What Are Commercial Credit Reports? FAQ

In today's competitive business landscape, protecting your company from credit risk is more critical than ever. Whether you're managing accounts receivable for a manufacturer, distributor, or transportation company, you need reliable tools to assess the financial health of your customers. One of the most effective tools at your disposal is the commercial credit report.

Understanding and leveraging commercial credit reports can give your team the confidence to extend credit to trustworthy businesses while flagging those that might become a liability. This guide explores everything you need to know—from how commercial credit reports differ from consumer credit reports to how to get the most value from them.

What Is a Commercial Credit Report?

A commercial credit report is a data-rich profile created by credit bureaus to help you evaluate the creditworthiness of a business. These reports consolidate a company's credit history, payment behaviors, legal filings, and other key financial indicators. The purpose? To provide a snapshot of how reliably a business meets its financial obligations.

This report is particularly useful when deciding whether to extend trade credit to a new customer or reassessing the risk associated with an existing client.

Why Commercial Credit Reports Matter

For credit executives, these reports offer crucial visibility into a customer’s financial behavior, enabling smarter, faster decision-making. They:

• Reduce the risk of bad debt

• Increase confidence in extending credit

• Highlight early warning signs of potential defaults

• Support more consistent and data-driven credit policies

Most importantly, they empower your team to be proactive rather than reactive.

Consumer vs. Commercial Credit Reports: What’s the Difference?

While both types of credit reports serve to measure creditworthiness, they are fundamentally different in scope, data, and usage.

While consumer data is governed by strict privacy protections, commercial credit data is more accessible—anyone can purchase a commercial credit report for a business. This openness allows suppliers, lenders, and partners to conduct due diligence before entering into financial relationships.

What Kind of Data Is in a Commercial Credit Report?

Commercial credit reports go beyond just payment histories. Depending on the provider, reports can include:

• Business registration details (EIN, legal name, incorporation status)

• Trade payment histories from suppliers and vendors

• DBT (Days Beyond Terms) scores and payment trends

• Public filings such as bankruptcies, tax liens, and judgments

• Business financial statements (when available)

• Ownership structure and parent company relationships

• Credit utilization and credit limit recommendations

This breadth of data helps you make informed decisions backed by historical and behavioral financial data—not just a single score.

What Is a Good Commercial Credit Score?

There isn’t a single standard for what constitutes a "good" commercial credit score. Each bureau uses different models, and most businesses are scored across multiple dimensions. However, here are some of the most commonly referenced scoring systems:

• Dun & Bradstreet PAYDEX: Ranges from 1 to 100. A score of 80+ means bills are typically paid on time or early.

• Equifax Business Credit Score: Ranges from 0 to 992. A score above 550 is generally considered good.

• Experian Intelliscore Plus: Also ranges from 1 to 100. A score above 80 indicates low risk.

In addition to the primary score, bureaus often provide breakdowns of risk factors such as payment trends, business size, industry risk, and legal filings. Reviewing the full report—not just the headline score—is key to a robust credit assessment process.

How to Get a Commercial Credit Report

There are multiple ways to obtain a commercial credit report:

1. Directly from the Bureaus

The three major commercial credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and Dun & Bradstreet—offer online platforms where you can search for and purchase reports on any business with a credit file.

2. Via Credit Management Software

Many modern credit management platforms, such as NetNow, integrate directly with credit bureaus. This allows credit teams to access reports within their workflow without needing to log in to multiple platforms. Integration means faster decisions, improved team efficiency, and a centralized repository of customer credit profiles

Best Practices for Commercial Credit Reports

Getting access to a credit report is one thing—getting the right report is another. Here are some best practices to enhance the value of your commercial credit data:

• Use multiple sources: Don’t rely on a single credit bureau. Each may have different data on file, so cross-referencing can give you a more complete picture.

• Automate data refreshes: Businesses change quickly. Automate updates so you’re not basing decisions on outdated data.

• Look beyond the score: Payment trends, DBT metrics, and public filings can reveal more than the score alone.

• Segment risk profiles: Use credit scores to create tiers in your customer base—low, medium, and high risk—and assign different credit policies to each.

• Keep your own reporting accurate: If your business also extends credit and reports payment behavior, maintaining accurate records strengthens the overall data ecosystem.

Conclusion: Credit Confidence Begins with Better Data

Commercial credit reports are a cornerstone of modern credit management. They equip executives with the data needed to safeguard cash flow, make informed credit decisions, and foster stronger customer relationships. For executives in manufacturing, distribution, and transportation, where margins are tight and risk is real, these insights can be a game-changer.

Ready to Centralize Your Commercial Credit Reports?

If you’re looking for a way to streamline how your team accesses and evaluates commercial credit reports, NetNow can help. Our software integrates with top credit bureaus to provide a unified view of your customers’ financial health—right from your dashboard.

Book a demo today and see how NetNow can transform your credit operations.