliscore Plus: the Experian Business score
Intelliscore Plus also runs from 1 to 100, but it weighs more than payment timing. Experian Business publishes the key factors:
- Payment history, similar to PAYDEX but not identical in weighting
- Frequency of derogatory data: collections, judgments, liens, bankruptcies
- Business age, with older businesses generally scoring higher
- Credit utilization, meaning how much of your available credit you are using
- The number of trade experiences reporting to Experian Business
- Industry risk, since some industries carry a higher baseline risk in the model
| Score range | Risk category | How lenders read it |
|---|---|---|
| 76 to 100 | Low risk | Strong creditworthiness; qualifies for most trade credit and financing |
| 51 to 75 | Low to medium risk | Acceptable for many lenders; may face lower limits |
| 26 to 50 | Medium risk | Elevated scrutiny; some lenders require a personal guarantee |
| 11 to 25 | High risk | Significant derogatory factors; most unsecured credit denied |
| 1 to 10 | Very high risk | High likelihood of default |
The key difference from PAYDEX. PAYDEX responds only to payment timing. Intelliscore Plus can be affected by things unrelated to how you pay, such as a high-risk industry, a young business, or high utilization. That is why some owners have a solid PAYDEX and a lower Intelliscore. The two profiles measure different things.
Establishing the file. Unlike D&B, Experian Business does not ask you to register separately. Your file is created when vendors and creditors report data to it. You can verify that your profile exists and is accurate through Experian Business. To build the score, open accounts that report to Experian Business, keep utilization low, avoid derogatory items, and let the business age.
FICO SBSS and the SBA change
FICO SBSS is produced by FICO, the company behind personal FICO scores, but it is a separate model built for small business lending. It runs from 0 to 300, higher is better, and it draws from several sources at once:
- Your personal credit report, where your personal FICO is a significant input
- Business credit reports from Dun & Bradstreet and Experian Business
- Business financial data such as revenue, years in operation, and assets
- Business banking data, in some cases
That makes SBSS a bridge between personal and business credit. You can have a strong PAYDEX and still score poorly on SBSS if your personal credit is weak.
What changed at the SBA. For years, advice online said the SBA required a minimum SBSS score, most recently cited as 165, to get a 7(a) small loan application through the door. That advice is out of date. Under SBA Procedural Notice 5000-875701, published January 16, 2026, and supplemental Notice 5000-876777, published February 20, 2026, the SBA discontinued use of the SBSS score for 7(a) Small Loans effective March 1, 2026. These are 7(a) loans of $350,000 or less. The SBA no longer screens those applications with the score, and there is no national cutoff. SBA Express loans were not affected by the change.
In its place, lenders must perform a full commercial credit analysis, consistent with how they underwrite similar non-SBA loans. For 7(a) Small Loans, the notices require a debt service coverage ratio of at least 1.1 to 1, on a historical or projected cash flow basis.
| Factor | Before March 1, 2026 | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Initial credit screen | SBA-required SBSS prescreen with a minimum score | No SBA-required score; lender performs a full commercial credit analysis |
| Cash flow | Evaluated, but the score was the first gate | Debt service coverage ratio of at least 1.1 to 1 |
| Owner credit | Fed into the SBSS score | Part of the lender's credit history review, which typically includes guarantors' personal credit |
| Role of SBSS | The SBA's gatekeeper | Optional; a lender may still use it internally |
What debt service coverage means. It is the cash your business generates that is available to pay debt, divided by the debt payments you owe. At 1.1 to 1, the business needs at least $1.10 of available cash flow for every $1.00 of loan payments. If your total annual loan payments including the new SBA loan would be $40,000, a lender wants to see at least $44,000 a year available to pay them. For small SBA loans, that makes business tax returns and financial statements matter more than any single score.
Does SBSS still matter? Yes, but not as an SBA requirement. Banks can still run SBSS in their own underwriting, and many do, for speed and pricing. It also appears on bank lines of credit and other small business financing. If a lender says it needs a certain SBSS score, that is the lender's policy, not an SBA rule. It is fair to ask what they use.
How to improve it. The things that raise SBSS are the same things lenders look at anyway:
- Improve your personal FICO score: pay down card balances, resolve derogatory marks, and pay on time.
- Build your PAYDEX to 80 or higher.
- Build your Intelliscore into the 75 or higher range.
- Keep a steady business bank balance with no overdrafts.
- File business tax returns on time and keep current financial statements.
- Let the business age. SBSS rewards longevity.
You cannot pull your own SBSS score the way you pull a personal FICO. Lenders run it during underwriting. The best proxy is monitoring your D&B, Experian Business, and personal credit files. See how to check your business credit score for free.
Which score gets pulled when
| Situation | Score most likely pulled |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 net 30 vendor application | PAYDEX; some also check Experian Business |
| Tier 2 vendor or store account | PAYDEX, Intelliscore Plus, or both |
| Business credit card | Personal credit plus business bureau data, varying by issuer |
| SBA 7(a) small loan | Lender's full credit analysis, including cash flow; SBSS only if the lender uses it internally |
| Bank line of credit | Varies; usually personal plus business credit; SBSS is common for smaller lines |
| Equipment financing | A mix of personal and business credit; Intelliscore Plus is often used |
You need all three profiles healthy to be fully fundable. Chasing only one score is like studying for one subject when the exam covers three.
A sequence for building all three
- Months 1 to 3: Get your DUNS number, make sure Experian Business and Equifax Business files exist, open Tier 1 net 30 accounts, and start generating PAYDEX history.
- Months 3 to 6: Keep building PAYDEX, add accounts that report to Experian Business, and watch your Intelliscore begin to form. Keep personal credit clean.
- Months 6 to 12 and beyond: With strong D&B and Experian Business profiles, your SBSS tends to reflect that strength. By about month 12, many businesses are ready to approach business credit cards, and later larger financing.
These are typical ranges, not promises.