Business Credit Score Ranges Explained: What's a Good Score?

When a business owner asks "what's a good business credit score?" the answer depends entirely on which bureau's score you are asking about. Dun & Bradstreet's Paydex tops out at 100. Experian's Intelliscore Plus also runs from 1 to 100. Equifax's Business Credit Risk Score runs from 101 to 992. These are three completely different scales measuring similar but not identical things — and lenders use all three.

Understanding all three score systems is not optional if you are serious about business credit. A lender pulling your D&B file sees something completely different from what a lender pulling your Experian Business file sees. The fastest way to get approved — and the fastest way to understand rejections — is knowing exactly what each bureau is measuring.

The Three Business Credit Score Ranges

1. D&B Paydex Score (0–100)

The Paydex score is Dun & Bradstreet's flagship metric and the most widely used business credit score among commercial lenders. It measures payment timing — specifically how promptly your business pays its trade obligations relative to agreed-upon terms. The score is dollar-weighted, meaning large invoices paid late hurt your score more than small invoices paid late.

Key Paydex fact: a score of 80 means paying exactly on the due date. To get above 80, you need to pay early. See our full Paydex score guide for the complete breakdown.

2. Experian Intelliscore Plus (1–100)

Experian Business produces the Intelliscore Plus score, which runs from 1 to 100 where higher is better. Unlike Paydex — which focuses almost entirely on payment timing — Intelliscore Plus is a more comprehensive risk score. It weighs multiple factors including payment history, tradeline frequency, depth, and recency, public record filings (liens, judgments, bankruptcies), and time in business.

3. Equifax Business Credit Risk Score (101–992)

Equifax Business uses the Business Credit Risk Score, which ranges from 101 to 992. This is the most confusing scale for business owners to interpret because it looks similar to a personal FICO score range (300–850) but works differently. Higher is better. The score reflects the likelihood of severe delinquency — meaning a payment 90+ days late, a charge-off, or a collection account — within the next 12 months.

For a broader overview of how all four major business credit scores fit together, see our guide on what is a business credit score.

What Factors Affect Each Score

The three bureaus weight different factors:

D&B Paydex

• Payment timing (primary factor): How many days early or late each invoice is paid, weighted by invoice dollar amount
• Number of trade lines reporting: Minimum of 3 trade lines required for a score to appear; 5+ trade lines recommended
• Recency of payment data: D&B weights recent payments more heavily than older payments

Experian Intelliscore Plus

• Payment history (largest weight): On-time vs. late payments across all trade lines
• Tradeline frequency and depth: Number of accounts, age of accounts, credit utilization on revolving accounts
• Public records: Liens, judgments, bankruptcies — these severely penalize Intelliscore
• Time in business: Older businesses with established files score higher by default

Equifax Business Credit Risk Score

• Delinquency prediction: Statistical model assessing probability of 90+ day late in next 12 months
• Payment history depth: Longer, consistent payment history across more trade lines produces higher scores
• Business age and stability: Older businesses score better at baseline
• Public records: Tax liens, judgments, and bankruptcies are heavily penalized

How Long It Takes to Move Between Tiers

Moving from one tier to the next is not automatic — it requires active management and consistent on-time (ideally early) payment behavior:

• From no score to fair (Paydex 50–70, Intelliscore 26–50): 3–6 months with 3–5 active trade lines paying consistently
• From fair to good (Paydex 70–79, Intelliscore 51–75): 4–8 months of disciplined early payment across 5+ trade lines
• From good to excellent (Paydex 80+, Intelliscore 76+): 6–12 months of consistently early payment, adding a business credit card and revolving line to the profile
• From excellent to premier (Paydex 90+, Intelliscore 90+): 12–24 months with deep file, multiple account types, and zero public records

The Fastest Moves to Boost Each Score

For Paydex: Pay every invoice 5–10 days early starting this month. Paydex responds faster than any other score to payment timing changes because it is almost entirely a payment-timing metric. Add 2–3 new vendor accounts with low thresholds so you have more payment events reporting each month.

For Intelliscore: Resolve any public records first — an unpaid tax lien or judgment will anchor Intelliscore regardless of your payment history. Then focus on adding tradeline depth: more accounts, more age, more consistent payments. A business credit card that reports to Experian Business adds account-type diversity that improves Intelliscore significantly.

For Equifax Business Credit Risk Score: The fastest lever is eliminating any delinquency risk signals — outstanding judgments, late payments, unpaid obligations. Equifax weights delinquency prediction heavily, so clearing past-due items and establishing a consistent forward payment record has outsized impact.

Published by Famp Business Concierges | Business Credit & Funding Specialists