What's the Equifax Business Credit Score Range?

Log into your Equifax Business Credit portal, open the most recent Business Credit Report, and locate the 'Equifax business score' line at the top of the summary page; the adjacent band label tells you the exact score range (see the Equifax Business Credit Score overview for a screenshot).

• 0  -  300 : Very Poor
• 301  -  500 : Poor
• 501  -  700 : Fair
• 701  -  800 : Good
• 801  -  900 : Excellent
• 901  -  1000 : Exceptional

Equifax assigns every business a three‑digit score from 0 to 999, then places that score into risk‑based bands that lenders use to gauge creditworthiness. Each band signals a different likelihood of approval, interest rate, and credit limit.

For example, a score of 0‑199 lands in the 'very poor' band and almost always results in denial or extremely high rates. Scores 200‑399 sit in the 'poor' band, limiting financing options. Scores 400‑549 are 'fair'; a few lenders may still fund you, but terms stay tight. Scores 550‑649 fall in the 'good' band, opening most standard loan products. Scores 650‑799 belong to the 'very good' band, attracting competitive rates and larger limits. Scores 800‑999 sit in the 'excellent' band, where lenders typically offer the best terms and credit lines.

See the Equifax business credit score guide for the official band definitions.

• Scores 800‑992 (prime band) virtually guarantee lender approval, as most lenders treat this range as 'excellent' credit.
• Scores 701‑799 (low‑risk band) are accepted by the majority of lenders; borrowers usually receive competitive terms but may face modest rate adjustments.
• Scores 601‑700 (medium‑risk band) can still secure financing, though lenders often require additional collateral, higher interest, or a personal guarantee.
• Scores below 600 (high‑risk and very‑high‑risk bands) rarely earn approval without substantial security or a co‑signer; many lenders simply decline at this level. Equifax business credit score overview

Equifax's Business Credit Risk Score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher numbers indicating lower credit risk; the score falls into three bands - 0‑30 high risk, 31‑70 average risk, and 71‑100 low risk - and five core factors move your Equifax business score within those bands.

• Payment history - on‑time payments lift the score, while late or missed payments pull it down.
• Credit utilization - lower balances relative to credit limits improve the score; high utilization drags it lower.
• Age of trade lines - longer‑standing accounts add stability and boost the score; newer accounts have less impact.
• Public records and collections - bankruptcies, liens, judgments, or collection accounts sharply reduce the score.
• Company size and financial performance - higher revenue, strong cash flow, and solid assets tend to raise the score, whereas weak financials push it lower.

Grasping these drivers sets the stage for the next section, which dives deeper into how payment history and public records specifically affect your Equifax business score.

Payment history and public records are the two most influential components of your Equifax business score. Timely payments to suppliers, lenders, and credit cards typically boost the score, while any late‑payment entry - 30, 60, or 90 days past due - subtracts points, with longer delinquencies weighing heavier. The effect compounds when missed payments recur or cluster in a short period, often pushing a business from a high‑range band (e.g., 80‑85) into a lower one (70‑74).

Negative public records such as bankruptcies, tax liens, or civil judgments appear as severe derogatory items. Even a single judgment can shave 50‑100 points, dragging the score into the 'high‑risk' band (below 60). Paying off a collection or having a lien released will not instantly erase the hit, but once the Equifax business score refreshes - typically during the monthly update cycle discussed later - the penalty lessens and the score can recover gradually. For a deeper dive on how these items are reported, see Equifax's guide to business credit reporting.

Equifax updates your business score whenever a new trade, payment or public record reaches their system, typically within 7‑10 business days, and runs a full score refresh on a monthly basis (Equifax business credit scoring methodology).

Most vendors submit data on a monthly schedule, so you'll often see the score change at month‑end; large lenders may feed information in near‑real time, creating mid‑month adjustments, while processing queues can delay updates up to 30 days.

These update patterns directly affect the '5 factors that move your Equifax business score' and set the stage for the next section on how your Equifax score differs from other bureaus.

Equifax business score uses a 0‑800 range split into five bands - very high (720‑800), high (660‑719), medium (600‑659), low (540‑599), and very low (0‑539) - and weights payment history and public records more heavily than trade lines, so a single late payment can drop you several bands.

Other bureaus calculate on different scales; Experian's Intelliscore Plus runs 1‑100 and emphasizes trade‑line depth, while TransUnion often uses a 300‑850 range that gives newer credit activity disproportionate influence, meaning the same payment pattern may land you in a higher or lower band compared with Equifax. For a deeper dive on these variations, see differences between credit bureau scoring models.

Equifax puts a brand‑new company or a business with no credit history into the 'No‑File/Start‑up' band, which effectively registers the Equifax business score as 0‑199 and signals to lenders that the firm lacks sufficient data for a traditional rating.

• No‑File status appears when the business is less than six months old or has never reported a tradeline to Equifax.
• Lenders treat this band as high risk; they may require personal guarantees, higher deposits, or alternative data to approve credit.
• The score remains in this band until the business establishes at least one tradeline (e.g., a vendor line, credit card, or loan) that reports to Equifax.
• Each positive payment and aging of the tradeline moves the score upward, eventually shifting the business into the 'Emerging' band (200‑299).
• To accelerate the transition, register with a vendor that reports, open a secured business credit card, and ensure all bills are paid on time.

Here are seven practical steps to raise your Equifax business score, which ranges from 1 to 100 (higher bands mean better credit).

1. Pull your latest Equifax report and flag any errors; file disputes promptly to clean the record.
2. Pay every invoice by the due date; set up automatic payments to avoid late marks that push you down the 1‑20 or 21‑40 bands.
3. Lower outstanding balances; keep credit‑line utilization under 30 % to nudge the score toward the 61‑80 or 81‑100 bands.
4. Add reliable trade references; ask suppliers and partners to report positive payment history to Equifax.
5. Show steady revenue growth; update your financial statements regularly so the scoring model sees improving cash flow.
6. Limit new credit inquiries; each request may temporarily depress the score, keeping you in a better band.
7. Track the score each month; adjust your tactics as the band shifts and celebrate small gains.

Three businesses recently lifted their Equifax business scores by following the seven practical steps outlined earlier.

• Mid‑size manufacturer - Started at 382 in the 'high‑risk' band. Paid off $150 k of outstanding trade debt, added two positive vendor references, and corrected a mis‑posted lien. Score rose to 562, moving into the 'moderate‑risk' band.
• Tech startup (no‑file) - Initially placed in the 'no‑file' category with an implied score below 200. Opened a small line of credit with a supplier, made 12 consecutive on‑time payments, and filed a corrected business address. Score entered the 580 range, qualifying for early‑stage financing.
• Regional retailer - Held a 421 score, flagged by a public record of a former judgment. Disputed the judgment, cleared the record, and increased credit utilization to below 30 %. Score climbed to 714, landing in the 'low‑risk' band and unlocking better vendor terms.
• Service‑based consultancy - Fell at 456 after a missed payment. Implemented automated payment scheduling, settled the delinquency, and requested a goodwill update from the creditor. Score improved to 639, enough to secure a line of credit at a lower interest rate.

These cases illustrate how correcting public records, optimizing payment history, and adding solid trade references can shift a business from high‑risk to low‑risk bands, reinforcing the value of the steps in section 9.