Types of data on a business credit report
The Business credit report provides a range of data depending on the report you select.
Reports include the following:

  1. Company information
    Includes the company's name, address, phone number and Experian file number. The year the file was established on Experian's database will be displayed when the company's incorporation date is not available.
  2. Credit categories
    Classifies the company's current credit status into one of five categories - acceptable, caution, warning, serious risk and bankruptcy - based on the company's current payment behavior and the presence or absence of collection data or derogatory legal filings.
  3. Legal filings
    Summarizes any bankruptcy, tax lien and judgment filings gathered from federal, state and county courthouses nationwide. (Experian also offers complete information on these legal filings - as well as Uniform Commercial Code, corporate records and Fictitious Business Name (Doing Business As) filings - online. See our business public records area for more information.)
  4. Detailed collection filings
    Includes information gathered from a nationwide network of collection agencies. The report provides the collection agency's name, the amount placed for collection and the date the account was submitted to the collection agency.
  5. Payment behavior
    summarizes the company's credit relationships and payment performance. Experian collects this information from suppliers nationwide.
  6. Payment trends and industry comparison
    Compares the company's payment performance with other businesses in the same industry to help you make a more accurate risk evaluation. (Requires payment information about the company to be available for at least the past six months.)
  7. Company background
    This information can include the type of business, number of employees or sales figures, where incorporated and key officers

FAQ:

 

What information is contained in an Experian business credit report?  
 

Business credit reports contain information on a particular business' payment history, existing credit obligations, previous or existing legal filings, and background history. Often used as an indicator of a company's "financial health," a business credit report is most commonly used to help a lender decide if a company can take on additional financial obligations and if it will most likely pay those obligations on time

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Where does the information in an Experian business credit report come from?
 
BCR collects credit obligation information from thousands of businesses nationwide. These businesses are typically the suppliers or lenders with which a company has existing financial relationships. The information comes directly from the accounting systems of the suppliers. BCR also collects legal filings from the various local, county and state courts across the United States. Company background information is collected from a variety of independent firms. BCR does not collect information directly from a company about its business.

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Can I check my own company's business credit report?
 
Absolutely. This is always a good idea and it is a good first step toward securing a good credit standing. Many lending institutions pay very close attention to payment behavior trends of a business when determining the interest rate and borrowing power for business loans.

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My business has been denied credit recently, what should I do?
 
If your business has been denied credit in the past 60 days based upon Experian Commercial Credit data, you should obtain a copy of your Business Profile Report for review.

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