Personal credit follows your Social Security Number and is reported by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Business credit follows your EIN and is reported primarily by Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business.
Why the separation matters
A well-developed business credit profile lets your company qualify for vendor terms, trade credit, corporate cards, and eventually funding without every application relying on your personal guarantee.
What lenders actually look at
- Business structure and age
- Business bank account history
- Vendor / trade references
- Business credit scores (PAYDEX, Intelliscore, etc.)
- Personal credit of the owner(s), especially early on
Where they overlap
Most early-stage business credit still requires a personal guarantee. Building both profiles in parallel — cleanly and strategically — is what unlocks the strongest long-term position.
