How to Build Business Credit

By Bryce Casson, Founder · Cardocrat · Updated June 2026
The short answer: Business credit is a profile in your business name, separate from your personal credit, built through an EIN, a D-U-N-S number, vendor accounts that report, and cards that report to the business bureaus. Most consumer business cards do not build it, so it takes deliberate steps.

Set up the foundation

Get a free EIN from the IRS, open a business bank account, and register for a D-U-N-S number from Dun and Bradstreet. These give your business its own identity that the business credit bureaus (Dun and Bradstreet, Experian Business, Equifax Business) can track, separate from your Social Security number.

Build a reporting history

Open net-30 vendor accounts and a business card that reports to the business bureaus, and pay everything on time or early. Note that most small-business credit cards report only to your personal credit, not business credit, so you may need specific corporate or vendor products that report to D&B to build a business score.

Why it matters

A strong business credit profile can unlock higher limits, better loan terms, and financing in the business name without a personal guarantee, and it keeps business activity off your personal report. For most small owners, though, a normal business credit card on a personal guarantee is enough; building standalone business credit matters most as you scale.

Frequently asked questions

Do business credit cards build business credit?
Most do not. The majority of small-business cards report only to your personal credit. Building business credit takes an EIN, a D-U-N-S number, and vendor accounts or cards that specifically report to the business bureaus.
How do I start building business credit?
Get an EIN, open a business bank account, register for a D-U-N-S number, then open net-30 vendor accounts and reporting cards and pay them on time.

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Bryce Casson

Bryce Casson, Founder of Cardocrat. Every card is ranked by what it actually returns, with all points valued at a flat 1 cent and offers verified against issuer sources. About the author.