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D&B Credit Report Explained

Last updated: August 2026

Your PAYDEX score is one number. A D&B Credit Report is the full picture — the actual document lenders, suppliers, and partners pull when deciding whether to work with your business. Here's exactly what's inside one, who buys it, and how your DUNS number ties into it.

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What Is a D&B Credit Report, Exactly

A D&B Credit Report is a compiled profile of your business built from everything Dun & Bradstreet holds on file — your PAYDEX score, D&B Rating, payment trends, company details, ownership structure, and public records — pulled together into a single document that outside parties can purchase and read.

It exists because no single score tells a complete story. A lender or supplier doesn't just want to know "is this business paying on time" (PAYDEX) or "how financially strong is it" (D&B Rating) — they want the full context around both, plus verification that the business is who it says it is.

If you haven't registered for a DUNS number yet, there's no report to pull — start with our Getting a DUNS Number guide first.

What's Actually Inside the Report

A full D&B Credit Report is modular — here are the components most commonly included.

SectionWhat It ShowsAlways Included?
Company IdentificationLegal name, address, DUNS number, industry code, founding dateYes
PAYDEX Score1–100 payment timeliness scoreOnly if scored
D&B RatingFinancial strength + credit appraisal code (e.g. "3A2")Only if rated
Payment TrendsHow payment behavior has changed over recent monthsOnly if scored
Public FilingsLiens, judgments, bankruptcies, UCC filingsYes, if any exist
Ownership & StructureOfficers, subsidiaries, corporate family treeYes
Financial StatementsRevenue, net worth, balance sheet dataOnly if self-reported
REPORT TYPES

Types of D&B Reports

Not every report pulled on your business is the same size or depth — D&B offers several formats depending on what the buyer needs to know.

  • Business Information Report — the standard full report combining identification, ratings, scores, payment history, and public filings.
  • Supplier Evaluation Risk Rating (SER) — a narrower report focused specifically on the risk of doing business with a supplier, often used in procurement.
  • Comprehensive/Financial Report — includes deeper financial statement analysis when a business has shared that data with D&B.
  • International/Global Reports — compiled versions that pull data across multiple countries for businesses operating globally.
WHO BUYS IT

Who Buys or Pulls Your Report — and Why

A D&B Credit Report isn't something that just sits unused — it gets purchased by parties actively deciding whether to extend money, credit, or trust to your business.

  • Lenders and banks reviewing a loan or credit line application, wanting the full risk picture rather than a single score.
  • Suppliers and vendors deciding whether to offer net payment terms instead of requiring cash upfront.
  • Larger companies and procurement teams vetting you as a new vendor, especially before large contracts.
  • Insurers assessing risk before writing a business policy.
  • You, yourself — pulling your own report is common practice before a major financing round or RFP response, simply to see what others will see.
WHY IT MATTERS

Why Keeping Your Profile Accurate Matters

Everything in your Credit Report is compiled from data tied to your DUNS number — which means outdated addresses, missing ownership updates, or unreported trade activity can all make the report look thinner or less favorable than your actual business.

  • Stale company details (old address, outdated officer names) can make a report look neglected even if the business itself is healthy.
  • Businesses with no trade experiences reported will show as unscored on PAYDEX within the report, which can look incomplete to a reviewer expecting a number.
  • D&B allows businesses to submit updates and corrections directly, which is generally the fastest way to fix inaccurate profile data.
Key point: third-party "DUNS agencies" cannot edit your official D&B-held data on your behalf — updates go through D&B directly.
GETTING YOUR OWN COPY

How to See or Get a Copy of Your Own Report

  1. Go directly through Dun & Bradstreet. D&B sells access to your own business's report and monitoring tools directly — this is the most reliable source.
  2. Consider a monitoring subscription if you check often. Products like D&B CreditSignal or D&B Credit offer ongoing visibility rather than a one-time pull.
  3. Review it before big financial moments. Pulling your own report ahead of a loan application, investor due diligence, or a large RFP lets you catch and fix issues before someone else sees them.
  4. Avoid unofficial resellers claiming to "unlock" your report cheaply. These are frequently the inflated third-party services covered in our Myths & Scams guide.
CLEARING UP CONFUSION

Credit Report vs PAYDEX vs D&B Rating

These three are nested, not interchangeable — think of it as a document containing two of the scores, plus much more.

  • PAYDEX Score — a single 1–100 number measuring payment timeliness. Read our full PAYDEX Score guide.
  • D&B Rating — a broader code combining financial strength and credit appraisal.
  • D&B Credit Report — the full document that contains both of the above, plus ownership data, public filings, and company identification.

For how all of D&B's products fit together, see the Dun & Bradstreet Explained pillar guide.

Frequently Asked Questions About the D&B Credit Report

What is included in a D&B Credit Report?

A D&B Credit Report typically bundles company identification details, your PAYDEX score, D&B Rating, payment history and trends, public filings such as liens or judgments, company financial data if available, and details on ownership and corporate structure.

Who actually buys or pulls a D&B Credit Report on my business?

Lenders evaluating a loan application, suppliers deciding whether to extend trade credit, larger companies vetting a new vendor, and insurers assessing risk are the most common parties who purchase a D&B Credit Report on a given business.

Can I see my own D&B Credit Report?

Yes. Dun & Bradstreet sells access to your own report directly, and it can also be viewed through paid monitoring products like D&B Credit or D&B CreditSignal, which alert you to changes over time.

Is a D&B Credit Report the same as a PAYDEX score?

No. PAYDEX is a single 1-100 score inside the report. The full Credit Report is a much larger document that includes PAYDEX alongside your D&B Rating, public records, ownership data, and other business details.

Does my DUNS number affect what appears in my Credit Report?

Your DUNS number does not add or remove content from the report itself, but it is the identifier D&B uses to locate and compile all the data points that go into it, so an inaccurate or incomplete D&B profile tied to your DUNS number can lead to gaps in the report.

How do I fix incorrect information on my D&B Credit Report?

You can request updates or corrections directly through Dun & Bradstreet's business profile update tools or by disputing specific inaccurate entries with D&B, since third parties generally cannot edit your D&B-held business data on your behalf.

Continue Reading — Dun & Bradstreet Explained

PAYDEX SCORE What Is a PAYDEX Score and Why It Matters DUNS VS RATING DUNS Number vs D&B Rating: What's the Difference HISTORY History of Dun & Bradstreet D&B HOOVERS D&B Hoovers vs DUNS Number: What's the Difference

Not Sure What Your D&B Credit Report Shows?

Outdated profile, missing data, or a report that doesn't match your business — tell us your situation and we'll walk you through it, free, no sales pitch.

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