10 Companies That Help Build Business Credit
Good business credit is essential when applying for financing, whether you're after a company credit card to smooth out your monthly cash flows or a small business loan to finance the purchase of new equipment.
One of the best ways to start building business credit is to open vendor tradelines with companies willing to work with new small business owners. If you’re looking for options, here are ten of the best companies that help build business credit.
1. eCredable
The traditional way to start building business credit is to secure extended repayment terms with various vendors, such as net 30 or net 60 accounts. They’re usually pretty accessible, even for new small business owners.
However, there are some drawbacks to that strategy. Most notably, it typically requires significant time, effort, and money. Some of your resources may go to waste since vendors can deny your applications.
Fortunately, eCredable offers an excellent alternative. With our Business Lift program, you can report the recurring business expenses you’re already paying to Equifax Business and Creditsafe, automatically transforming them into vendor tradelines.
There’s no credit check to sign up, so there’s no risk of rejection. And since you can report an unlimited number of existing accounts, it’s much more efficient than attempting to round up a dozen tradelines from as many different vendors.
In addition, you can report up to 24 months of payment history for each business expense. That’s one of the few ways to rapidly improve your business credit score, which is a process that usually takes months or even years.
In fact, eCredable subscribers see their business credit scores increase by 32 points on average in their first three months! So if you’re looking for a more efficient way to build business credit, try eCredable today.
2. Grainger
While inexpensive reporting services like eCredable are often more efficient, the traditional method of building business credit is a tradition for good reason. Net 30 accounts can come in handy.
If you’re going that route, Grainger is a good vendor to target. It’s an industrial supply company that sells typical office products, such as surface disinfectants and disposable batteries.
After signing up for an online account as a business user, you can apply for extended payment terms. You’ll need to purchase something from the website and request to pay by credit at check out. Alternatively, you can call Grainger at 1-800-472-4643.
Either way, Grainger will run a business credit check when you apply to determine whether or not you meet their qualification requirements. If they approve you, they’ll give you a net 30 account.
That means you’ll have 30 days of interest-free financing at the Grainger store. Typically, the limits start at $1,000, but that can increase to as much as $5,000 if you use the account responsibly.
Currently, Grainger will only report the details of your credit line and activities to Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). That’s arguably the most popular of the three major business credit bureaus, but it still limits the account’s credit-building effectiveness.
Fortunately, you can get around the issue by signing up for eCredable Business Lift and linking your Grainger account. That way, your payments will also get reported to Equifax Business and Creditsafe.
You can also read our full Grainger net 30 review.
3. Quill
Quill is another good option for business owners looking to start building their business credit. It sells a diverse mix of office supplies, among which most companies can find something useful. For example, Quill’s product list includes:
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Cleaning supplies like paper towels, hand sanitizer, and air fresheners
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Standard office supplies like envelopes, notebooks, and dividers
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Electronics and equipment like monitors, laser printers, and scanners
Quill is also pretty transparent about what it takes to purchase its goods using extended repayment terms. Fortunately, you can qualify for its net 30 account even as a new small business owner without much credit history.
To apply, make a business use account and add products worth at least $100 to your cart. If you don’t need anything significant, you can buy supplies in bulk to reach the minimum amount.
Once you’ve done that, select the “Invoice My Account” option at checkout. Quill will have you provide background details about your company, such as its legal entity structure and annual income.
In addition to reviewing your responses, Quill will run a credit check on your business to determine whether it wants to work with you. New companies can pass, but not if you have delinquencies or defaults in your credit history.
If you qualify, Quill will report your activities to D&B and Experian Business. However, like with Grainger, you can always link your Quill account to eCredable to report your payments to Equifax Business and Creditsafe as well.
If you don’t qualify, it’s not the end of the world. After you pay on time for 90 days using other payment methods, Quill will re-review your application. You can also see our full Quill net 30 review here.
4. Uline
Uline is another company that sells various products for small businesses. It primarily offers shopping, industrial, and packaging materials. For example, you can buy bubble wrap, packing tables, and wire carts from the vendor.
Like most of the companies on this list, Uline lets qualified customers purchase its products using extended repayment terms. To initiate the application process, buy something from the store and select “Invoice Me” during checkout.
Fortunately, there’s no minimum cart amount like there is with Quill. There’s also no additional application to fill out. Uline will collect all the information it needs during the initial account registration process.
When you request net 30 terms, Uline will just check your business credit to determine whether you’re eligible. Again, new businesses can qualify, but not with credit delinquencies in their history.
If Uline approves your application for a net 30 account, it’ll report your tradeline activities to D&B and Experian Business. Once again, you can also combine Uline with an eCredible Business Lift subscription to report them to Equifax Business and Creditsafe.
We also did a full Uline net 30 review.
5. Crown Office Supplies
As you can probably guess, Crown Office Supplies sells traditional office supplies for small businesses. For example, you can purchase spiral notebooks, pencils, and glue sticks. It also offers various apparel, such as t-shirts and beanies.
Crown also offers extended repayment terms and is refreshingly transparent about how it works. Unlike Uline and Quill, you can apply without buying anything. Just navigate to the digital application and fill out the form. It’ll ask you for the following:
Once you click submit, Crown’s underwriters will check your credit history and review your application. To qualify, you must have been in business for at least 90 days and have no late payments in your credit history.
If you’re approved, you’ll receive a net 30 account with a credit limit between $800 and $5,000. In addition, there’s a $99 annual membership fee, which you must pay before you can access your tradeline.
Crown Office Supplies reports its net 30 accounts to Creditsafe, D&B, Equifax Business, Experian Business, and the National Association of Credit Management. We also did a complete Crown Office Supplies net 30 review.
6. CEO Creative
CEO Creative presents itself as another office supply company, but its products differ from the others on this list. It offers a much more eclectic mix than most of its peers, including the following:
If CEO Creative’s products appeal to you, you can apply to purchase them using net 30 repayment terms. Fortunately, the company is also fairly open about the application process and requirements.
Instead of making you apply at checkout, CEO Creative’s application form is available online anytime. To complete it, open a business user account. You'll need to share most of the same information Crown Office Supplies asks for, like your EIN and entity type.
You’ll also need to pay a $79 annual fee, after which CEO Creative will check your business credit. To qualify, you must have been in business for 30 days and have a clean business credit history with no late payments.
CEO Creative usually offers net 30 accounts with credit limits between roughly $1,000 and $1,500. If you're approved, it’ll report your account and activities to Creditsafe, D&B, Equifax Business, and the National Association of Credit Management.
7. Wise Business Plan
Unlike most companies that help you build a good business credit score on this list, Wise Business Plan sells services, not products. That includes business plan writing, legal entity formation, digital marketing, and website design.
If you’re a new business owner, those may be beneficial. You’ll probably need to pay for at least one of them, so it may be a good idea to hire Wise Business Plan and build business credit simultaneously.
To qualify for Wise Business Plan’s net 30 terms, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:
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Operate in the United States
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Have an Employee Identification Number
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Have no delinquencies in your business credit file
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Register your company with your Secretary of State
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File as a legal entity other than a partnership or sole proprietorship
You must also pay a $99 annual fee, but the amount is refundable if your application is rejected. Wise Business Plan will check your business credit to ensure you don’t have any delinquencies or defaults in your history, but it won’t pull your personal credit score.
If you're approved for an account, Wise Business Plan will report your credit line to three business credit bureaus, including two of the major ones: Equifax Business, Experian Business, and Creditsafe.
8. Office Garner
Last of the office supply companies but not least, there’s Office Garner, which sells everything you’ve come to expect and more. In addition to traditional office supplies and electronics, that includes apparel, business cards, and kitchen appliances.
Office Garner also has a net 30 account that you don’t need to purchase any goods to apply for. Just visit its online application page and provide your business information, such as your company establishment date, EIN, and address.
Even new companies can qualify. To be eligible, you need only be open for 30 days, be located in the United States, and have a good credit history with no delinquencies. You’ll also need to pay a one-time $69 processing fee.
Once you submit everything, Office Garner should process your application within 72 hours. If you’re approved, you’ll receive a credit line that the vendor will report to Creditsafe and Equifax Business.
9. CreditStrong
CreditStrong isn’t a supplier and doesn’t offer a net 30 account. Instead, the company specializes in business credit builder loans. In fact, it's the only company on the market that offers the product for businesses.
Credit builder loans work like secured installment loans, with your proceeds as the security deposit. The funds stay with the platform in a locked savings account during your payment term, and you receive them once you pay off your balance.
As a result, there’s no personal or business credit check to sign up for an account. To qualify, your company need only meet the following requirements:
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Have a registered EIN
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Be at least three months old
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Have a United States address
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File taxes as an LLC, partnership, or corporation
CreditStrong is also pretty flexible in its credit builder loan terms. You can find accounts with various sizes, interest rates, and monthly payments. Here’s an overview of its business options:
| CreditStrong Features |
Option 1 |
Option 2 |
Option 3 |
Option 4 |
| Tradeline Reported |
$2,500 installment loan |
$5,000 installment loan |
$10,000 installment loan |
$25,000 installment loan |
| Monthly Payment |
$100 or $115 |
$200 or $220 |
$400 or $440 |
$1,000 or $1,100 |
| Maximum Payment History Reported |
25 months |
25 months |
25 months |
25 months |
| Loan Interest Rate |
0% or 13.26% |
0% or 8.96% |
0% or 8.96% |
0% or 8.96% |
| One-Time Origination Fee |
$349 or $149 |
$549 or $199 |
$749 or $299 |
$749 or $499 |
CreditStrong will report any tradeline you open to Equifax Business, PayNet, and the Small Business Financial Exchange. Fortunately, it will show as a financial tradeline like a business credit card, which is more beneficial to your score.
10. Credit Suite
Credit Suite doesn’t issue extended repayment terms or credit builder loans, so it won’t be a direct source of vendor tradelines. Instead, the company offers a step-by-step credit builder program that walks you through the process of acquiring them.
There’s no business or personal credit check to apply. However, there are enrollment costs, which can be significant. Subscriptions start at $282 per month, for which Credit Suite offers assistance with the following:
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Build business credibility: Credit Suite shows you how to get credibility with lenders by securing an EIN, setting up a 411 listing, and opening a separate business bank account.
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Open each business credit profile: Credit Suite guides you through establishing a business credit report with each business credit bureau, including D&B, Experian Business, and Equifax Business.
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Get initial business credit: When you’re ready, Credit Suite helps you qualify for some easy-approval vendor tradelines through your EIN, including some that don’t check your credit score.
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Get revolving credit: Finally, Credit Suite guides you through applying for more advanced trade credit accounts and your first few financial tradelines. Typically, they’ll be business credit cards.
Credit Suite won’t help you do anything you couldn’t accomplish on your own, but the program can still be invaluable. It can significantly streamline your business credit building and remove all the guesswork from the process.