As one of the major credit bureaus, Experian has business credit reports available for more than 30 million businesses. On its website, it says it covers 99.9% of all US companies with third-party verified information, so an Experian credit check on a company will provide the information you need to evaluate a customer, supplier, or partner.
What Is an Experian Business Credit Search?
An Experian business credit search is the process of pulling a credit report that reflects how a company pays its obligations and manages financial risk. The report is tied to the business entity, not an individual owner, and aggregates data reported by suppliers, lenders, and public record sources.
Businesses run an Experian credit check on a company for various reasons:
- Extending trade credit to determine payment terms and credit limits
- Evaluating suppliers or partners
- Monitoring current customers for changes that could increase risk
What Shows Up on a Business Credit Report?
With an Experian business credit report, you get data including:
- Business information: Legal name, addresses, and corporate details
- Credit scores and risk indicators: Indicates the likelihood of on-time payment and overall credit risk
- Trade lines and payment history: Shows how a business pays its suppliers and creditors over time, including patterns of early, on-time, or late payments, which can influence credit terms.
- Public records: Liens, judgments, or bankruptcies that indicate a higher level of risk and require closer scrutiny.
- Collections and delinquency indicators: Past-due bills that are in collections
- Inquiry activity: Recent credit report access
You get an overall credit score based on these details, but you also get access to the underlying metrics used to create that score. This allows you to look closely and determine whether there’s anything you need to worry about, even if the overall score is in theacceptable range.
What Is a Good Experian Business Credit Score?
An Experian business credit score above 75 is generally considered good or low risk.
Unlike consumer credit scores, business credit scores are designed specifically for commercial risk assessment. Lenders may use these scores as part of loan underwriting, while suppliers often rely on them to set payment terms and credit limits.
Here is what Experian credit scores tell you about risk.
While an individual score is an indicator, score ranges generally matter more because they reflect relative risk tiers used in real-world decisions.
Trends over time are often even more important. A stable or improving score can indicate strengthening financial discipline, while a downward trend may prompt additional scrutiny even if the current score remains acceptable. Often, you’ll see warning signs show up as trends before credit scores show a significant change.
Recognizing these trends early gives you the opportunity to work with customers or suppliers before problems impact your bottom line.
How to Pull an Experian Business Credit Report Instantly
To run an Experian business credit search, you typically need basic identifying information such as the company’s legal name, address, and in some cases its EIN. Accurate identification helps you avoid mismatches or incomplete files.
Unlike personal credit reports, business credit reports do not require the subject’s explicit consent to access, as long as the inquiry is for a legitimate business purpose.
Command Credit provides on-demand access to Experian business credit searches, along with reports from other major business credit bureaus, through a single platform. You can pull Experian, Equifax, Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), or Credit Reports World on demand, when you need them, without having to sign up for a long-term subscription.
Command Credit makes it easy to get just the reports you need but also choose them for any one of the major business credit bureaus. Since each credit agency uses different data in its scoring models, you may want to compare multiple reports, especially if you have concerns. For example, one credit bureau may have trade references or payment histories that another doesn’t, so you get a more complete picture with multiple reports.
Get instant access to Experian business credit reports without a long-term commitment. Contact our team for more information or to discuss your options for credit reports, account monitoring, portfolio monitoring, or background investigations.