[.green-span]Equifax vs Experian vs TransUnion for business credit: a lender's guide[.green-span]
For US business credit, Experian and Equifax are the two of the three with established business files and scores, alongside Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). TransUnion's main role in US business lending appears to be consumer data on owners and guarantors. Its FY2025 10-K describes its customers as US financial-services customers and names no US business credit report or score. Nav (updated August 2026) lists D&B, Experian and Equifax as the commercial bureaus.
So the consumer "big three" and the commercial heavyweights are different lists. Lenders that treat them as one set pull the wrong data for the wrong question.
This guide compares Equifax vs Experian vs TransUnion for business credit as of October 2026 (US scope). You'll learn what each bureau's scores measure, what changed with FICO SBSS on March 1, 2026, and how to combine bureaus in one decision flow.
How Equifax, Experian and TransUnion compare for business credit
Each source answers a different risk question. Scores use different scales and models, so a 70 at one bureau says nothing about a 70 at another.
1. Equifax: lender-side payment data and a delinquency score
Equifax's Business Credit Risk Score ranges from 101 to 992, per SCORE. It predicts the likelihood of a 90-day severe delinquency or charge-off over the next 12 months, and lower scores mean higher risk.
SCORE also describes an Equifax Payment Index that compares 12-month payment trends with industry norms. Equifax adds a failure score where lower means higher risk. Published ranges for that score conflict, so confirm the scale on your own Equifax reports.
Equifax's lender-side strength comes from the Small Business Financial Exchange (SBFE), a non-profit exchange of member-lender data. Equifax became an SBFE Certified Vendor effective January 1, 2017. SBFE licenses data to several certified vendors, so Equifax is one access point among others.
2. Experian: broad trade, public-record and UCC coverage
Experian business credit scores range from 1 to 100, and Experian puts the average at 62, per its small business FAQ. Those figures apply to Intelliscore Plus (original/V2). Scores are version-dependent, so confirm the version in your contract.
Experian says only third-party-reported data feeds Intelliscore Plus. Its files cover supplier and lender trades, liens, judgments, bankruptcies, collections and UCC filings. Experian keeps trade data for 36 months after the last report and UCC filings for 5 years after the last filing.
Experian also sells a Financial Stability Risk Score (FSRS) that it says identifies businesses "at the highest risk for failure and payment default." The current FSRS V2 uses a 300 to 850 scale with five risk classes and a 24-month outlook. It's available through Experian account executives.
A 2016 Experian product sheet describes the original FSRS, with a 1 to 100 scale and a 12-month window. That sheet positions it alongside Intelliscore Plus to separate "slow pay but will pay" accounts from true default risk. The current V2 page doesn't repeat that framing.
3. TransUnion: owner and guarantor consumer data
TransUnion is best known in the US for consumer credit data. Its FY2025 annual report to the SEC describes US financial-services customers such as banks, credit unions, finance companies and FinTechs. It lists Equifax, Experian and LexisNexis as US competitors and describes no US business credit report or score.
Credit-education sources such as Nav (updated August 2026) list D&B, Experian and Equifax as the commercial bureaus. A 2021 TransUnion consumer article names the same three.
A current TransUnion US commercial credit product could not be confirmed for this article. The 10-K does mention business databases "in select geographies" in its International segment, so confirm with TransUnion if a US product matters to your decision. For US business lenders, TransUnion's core value is the personal credit file of owners and guarantors.
4. Dun & Bradstreet: trade-payment context
D&B is the fourth major commercial source and belongs in any business credit comparison. Its PAYDEX score measures payment performance on a roughly 0/1 to 100 scale, per D&B. D&B says 80 or above is generally considered good.
PAYDEX relies on trade data only. D&B's Delinquency Predictor Score runs from 101 to 670, per the same D&B page.
Business credit bureau comparison table
FICO SBSS after the March 1, 2026 SBA change
SBA discontinued the FICO Small Business Scoring Service (SBSS) score for 7(a) Small Loans effective March 1, 2026, per SBA Procedural Notice 5000-875701. SBA previously screened these loans using the SBSS score. SBA Express loans are not affected.
Lenders may now use the scoring model they use for similar conventional loans, per NAGGL's summary of SBA Notice 5000-876777. The model must be permitted by the lender's primary federal regulator and must not rely solely on consumer credit scores. Debt service coverage must be 1.10:1 or higher.
That rule makes business bureau data more important for SBA lenders. Per SBA's early-2026 notices (effective March 1, 2026), owner scores alone no longer meet the bar.
SOP 50 10 8.1 takes effect for loans receiving an SBA loan number on or after October 1, 2026, per NAGGL. It revises underwriting for both Standard 7(a) and 7(a) Small Loans. NAGGL's summaries, including its September 2026 update, don't mention SBSS or DSCR.
SBA's early-2026 notices (effective March 1, 2026) remain the latest rules we could verify. Before you set policy, check SOP 50 10 8.1 to confirm whether it changes the SBSS or 1.10:1 DSCR rules.
Bring every bureau into one decision flow
On its Lendflow Intelligence page, Lendflow reports 85% faster time-to-decision as a platform-wide figure. Lendflow Connect aggregates credit and business data into one integration. Intelligence then turns that data into decisions through configurable decision models.
Teams can route business reports, owner reports and other signals into one model. Skip stitching separate pulls by hand and decide on complete data. See how Lendflow approaches embedded finance for SaaS and brokers.
How lenders should choose and combine business credit bureaus
No bureau publishes rules for which bureau to use when. The framework below is Lendflow's view, based on how lending teams build credit pipelines.
1. Match the bureau to the product
Term loans, lines of credit and equipment financing lean on the borrower's repayment history. Invoice factoring and purchase of receivables also depend on the businesses that owe the invoices.
2. Map each risk question to a source
Use Equifax or SBFE-based data for bank, card and lease payments. Use Experian for trades, public records and UCC filings, and D&B for supplier payments. Use consumer bureaus, including TransUnion, for guarantors.
3. Pair a delinquency score with a failure score
Experian's 2016 product sheet, which pairs Intelliscore Plus with the original FSRS, gives the clearest example. One flags slow payers, and the other flags businesses likely to fail. FSRS V2 still targets failure and payment default, so confirm which version your contract includes.
4. Build a waterfall for thin and no-hit files
Reporting is voluntary. Experian says only about 10,000 of more than 500,000 suppliers extending credit report to it, so one bureau may miss a business another covers.
When the first source returns no file, call the next one before you decline. The same logic applies to lender routing: Lendflow Connect uses smart waterfall rules to give declined deals a second look.
5. Add owner data where the owner carries liability
Pull the owner's or guarantor's consumer report when they are personally liable for the debt. TransUnion, Experian and Equifax all supply those personal files.
6. Write SBA rules into the model
For 7(a) Small Loans after March 1, 2026, use a permitted business scoring model that does not rely solely on consumer scores. Add the 1.10:1 DSCR check. Recheck both against SOP 50 10 8.1 for loans numbered on or after October 1, 2026.
7. Test, then recalibrate
Compare approvals, declines and repayment by data source each quarter. Drop sources that add cost without changing decisions, and let Lendflow Automate carry the approved rules into workflow execution.
Step 4 is an inference from Experian's reporting figures. No public source directly compares files on the same business across bureaus.
Owner data still matters on the applicant side. The Federal Reserve Banks' 2020 Report on Employer Firms (chart, p. 8) draws on the 2019 Small Business Credit Survey. In it, 48% of small employer firms used both business and personal credit scores.
Another 40% used only the owner's personal score, and 12% used only a business score. The survey was fielded in 2019 and is several years old, but it shows why owner data stays in the file.
Best practices for using business credit bureau data
These recommendations reflect Lendflow's view unless a source is linked.
- Confirm each score's version and scale in your bureau contract before you set cutoffs.
- Treat third-party "good score" cutoffs as rules of thumb, and set your own from portfolio performance.
- Never compare raw scores across bureaus, since each model uses its own scale and outcome definition.
- Treat a missing business file as a routing signal, and call the next source before you decline.
- Get written authorization before pulling an owner's or guarantor's consumer report.
- Log which bureau, score version and pull date fed each decision for audit and model reviews.
- Refresh business reports before renewals and line increases instead of reusing the original pull.
On owner reports, a commercial transaction gives no permissible purpose for a consumer report unless the individual will be personally liable, per Scherzer International. That analysis relies on FTC staff opinion letters, which are informal guidance and not binding. This is not legal advice, so have counsel review your consent flows.
Business-entity reports work differently. Experian says anyone, including competitors and other creditors, can purchase a business report without the company's permission.
Common pitfalls to avoid:
- Relying on one bureau and declining thin-file businesses another bureau covers.
- Using owner consumer scores as the only input for SBA 7(a) Small Loans after March 1, 2026.
- Copying score ranges from old blog posts without checking the current bureau documentation.
Conclusion
Experian and Equifax are the two of the three bureaus with established US business credit files and scores, alongside D&B. TransUnion's main role in US business lending appears to be owner and guarantor consumer data.
In Lendflow's view, the strongest approach combines sources by risk question: lender payment data, trade and public records, supplier payments and owner credit. The SBA's March 1, 2026 SBSS sunset raises the stakes, because scoring models can no longer rely solely on consumer credit scores for 7(a) Small Loans.
Key takeaway: choose bureaus by the question you need answered, then run them through one decision model with Lendflow Intelligence.
FAQs
Does TransUnion offer business credit reports in the US?
A current TransUnion US commercial credit product could not be confirmed as of October 2026. Its FY2025 10-K names no US business credit report or score, and Nav lists D&B, Experian and Equifax as the commercial bureaus. For US business lenders, TransUnion's main value is owner and guarantor consumer data.
Is Equifax or Experian better for business credit?
Neither is better across the board. Equifax is strong on lender payment data, including SBFE member data, while Experian is strong on trades, public records and UCC filings. The right pick depends on the risk question.
Do SBA lenders still need a FICO SBSS score?
Not for 7(a) Small Loans approved on or after March 1, 2026, per SBA's early-2026 notices (effective March 1, 2026). Lenders may use a permitted business scoring model that does not rely solely on consumer scores, plus a 1.10:1 DSCR. Check SOP 50 10 8.1 for loans numbered on or after October 1, 2026.
Why does the same business have different scores at each bureau?
Each bureau uses its own model, scale and data. Reporting is voluntary, and Experian says only about 10,000 of more than 500,000 suppliers extending credit report to it. Different furnishers mean different files.
Can a lender pull a business owner's personal credit report?
Yes, when the lender has a permissible purpose, such as the owner being personally liable or a guarantor. FTC staff letters support this but are informal guidance. Get written authorization and confirm with counsel, since this is not legal advice.
