 TITLE: What Is a Business Line of Credit? CONTENT: What Credit Score Is Used for a Business Line of Credit?\n--------------------------------------------------------\nLenders generally consider a mix of your personal and business credit scores when considering your application for a business line of credit.\nThe three major business credit bureaus—Dun & Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax—gather information on your business from your vendors and suppliers, bankers and lenders, public records and other sources to build your business credit report.\nThe information in those reports is also used to create business credit scores. Three commonly used business credit scoring models are the Experian Intelliscore Plus, the D&B Paydex Score and the Small Business Scoring Service℠ (SBSS) FICO uses. Each business credit scoring model works a little differently and might be used for different purposes, such as to assess lending risk. The D&B Paydex Score and Experian Intelliscore Plus models use a range from 1 to 100, and SBSS scores range from 0 to 300. Generally, higher scores mean better credit; lower scores mean higher risk.\nYour personal credit rating could also be a factor in your ability to get a business line of credit, especially if you're a sole proprietor or have a relatively new business without a business credit history. Before you start researching business lines of credit, check your personal credit report and score to see how your credit measures up.\nDifferent lenders have different minimum credit score standards you'll have to meet to get a business line of credit. However, in most cases, you'll need a personal credit score of 580 or above, or at least \"fair\" in the FICO® Score☉ scoring model. If your credit score is on the lower end of the scale, you may pay more for a credit line and be asked for more collateral than if your credit score is good or excellent.\nYou can start building a business credit history by forming a corporation or limited liability company (LLC) to separate your business and personal identities, opening business bank accounts in your company's name, and asking your vendors and suppliers to report your payments to the three business credit bureaus. Getting a business credit card and paying your bills on time will also help to improve your business credit score; just make sure the credit card issuer reports to the business credit bureaus. END