Business Credit
A credit profile tied to a business's EIN that is separate from any owner's personal credit.
Business credit is reported to Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. A properly built profile lets the business borrow on its own merit and reduces personal guarantee exposure.
EIN (Employer Identification Number)
A 9-digit federal tax ID issued by the IRS that identifies a US business entity.
An EIN is the foundation of business credit — every tradeline, bank account, and bureau file references it. Sole proprietors should obtain an EIN even when not strictly required to begin separating personal and business identity.
D-U-N-S Number
A 9-digit unique identifier assigned by Dun & Bradstreet that opens a D&B business credit file.
A D-U-N-S Number is free and is required by most government contracting databases, Apple Developer accounts, and many enterprise vendors. Without one, the business cannot build a D&B credit history.
PAYDEX Score
Dun & Bradstreet's 0-100 business payment score predicting how promptly a business pays vendors.
PAYDEX 80 = pays on terms; 100 = pays 30 days early. Most net-30 vendor approvals look for 75+. The score is built by having reporting tradelines mark invoices paid on or before due date.
Intelliscore Plus
Experian's 1-100 business credit risk score predicting serious delinquency in the next 12 months.
Lenders frequently pair Intelliscore with the owner's personal FICO. Strong files run 76+ on Intelliscore.
Equifax Business Credit Risk Score (FR Score)
Equifax's 101-992 score predicting business delinquency over 12 months.
Used by commercial lessors, landlords, and trade creditors. Combined with PAYDEX and Intelliscore, it forms the tri-bureau business credit picture.
Tier 1 Vendor
Net-30 trade accounts that report to business bureaus and accept new businesses with minimal credit history.
Tier 1 vendors are the entry point of business credit building. Examples include Uline, Quill, Grainger, and Crown Office Supplies. CloudsCreditRepair™ sequences 5-8 Tier 1 accounts as the first 60-90 days of build.
Tier 2 Vendor
Store-brand revolving credit accounts that report to business bureaus after a Tier 1 history is established.
Examples include Home Depot Commercial, Lowe's Pro, Amazon Business, and Sam's Club Business. Tier 2 expands utilization-management options on the business file.
Tier 3 Vendor
Cash credit cards (often Visa/Mastercard) issued to the business that report to commercial bureaus.
Tier 3 typically unlocks at 6+ months of clean payment history. Issuers like Capital One Spark, Ramp, and Brex are common.
Tier 4 Vendor
Bank lines of credit, equipment financing, and SBA-eligible debt products underwritten on the business profile.
Tier 4 is the funding-ready stage — credit lines and term loans secured primarily on business metrics with limited or no personal guarantee.
Business Tradeline
Any credit account on a business bureau file that reports payment history.
A reporting tradeline is what builds business credit; non-reporting accounts do not. Always verify a vendor reports to at least one of D&B, Experian Business, or Equifax Business before counting it.
Personal Guarantee (PG)
A clause making the business owner personally liable for business debt if the business defaults.
PGs are standard in early-stage business borrowing. The funding-readiness program targets PG-free or limited-PG products as the business credit profile matures.
NAICS Code
A 6-digit North American Industry Classification System code identifying a business's industry.
NAICS code drives bureau classification, SBA eligibility, and lender risk pricing. High-risk codes (cannabis, adult, certain finance) trigger declines regardless of credit quality.
SIC Code
The legacy 4-digit Standard Industrial Classification code still used by some bureaus and underwriters.
Like NAICS, SIC selection can flag a file as high-risk and limit funding access. CloudsCreditRepair™ reviews SIC/NAICS during business credit setup.
Business Compliance (Fundability)
The set of operational basics — entity, EIN, address, phone, website, bank account, licenses — that underwriters expect to see consistent across all data sources.
Inconsistent business name, address, or phone across the IRS, bureaus, Secretary of State, and 411 listings causes silent declines. Fundability work is non-negotiable before applying for credit.
411 Listing
A business listing in the directory assistance database (formerly 411) that lenders verify via Listyourself or LexisNexis.
Many funders pull a 411 verification call as part of underwriting. A missing or mismatched listing is a frequent reason for unexplained declines.
Business Credit Stack
The intentional sequence of Tier 1 → Tier 2 → Tier 3 → Tier 4 accounts that builds a fundable business profile.
The stack is the strategic spine of business credit. CloudsCreditRepair™ tracks every member through the stack inside the dashboard.
Net-30 Vendor
A trade account that bills the business with payment due 30 days after invoice.
Net-30s are the primary Tier 1 build tool because they extend credit before the business has any history. Pay on time or early to optimize PAYDEX.
Turn these definitions into a working plan.
Members get tri-bureau credit analysis, a personalized roadmap, business credit setup, and funding readiness scoring inside one AI-powered command center.