Frequently Asked Questions

SMBCredit.net is a business credit bureau focused exclusively on small and medium-sized businesses. We collect trade payment data from member businesses and use it to generate credit scores and reports that help businesses evaluate potential partners, customers, and vendors.

Business credit only. We report on business entities, not individual consumers. Our data is not used for personal credit decisions and we are not a consumer credit reporting agency.

We focus specifically on the SMB market and emphasize member-contributed trade data. Our scoring is transparent, our reports are affordable, and our dispute process is faster than legacy bureaus. We're built for businesses that have historically been underserved by large bureaus.

Quite possibly — many businesses are already in our database from public records and member-reported data. Search for your business, and if it's listed you can claim your profile to manage your information, add trade references, and respond to disputes. If it isn't listed yet, registering creates it.

Paid plans start at $29/month (Starter), with Growth and Pro tiers for higher search volume and API access. Compare all plans on our Pricing page.

Yes. You can claim and manage your business profile for free — add your details and trade references and respond to disputes at no cost. Paid plans add the ability to pull reports on other businesses, monitor them, and report trade data.

Yes — every plan is available monthly or annually, and paying annually saves you the equivalent of two months versus paying month to month. Use the Monthly / Annual toggle on the Pricing page to compare.

Anytime, from your dashboard. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel; changes take effect at your next billing cycle and your report quota adjusts accordingly.

Your score is a weighted composite of four components: Pay Risk Score (how promptly you pay — 35%), Client Risk Score (likelihood of being a problematic client — 25%), Failure Score (probability of business failure — 20%), and Peer Payment Score (how you compare to similar businesses — 20%). All scores are on a 0–100 scale where higher is better.

The most impactful actions are: (1) add confirmed trade references from vendors you pay on time, (2) ensure your business profile is complete and accurate, (3) resolve any open disputes, and (4) enroll with vendors who report payment data to us. Scores update automatically when new data is posted.

Scores are recalculated automatically whenever new trade data is posted for your business. You can also request a manual recalculation from your dashboard at any time.

New businesses usually start with a "thin file" — little or no trade data yet. As confirmed trade references and reported payments accumulate, your score fills in and updates automatically. Adding vendor references you pay on time is the fastest way to establish a score.

A full credit report includes all five credit scores, business profile information, a complete trade line history showing payment aging by month, and a list of business principals. Reports are generated in real time from our current database.

Not currently. Report pulls are logged internally for audit purposes, but we do not currently expose a public inquiry list. This feature is on our roadmap.

Your report quota depends on your subscription plan. You can view your current quota and usage on your dashboard. Additional reports beyond your quota can be purchased individually.

Yes. Credit Watch lets you keep an eye on the customers and suppliers you depend on. When a monitored business's risk changes, we notify you — so you hear about trouble before it reaches your own books.

That's exactly what Credit Watch is for. If a business you're monitoring sees its score drop or its delinquency rise, you get an alert so you can adjust terms or follow up early.

Log in to your member portal and navigate to Disputes. Click "File a Dispute," select what you're disputing, describe the inaccuracy, and submit. We'll acknowledge your dispute within 3 business days and contact the reporting party for a response.

Our target is 30 days for full resolution. Simple disputes are often resolved faster. Complex cases requiring mediation may take longer. You can track status in real time through your portal.

Approved reporters can upload CSV files through the Uploads section of the member portal, or submit data programmatically via our API. You must apply for reporter status — not all accounts are automatically approved to submit data.

Contact us at our contact page or email reporters@smbcredit.net to apply for reporter status. We verify your business and data quality before approving upload access.

Yes — approved members can report their customers' payment history, one account at a time or in bulk. Submitted lines are reviewed before they affect a business's score, so a single reporter can't move a score unchecked.

Sensitive identifiers such as your EIN are encrypted at rest, and access to them is tightly restricted. Payments are processed securely by Stripe — we never store full card numbers.

Your EIN is masked in everyday views. Full access is limited to authorized staff for verification purposes, and access is controlled and logged.

No. Your data is used to generate credit scores and reports within SMBCredit.net. We don't sell your business information to third parties.