# Business credit scores explained

Source: https://businessloanbroker.ai/guides/business-credit-scores/
Site: BusinessLoanBroker.ai (powered by Levr)

> Business credit scores explained: PAYDEX, Intelliscore and FICO SBSS with the 155 SBA minimum, which scores lenders check, and why personal credit matters.

Three business credit scores matter: Dun and Bradstreet's PAYDEX, Experian's Intelliscore, and the FICO SBSS score that SBA lenders use, with a 155 minimum to prescreen the SBA's smaller 7(a) loans. For most loans under $1 million, though, your personal credit score still carries more weight, because you sign a personal guarantee. This guide explains each score, who checks it, and how to improve both.

## Key facts
- **PAYDEX:** Dun and Bradstreet, 0 to 100; 80 or higher means you pay on time
- **Intelliscore:** Experian, 1 to 100; 76 or higher is low risk
- **FICO SBSS:** 0 to 300; the SBA prescreen minimum is 155, many lenders want 160 or more
- **Personal credit:** Checked by almost every lender; 600 to 680 is the typical floor

## What are the main business credit scores?

PAYDEX from Dun and Bradstreet scores how promptly you pay suppliers, from 0 to 100; 80 means you pay on terms and higher means you pay early. Experian's Intelliscore Plus predicts the chance of serious delinquency, 1 to 100 in its original form, with 76 and above considered low risk; a newer version uses a 300 to 850 scale.

FICO SBSS, the Small Business Scoring Service, is different: it blends your business credit data with the personal credit of the owners and the business's financials into one score from 0 to 300. The SBA uses it to prescreen its smaller 7(a) loans, and many banks use it for loans under $1 million.

## What is the FICO SBSS score and the 155 cutoff?

FICO SBSS runs from 0 to 300, and the SBA requires a minimum of 155 to prescreen applications for its smaller 7(a) loans. A score under 155 does not mean an automatic decline, but the lender has to underwrite the file manually and many will not.

You cannot buy your own SBSS score; lenders pull it. It weighs the owners' personal credit heavily, especially for young businesses with thin business files, so a strong personal score and a clean business payment history both lift it. If you are planning an [SBA 7(a) loan](https://businessloanbroker.ai/business-loans/sba-7a-loans/), cleaning up personal credit six months ahead is the most reliable way to raise it.

## How does personal credit still matter?

For most loans under $1 million, your personal credit score matters more than any business score. Banks typically want 680 or higher, SBA lenders around 650, online lenders 600, and cash advance companies 500 or so. The reason is the personal guarantee: because you are personally liable, the lender wants to know how you handle your own debts.

Lenders look beyond the number at recent late payments, high card utilization, collections, bankruptcies and recent inquiries. A 700 score with a 60 day late payment last month looks worse than a 660 with nothing late in three years. [Bad credit business loans](https://businessloanbroker.ai/situations/bad-credit/) covers what is available under 600, and [business loan requirements](https://businessloanbroker.ai/guides/business-loan-requirements/) shows the typical floors by lender.

## Which scores does each lender actually check?

Banks check personal credit from the consumer bureaus, pull a business credit report from Dun and Bradstreet or Experian, and often use FICO SBSS. SBA lenders check personal credit and SBSS. Online lenders check personal credit, usually with a soft pull first, and read your bank statements; most do not pull a business report. Cash advance companies rely on bank statements and a soft personal pull.

Equipment lenders check personal credit and sometimes PAYDEX, and they care about the equipment's value as much as either. Factoring companies check your customers' credit more than yours. Vendors who offer net terms check PAYDEX and Intelliscore, which is where business credit matters most day to day.

## How do you build business credit?

Get a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet (it is free), make sure your business has an EIN and a business bank account, and open accounts with suppliers that report payments to the business bureaus (office supply, fuel and telecom vendors are common). Pay them early; PAYDEX only rises above 80 if you pay before the due date. Add a [business credit card](https://businessloanbroker.ai/business-loans/business-credit-cards/) that reports to the business bureaus and keep the balance low.

Check your business reports once a year for errors and dispute them. Business credit takes 6 to 12 months to establish and a few years to become strong. A small [equipment loan](https://businessloanbroker.ai/business-loans/equipment-financing/) that reports and is repaid cleanly builds the track record larger lenders look for.

## What hurts a business credit score?

Late payments to vendors hurt most, because payment history drives all three scores. Tax liens, judgments, UCC filings on multiple loans, high utilization on business cards, and many recent inquiries also lower scores. For FICO SBSS, the owners' personal credit problems pull the score down even when the business pays everyone on time.

Two things surprise owners. First, having no reported accounts gives you no score at all, which some lenders treat like a low one. Second, a clean closed account keeps helping, so keep two or three reporting accounts open and active. You can apply here with whatever history you have, or ask your AI assistant to apply through our MCP server; see the [agents hub](https://businessloanbroker.ai/agents/).

| Score | Bureau | Range | Good score | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAYDEX | Dun and Bradstreet | 0 to 100 | 80 or higher | Suppliers, equipment lenders, some banks |
| Intelliscore Plus | Experian | 1 to 100 (newer version 300 to 850) | 76 or higher | Suppliers, banks, online lenders |
| FICO SBSS | FICO, using all bureaus | 0 to 300 | 160 or higher; SBA minimum 155 | SBA lenders, banks under $1 million |
| Personal FICO | Consumer bureaus | 300 to 850 | 680 or higher at banks | Almost every lender |

## Questions and answers
**Can I check my business credit score for free?**

Partly. Dun and Bradstreet and Experian offer free or low cost summaries of your business report, and some business banking providers show a score as a feature. FICO SBSS is only available to lenders. Your personal score is free from many card issuers and the consumer bureaus.

**Does applying for a business loan affect my personal credit?**

A soft pull during prequalification does not. A hard pull at full underwriting typically lowers your score by a few points for a few months. Many hard pulls in a short period hurt more, which is why one application that reaches many lenders is better than many separate applications.

**Does an LLC have its own credit score?**

Only once it has a credit file, which requires an EIN, a DUNS number and accounts that report to the business bureaus. Forming an LLC does not create a score by itself. Until the file exists, lenders rely on the owners' personal credit, and most check it anyway because of the personal guarantee.

**How long does it take to build business credit?**

Typically 6 to 12 months to get a first score once two or three vendor accounts are reporting, and two to three years to build a file strong enough to matter for bank lending. Paying early speeds up PAYDEX. Services that promise instant business credit are usually selling little of value.

## Related
- [Business loan requirements](https://businessloanbroker.ai/guides/business-loan-requirements/)
- [Business loans with bad credit](https://businessloanbroker.ai/situations/bad-credit/)
- [SBA 7(a) loans](https://businessloanbroker.ai/business-loans/sba-7a-loans/)
- [Business credit cards](https://businessloanbroker.ai/business-loans/business-credit-cards/)
- [Why business loans get denied and what to fix](https://businessloanbroker.ai/guides/why-loans-get-denied/)

## Apply
Apply for the business: https://apply.businessloanbroker.ai/signup?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=md-business-credit-scores
MCP server for AI agents: https://mcp.businessloanbroker.ai/mcp (docs: https://businessloanbroker.ai/agents/mcp/)