Experian Business Credit: Complete Guide to Your Intelliscore Plus

Dun & Bradstreet gets all the attention. But Experian Business Credit might matter more for your actual funding applications.

Here's why: Banks and lenders often check Experian, not D&B. When you apply for a business credit card, business loan, or line of credit, there's a good chance they're pulling your Experian business report.

Yet most business owners have never seen their Experian business profile. They focus entirely on Paydex while ignoring the score that lenders actually use.

Let's fix that.

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Understanding Experian Business Credit

What Experian Tracks

Experian maintains business credit files on over 25 million US businesses. They track:

• Payment history with vendors and creditors
• Credit utilization
• Company information and public records
• Legal filings (liens, judgments, bankruptcies)
• Industry risk factors
• Years in business

Intelliscore Plus: The Main Score

Experian's primary business credit score is Intelliscore Plus.

Range: 1-100

What it predicts: Likelihood of serious delinquency (90+ days late) within 12 months

Target score: 80+ for best terms

How Intelliscore Differs from Paydex

Paydex (D&B):

• Only measures payment timing
• Score based on how early/late you pay
• 80 = paying on time

Intelliscore (Experian):

• Multi-factor analysis
• Considers company size, industry, credit usage
• More similar to personal credit scoring
• More comprehensive risk assessment

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Intelliscore Calculation Factors

Factor 1: Payment History (Most Important)

How you pay your bills matters most.

Evaluated:

• On-time vs. late payments
• Severity of delinquencies
• Recency of late payments
• Payment trends over time

Impact: A single 60-day late payment can drop your score significantly.

Factor 2: Credit Utilization

How much of your available credit you're using.

Formula: Current balances ÷ Credit limits

Optimal utilization: Under 30%, ideally under 15%

Example:

• Credit limits: $50,000
• Current balances: $10,000
• Utilization: 20% (good)

Factor 3: Company Age

Longer business history = lower risk.

Impact by age:

New businesses start at a disadvantage. This improves automatically with time.

Factor 4: Industry Risk

Some industries are inherently riskier than others.

Lower risk industries:

• Professional services
• Healthcare
• Technology

Higher risk industries:

• Restaurants
• Retail
• Construction

You can't change your industry, but understanding this helps set expectations.

Factor 5: Company Size

Larger companies typically have higher scores.

Factors considered:

• Annual revenue
• Number of employees
• Total credit exposure

Factor 6: Public Records

Negative public records severely damage scores.

Damaging records:

• Tax liens
• Judgments
• Bankruptcies
• UCC filings (can be negative or neutral)

One tax lien can keep you in the "high risk" category regardless of payment history.

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How to Check Your Experian Business Credit

Free Options

Experian Business Credit Check: Visit Experian's business site for a free summary of your business credit.

Nav.com: Free access to Experian business credit score and basic report details.

Paid Options

Experian Smart Business Reports: Full credit report with all details, typically $39-99.

Credit monitoring services: Monthly monitoring packages available for ongoing access.

What to Look For

When reviewing your report, check:

1. Company information accuracy

   • Legal name correct?
   • Address current?
   • Phone number right?

2. Trade lines

   • Are all your credit accounts listed?
   • Are payment statuses accurate?

3. Public records

   • Any liens you've paid off still showing?
   • Incorrect judgments or filings?

4. Credit inquiries

   • Who has been checking your credit?

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Building Your Experian Business Score

Step 1: Establish Business Identity

Make sure Experian can identify your business.

Required:

• Registered business (LLC, Corp)
• EIN (Employer Identification Number)
• Business address (not P.O. Box)
• Business phone number (listed)
• Active business operations

Step 2: Open Accounts That Report to Experian

Not all vendors report to Experian. Focus on those that do.

Confirmed Experian reporters:

• Grainger
• Quill
• Amazon Business (with certain accounts)
• Some fuel cards (varies by issuer)
• Many business credit cards

How to verify: Ask vendors directly if they report to Experian Business.

Step 3: Use Credit Responsibly

Once you have accounts:

• Keep utilization under 30%
• Pay early or on time (every time)
• Maintain diverse account types

Step 4: Build Gradually

Timeline expectations:

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Improving an Existing Experian Score

Quick Wins

Pay down balances: Reducing utilization can improve your score within 30-60 days of reporting.

Dispute errors: Incorrect information can be disputed and corrected.

Add positive trade lines: New accounts with good payment history add positive data.

Medium-Term Improvements

Build consistent payment history: 6+ months of on-time payments creates a positive trend.

Increase credit limits: Higher limits = lower utilization = better score.

Resolve public records: Pay off liens, satisfy judgments, then request updates.

What Doesn't Help

Closing old accounts: Reduces total credit, can increase utilization.

Applying for too much credit: Multiple inquiries can be concerning.

Ignoring the Experian profile: Even if you focus on D&B, lenders may check Experian.

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Experian vs. D&B: Which Matters More?

When Experian Matters More

Bank lending: Many banks pull Experian for business credit decisions.

Credit card applications: Business credit card issuers often check Experian.

Established businesses: Experian's comprehensive scoring favors established companies.

When D&B Matters More

Vendor credit: Many vendors use D&B for Net-30 terms decisions.

Government contracts: D&B's DUNS Number is often required.

Trade credit: B2B relationships may rely on Paydex.

The Answer: Both Matter

Build both profiles simultaneously. You never know which one a lender will check.

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Common Experian Business Credit Mistakes

Mistake 1: Ignoring Experian

Focusing only on D&B while lenders check Experian is a common error.

Fix: Check your Experian report quarterly.

Mistake 2: Not Verifying Reporters

Assuming vendors report to Experian when they only report to D&B.

Fix: Confirm reporting bureaus before opening accounts.

Mistake 3: High Utilization

Using 80% of credit limits because "it's business credit."

Fix: Treat utilization like personal credit—keep it low.

Mistake 4: Missing the Comprehensive Nature

Thinking Experian only cares about payment timing like Paydex.

Fix: Understand all factors that affect Intelliscore.

Mistake 5: Not Disputing Errors

Accepting inaccurate information as permanent.

Fix: Dispute errors through Experian's business dispute process.

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Experian Business Credit for Specific Goals

For Business Credit Cards

Most business credit card issuers check Experian.

Target: Intelliscore 70+, clean payment history, low utilization

Strategy: Build Experian profile before major card applications.

For Bank Business Loans

Traditional bank loans heavily weigh Experian data.

Target: Intelliscore 80+, 2+ years in business, diverse credit mix

Strategy: Establish multiple reporting accounts 12+ months before applying.

For Lines of Credit

Business lines of credit require strong overall profiles.

Target: Intelliscore 75+, proven payment history, low utilization

For Vendor Terms

Some vendors check Experian instead of D&B.

Target: Any positive score with no major negatives

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Monitoring Your Experian Business Credit

What to Monitor

Score changes: Track your Intelliscore monthly.

New inquiries: Know who's checking your credit.

Trade line updates: Ensure accounts are reporting correctly.

Public records: Catch any new filings immediately.

Monitoring Options

Free:

• Nav.com (basic monitoring)
• Periodic manual checks

Paid:

• Experian Business Credit Advantage
• Third-party monitoring services

When to Check

Monthly: Basic score monitoring

Quarterly: Full report review

Before applications: Detailed review and cleanup

After disputes: Verify corrections applied

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Your Experian Action Plan

This Week

• Check your Experian business credit score (free on Nav.com)
• Review report for accuracy
• Note any errors or issues

This Month

• Open 1-2 accounts that report to Experian
• Make first purchases
• Pay before due date

Ongoing

• Monitor score changes monthly
• Dispute any errors promptly
• Keep utilization under 30%
• Maintain perfect payment history

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Next Steps

Your Experian business credit profile matters more than you probably realized. Lenders check it. Credit card issuers check it. And unlike Paydex, it considers multiple factors beyond payment timing.

Check your Experian business credit today. Know your score. Then build it intentionally alongside your D&B profile.

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Need help building your Experian business credit? Freedom Consulting creates comprehensive business credit strategies across all bureaus. Book a free consultation to optimize your profile.

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Related: Business Credit Complete Guide | Paydex Score Guide

Disclaimer: Business credit building takes time. Results vary based on individual circumstances. Credit decisions are made by creditors.

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Continue Learning

This article is part of our Business Credit: The Complete 2025 Guide to Building Corporate Credit guide series.

Related articles in this series:

• How to Build Business Credit in 90 Days: Step-by-Step Strategy
• Net-30 Vendor Accounts: The Complete List That Reports to Credit Bureaus (2025)
• D-U-N-S Number: How to Get Your Free D&B Number in 24 Hours