Everything about the Paydex score: how D&B calculates it, factors that affect your rating, and proven strategies to reach 80+ fast for better vendor terms.

Paydex Score Explained: What It Is and How to Get 80+

Your Paydex score is the business equivalent of a personal credit score—except it works completely differently.

While personal credit scores factor in utilization, credit mix, and history length, Paydex cares about one thing: how fast you pay your bills. That's it. Pay early, get a high score. Pay late, get a low score.

This simplicity is good news. It means you can build a strong Paydex score faster than you can build personal credit—if you understand the rules.

What Is a Paydex Score?

Paydex is Dun & Bradstreet's proprietary payment performance score. It measures how promptly your business pays its vendors compared to the payment terms agreed upon.

Score range: 1-100

What it represents: The weighted average of your payment performance across all reporting trade experiences.

Paydex Score	Rating	What It Means
100	Excellent	Pays 30 days before due date
90	Excellent	Pays 20 days early
80	Good	Pays on time
70	Fair	Pays 15 days late
50	Poor	Pays 30 days late
30	Very Poor	Pays 60 days late

The target: 80+ is considered good. 90+ is excellent. Most lenders and vendors want to see at least 75-80.

How Paydex Is Calculated

The formula is straightforward: It's a dollar-weighted average of your payment timing across all trade experiences.

The Calculation

Each vendor that reports to D&B provides:

Invoice amount
Payment terms (Net-30, Net-60, etc.)
Actual payment date

D&B converts this into a score based on how you paid relative to terms:

Payment Behavior	Points
30+ days early	100
22-29 days early	95
15-21 days early	90
8-14 days early	85
1-7 days early	80
On time (0 days)	80
1-14 days late	70
15-29 days late	60
30-59 days late	50
60-89 days late	40
90+ days late	30 or lower

Dollar Weighting

Larger invoices count more than smaller ones. A $10,000 invoice paid early impacts your score more than a $100 invoice paid early.

Example:

Vendor A: $5,000 invoice paid 20 days early (95 points)
Vendor B: $500 invoice paid 5 days late (70 points)

Weighted average: ($5,000 × 95 + $500 × 70) ÷ $5,500 = 92.7

The larger invoice dominates the calculation.

What You Need for a Paydex Score

You can't get a Paydex score without:

1. A D-U-N-S Number

Your unique D&B identifier. Free to obtain at dnb.com.

2. Trade Experiences Reporting

At least 2-3 vendors must report payment experiences to D&B. Not all vendors report—you need to use ones that do.

3. Payment History

D&B needs actual payment data. Opening accounts isn't enough; you need to make purchases and payments.

Minimum for a score: Usually 3 trade experiences over a few months.

Why Paydex Matters

Vendor Credit Decisions

When you apply for Net-30 terms with a new vendor, they often check your D&B profile. A low Paydex means:

Denied credit terms
Lower credit limits
Cash-on-delivery requirements

Lender Evaluations

Banks and alternative lenders check business credit. Paydex is one of the first things they see. Sub-80 scores raise red flags.

Business Partnerships

Enterprise companies vet vendors before signing contracts. A strong Paydex signals financial stability.

Contract Requirements

Some government and corporate contracts require minimum Paydex scores (often 75-80+).

How to Build Paydex from Zero

Step 1: Get Your D-U-N-S Number

Apply at dnb.com. It's free but takes up to 30 days (or pay ~$229 to expedite).

Step 2: Open Reporting Vendor Accounts

These vendors report to D&B and approve new businesses:

Tier 1 (Easy Approval):

Uline (shipping supplies)
Quill (office supplies)
Grainger (industrial supplies)
Summa Office Supplies

Tier 2 (2-3 trades required):

Strategic Network Solutions
The CEO Creative
Crown Office Supplies

Step 3: Make Purchases

Small purchases work. $50-$100 per vendor is enough to establish the trade line.

Step 4: Pay Early

This is where most people fail. They pay "on time" and wonder why their Paydex is only 80.

To maximize Paydex:

Pay invoices within 1 week of receiving them
Don't wait until the due date
Set up early payment reminders

Step 5: Repeat and Expand

Continue making purchases and paying early. Add more vendors over time. More trade experiences = more stable score.

Strategies to Reach Paydex 80+

Strategy 1: Pay Within 10 Days

Regardless of Net-30 terms, pay every invoice within 10 days of receipt. This puts you in the 85-95+ range consistently.

Automate it: Set up your accounting system to flag new invoices for immediate payment.

Strategy 2: Prioritize Larger Invoices

Since Paydex is dollar-weighted, early payment on large invoices matters more. If you can only pay one invoice early this week, pick the largest one.

Strategy 3: Increase Purchase Frequency

More transactions = more data points = more stable score. Instead of one $500 order, consider two $250 orders paid separately.

Strategy 4: Verify Reporting

Some vendors claim to report but don't consistently. After 60 days, check your D&B profile to confirm trades are appearing. If not, contact the vendor.

Strategy 5: Add High-Limit Accounts

As your profile strengthens, apply for accounts with higher limits. Larger credit lines mean larger potential invoices, which carry more weight.

Common Paydex Mistakes

Mistake 1: Paying on the Due Date

"On time" payment only gets you 80. To score 90+, you need to pay early. Most business owners don't realize this.

Mistake 2: Using Non-Reporting Vendors

That Amazon Business account? Probably not reporting to D&B. Local suppliers? Probably not reporting. Stick to confirmed reporting vendors.

Mistake 3: Inconsistent Payment Timing

One early payment followed by one late payment averages out poorly. Consistency matters.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Small Invoices

While large invoices matter more, consistently late small payments still hurt. Pay everything early.

Mistake 5: Not Checking Your Profile

Errors happen. Payments get misreported. Check your D&B profile quarterly to catch issues.

Paydex vs. Other Business Credit Scores

Paydex (D&B)

Range: 1-100
Based on: Payment timing only
Target: 80+

Intelliscore Plus (Experian Business)

Range: 1-100
Based on: Payment history, credit utilization, company info, public records
Target: 76+

Business Credit Risk Score (Equifax)

Range: 101-992
Based on: Payment history, credit utilization, length of history, public records
Target: 700+

Key difference: Paydex only considers payment timing. Other scores factor in more variables. This makes Paydex easier to improve quickly.

Timeline: Zero to 80+ Paydex

Month 1

Get D-U-N-S Number
Open 3 vendor accounts
Make first purchases

Month 2

Pay first invoices early (within 10 days)
Add 2-3 more vendors
Verify first accounts are reporting

Month 3

Continue early payments
Check D&B for Paydex score
Score should be 75-85+

Month 4+

Maintain early payment habit
Add higher-limit accounts
Target 90+ with consistent behavior

Realistic timeline: 80+ Paydex is achievable within 90-120 days with disciplined early payments.

Monitoring Your Paydex

Free Option: D&B CreditSignal

Basic alerts when your profile is accessed. Shows Paydex score. Limited detail.

Paid Options

D&B offers various monitoring packages ($15-$150+/month). Only necessary if you need detailed reporting or are actively building credit.

DIY Monitoring

Request your D&B report annually. Check for:

Accurate trade experiences
Correct payment history
No fraudulent accounts

Paydex FAQ

How long does it take to get a Paydex score?

Usually 2-3 months after opening reporting vendor accounts and making payments.

Can one late payment ruin my Paydex?

One late payment will lower your score, but not destroy it. The dollar-weighted average means one small late payment among many early payments has limited impact.

Does Paydex affect personal credit?

No. Paydex is business credit only. It doesn't appear on personal credit reports.

Can I improve Paydex without spending money?

No. You need actual transactions with reporting vendors. But the purchases can be small ($50-$100) and for items you'd buy anyway.

What if a vendor reported incorrectly?

Contact D&B to dispute. Provide payment documentation (bank statements, receipts). D&B investigates and corrects confirmed errors.

Next Steps

Paydex is one of the easiest business credit scores to improve—if you know the rules. Pay early, use reporting vendors, and stay consistent.

Start with one vendor account today. Make a small purchase. Pay the invoice within a week. Repeat with more vendors. Within 90 days, you'll have a Paydex score that opens doors.

Need help building your Paydex score? Freedom Consulting creates customized business credit strategies. Book a free consultation to accelerate your business credit journey.

Disclaimer: D&B scoring and processes may change. Verify current information at dnb.com.

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:

Paydex Score Explained: What It Is and How to Get 80+

Your Paydex score is the business equivalent of a personal credit score—except it works completely differently.

This simplicity is good news. It means you can build a strong Paydex score faster than you can build personal credit—if you understand the rules.

What Is a Paydex Score?

Paydex is Dun & Bradstreet's proprietary payment performance score. It measures how promptly your business pays its vendors compared to the payment terms agreed upon.

Score range: 1-100

What it represents: The weighted average of your payment performance across all reporting trade experiences.

Paydex Score	Rating	What It Means
100	Excellent	Pays 30 days before due date
90	Excellent	Pays 20 days early
80	Good	Pays on time
70	Fair	Pays 15 days late
50	Poor	Pays 30 days late
30	Very Poor	Pays 60 days late

The target: 80+ is considered good. 90+ is excellent. Most lenders and vendors want to see at least 75-80.

How Paydex Is Calculated

The formula is straightforward: It's a dollar-weighted average of your payment timing across all trade experiences.

The Calculation

Each vendor that reports to D&B provides:

Invoice amount
Payment terms (Net-30, Net-60, etc.)
Actual payment date

D&B converts this into a score based on how you paid relative to terms:

Payment Behavior	Points
30+ days early	100
22-29 days early	95
15-21 days early	90
8-14 days early	85
1-7 days early	80
On time (0 days)	80
1-14 days late	70
15-29 days late	60
30-59 days late	50
60-89 days late	40
90+ days late	30 or lower

Dollar Weighting

Larger invoices count more than smaller ones. A $10,000 invoice paid early impacts your score more than a $100 invoice paid early.

Example:

Vendor A: $5,000 invoice paid 20 days early (95 points)
Vendor B: $500 invoice paid 5 days late (70 points)

Weighted average: ($5,000 × 95 + $500 × 70) ÷ $5,500 = 92.7

The larger invoice dominates the calculation.

What You Need for a Paydex Score

You can't get a Paydex score without:

1. A D-U-N-S Number

Your unique D&B identifier. Free to obtain at dnb.com.

2. Trade Experiences Reporting

At least 2-3 vendors must report payment experiences to D&B. Not all vendors report—you need to use ones that do.

3. Payment History

D&B needs actual payment data. Opening accounts isn't enough; you need to make purchases and payments.

Minimum for a score: Usually 3 trade experiences over a few months.

Why Paydex Matters

Vendor Credit Decisions

When you apply for Net-30 terms with a new vendor, they often check your D&B profile. A low Paydex means:

Denied credit terms
Lower credit limits
Cash-on-delivery requirements

Lender Evaluations

Banks and alternative lenders check business credit. Paydex is one of the first things they see. Sub-80 scores raise red flags.

Business Partnerships

Enterprise companies vet vendors before signing contracts. A strong Paydex signals financial stability.

Contract Requirements

Some government and corporate contracts require minimum Paydex scores (often 75-80+).

How to Build Paydex from Zero

Step 1: Get Your D-U-N-S Number

Apply at dnb.com. It's free but takes up to 30 days (or pay ~$229 to expedite).

Step 2: Open Reporting Vendor Accounts

These vendors report to D&B and approve new businesses:

Tier 1 (Easy Approval):

Uline (shipping supplies)
Quill (office supplies)
Grainger (industrial supplies)
Summa Office Supplies

Tier 2 (2-3 trades required):

Strategic Network Solutions
The CEO Creative
Crown Office Supplies

Step 3: Make Purchases

Small purchases work. $50-$100 per vendor is enough to establish the trade line.

Step 4: Pay Early

This is where most people fail. They pay "on time" and wonder why their Paydex is only 80.

To maximize Paydex:

Pay invoices within 1 week of receiving them
Don't wait until the due date
Set up early payment reminders

Step 5: Repeat and Expand

Continue making purchases and paying early. Add more vendors over time. More trade experiences = more stable score.

Strategies to Reach Paydex 80+

Strategy 1: Pay Within 10 Days

Regardless of Net-30 terms, pay every invoice within 10 days of receipt. This puts you in the 85-95+ range consistently.

Automate it: Set up your accounting system to flag new invoices for immediate payment.

Strategy 2: Prioritize Larger Invoices

Since Paydex is dollar-weighted, early payment on large invoices matters more. If you can only pay one invoice early this week, pick the largest one.

Strategy 3: Increase Purchase Frequency

More transactions = more data points = more stable score. Instead of one $500 order, consider two $250 orders paid separately.

Strategy 4: Verify Reporting

Some vendors claim to report but don't consistently. After 60 days, check your D&B profile to confirm trades are appearing. If not, contact the vendor.

Strategy 5: Add High-Limit Accounts

As your profile strengthens, apply for accounts with higher limits. Larger credit lines mean larger potential invoices, which carry more weight.

Common Paydex Mistakes

Mistake 1: Paying on the Due Date

"On time" payment only gets you 80. To score 90+, you need to pay early. Most business owners don't realize this.

Mistake 2: Using Non-Reporting Vendors

That Amazon Business account? Probably not reporting to D&B. Local suppliers? Probably not reporting. Stick to confirmed reporting vendors.

Mistake 3: Inconsistent Payment Timing

One early payment followed by one late payment averages out poorly. Consistency matters.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Small Invoices

While large invoices matter more, consistently late small payments still hurt. Pay everything early.

Mistake 5: Not Checking Your Profile

Errors happen. Payments get misreported. Check your D&B profile quarterly to catch issues.

Paydex vs. Other Business Credit Scores

Paydex (D&B)

Range: 1-100
Based on: Payment timing only
Target: 80+

Intelliscore Plus (Experian Business)

Range: 1-100
Based on: Payment history, credit utilization, company info, public records
Target: 76+

Business Credit Risk Score (Equifax)

Range: 101-992
Based on: Payment history, credit utilization, length of history, public records
Target: 700+

Key difference: Paydex only considers payment timing. Other scores factor in more variables. This makes Paydex easier to improve quickly.

Timeline: Zero to 80+ Paydex

Month 1

Get D-U-N-S Number
Open 3 vendor accounts
Make first purchases

Month 2

Pay first invoices early (within 10 days)
Add 2-3 more vendors
Verify first accounts are reporting

Month 3

Continue early payments
Check D&B for Paydex score
Score should be 75-85+

Month 4+

Maintain early payment habit
Add higher-limit accounts
Target 90+ with consistent behavior

Realistic timeline: 80+ Paydex is achievable within 90-120 days with disciplined early payments.

Monitoring Your Paydex

Free Option: D&B CreditSignal

Basic alerts when your profile is accessed. Shows Paydex score. Limited detail.

Paid Options

D&B offers various monitoring packages ($15-$150+/month). Only necessary if you need detailed reporting or are actively building credit.

DIY Monitoring

Request your D&B report annually. Check for:

Accurate trade experiences
Correct payment history
No fraudulent accounts

Paydex FAQ

How long does it take to get a Paydex score?

Usually 2-3 months after opening reporting vendor accounts and making payments.

Can one late payment ruin my Paydex?

One late payment will lower your score, but not destroy it. The dollar-weighted average means one small late payment among many early payments has limited impact.

Does Paydex affect personal credit?

No. Paydex is business credit only. It doesn't appear on personal credit reports.

Can I improve Paydex without spending money?

No. You need actual transactions with reporting vendors. But the purchases can be small ($50-$100) and for items you'd buy anyway.

What if a vendor reported incorrectly?

Contact D&B to dispute. Provide payment documentation (bank statements, receipts). D&B investigates and corrects confirmed errors.

Next Steps

Paydex is one of the easiest business credit scores to improve—if you know the rules. Pay early, use reporting vendors, and stay consistent.

Start with one vendor account today. Make a small purchase. Pay the invoice within a week. Repeat with more vendors. Within 90 days, you'll have a Paydex score that opens doors.

Need help building your Paydex score? Freedom Consulting creates customized business credit strategies. Book a free consultation to accelerate your business credit journey.

Disclaimer: D&B scoring and processes may change. Verify current information at dnb.com.

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:

Paydex Score Explained: What It Is and How to Get 80+

Paydex Score Explained: What It Is and How to Get 80+

What Is a Paydex Score?

How Paydex Is Calculated

The Calculation

Dollar Weighting

What You Need for a Paydex Score

1. A D-U-N-S Number

2. Trade Experiences Reporting

3. Payment History

Why Paydex Matters

Vendor Credit Decisions

Lender Evaluations

Business Partnerships

Contract Requirements

How to Build Paydex from Zero

Step 1: Get Your D-U-N-S Number

Step 2: Open Reporting Vendor Accounts

Step 3: Make Purchases

Step 4: Pay Early

Step 5: Repeat and Expand

Strategies to Reach Paydex 80+

Strategy 1: Pay Within 10 Days

Strategy 2: Prioritize Larger Invoices

Strategy 3: Increase Purchase Frequency

Strategy 4: Verify Reporting

Strategy 5: Add High-Limit Accounts

Common Paydex Mistakes

Mistake 1: Paying on the Due Date

Mistake 2: Using Non-Reporting Vendors

Mistake 3: Inconsistent Payment Timing

Mistake 4: Ignoring Small Invoices

Mistake 5: Not Checking Your Profile

Paydex vs. Other Business Credit Scores

Paydex (D&B)

Intelliscore Plus (Experian Business)

Business Credit Risk Score (Equifax)

Timeline: Zero to 80+ Paydex

Month 1

Month 2

Month 3

Month 4+

Monitoring Your Paydex

Free Option: D&B CreditSignal

Paid Options

DIY Monitoring

Paydex FAQ

How long does it take to get a Paydex score?

Can one late payment ruin my Paydex?

Does Paydex affect personal credit?

Can I improve Paydex without spending money?

What if a vendor reported incorrectly?

Next Steps

Continue Learning

Need Help with Your Credit Strategy?

Related Articles

Business Credit Monitoring: Track Your Scores and Protect Your Profile

LLC Credit Building: Establish Business Credit for Your LLC

Business Tradelines: How They Work and Why They Matter

Paydex Score Explained: What It Is and How to Get 80+

Paydex Score Explained: What It Is and How to Get 80+

What Is a Paydex Score?

How Paydex Is Calculated

The Calculation

Dollar Weighting

What You Need for a Paydex Score

1. A D-U-N-S Number

2. Trade Experiences Reporting

3. Payment History

Why Paydex Matters

Vendor Credit Decisions

Lender Evaluations

Business Partnerships

Contract Requirements

How to Build Paydex from Zero

Step 1: Get Your D-U-N-S Number

Step 2: Open Reporting Vendor Accounts

Step 3: Make Purchases

Step 4: Pay Early

Step 5: Repeat and Expand