One of the easiest ways for small business owners to start building business credit is to get net-30 vendor accounts with companies that report to commercial credit agencies. Pay on time and you will build credit references that may help boost your business credit scores and, over time, help you qualify for other small business loans and financing.
Not sure what net-30 accounts are or how they work? Not to worry. This is your guide to setting up vendor accounts that will benefit your business and your business credit.
What Are Vendor Financing Companies?
A net-30 account — also called vendor financing, vendor credit, or supplier financing — is one that gives you 30 days to pay your bill in full after you have purchased products. It’s credit from a vendor that allows you to buy now and pay later. Net-30 vendors that report those payments to commercial credit agencies help your company establish a strong business credit history.
Using vendor financing companies also offers a great way to help improve cash flow. You can get the items your business needs, sell your products or services, then pay for them out of cash flow.
Vendor trade credit is not just limited to net-30 accounts either—some vendors offer net-15 (15 days to pay), net-60, or even net-90 day credit terms. You’ll agree to whatever terms they are willing to offer and establish those terms on your purchase order, so make sure to read the fine print to ensure you understand your payment terms.
Where do you find these vendors? Below, we’ve provided twenty net-30 vendors (+ a bonus resource) that will make it easy to get started. Most are startup friendly, and don’t require a personal credit check or personal guarantee.
Business credit reporting is different than consumer credit reporting. Nav cannot guarantee any results from opening accounts with the vendors on this list. Be sure to do your own research before using these vendors.
Build Business Credit by Setting Up Your Business Properly
Before you jump in and open accounts, we recommend you take a few essential steps to build a solid foundation. If you don’t take the time to set up your business properly, you may not get approved for trade credit.
- Create a business entity. If your business is not set up as its own legal entity (such as an LLC or S Corporation), consider creating one. If you decide to operate as a sole proprietor, make sure your business is at least registered with your Secretary of State with a fictitious name filing. (Some vendor accounts on this list are not available to sole proprietors.)
- Get a business bank account. Make sure you have a separate business bank account rather than pay for business expenses from your personal checking account. This won’t directly impact your credit but it will impact your ability to get business financing in the future.
- Use a business email address, rather than a generic email address like Hotmail to further legitimize your company.
- Get a business phone number. There are services that will give you a phone number that can ring on your cell phone.
- Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and a D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet. You can get each for free, and some vendors will require them.
While you can always purchase items from these vendors and pay with a credit card at the time of purchase, that doesn’t help you build business credit. You need to purchase on credit through the vendor.
21 (+ Bonus) Net-30 Vendors That Report to Commercial Credit
Let’s look at vendors that offer net-30 payment terms and that report to the major credit bureaus. While you can always purchase items from these companies and pay upfront with a credit card at the time of purchase, that doesn’t help you build business credit. You need to purchase on credit through them.
1. Creative Analytics
Creative Analytics is a full-service digital marketing and management strategy consulting agency that offers 3 different types of business accounts to choose from to build credit:
- An annual purchasing charge account ($79 annual fee) —purchase office products such as small electronics, desk and office decor/accessories, fitness items, beauty professional tools, kitchen items, etc. as well as limited digital marketing services on monthly installment plans (e.g. websites and social media). Will report tradelines between $1,000 and $10,000.
- A monthly “business credit on autopilot” membership (no annual fees or additional purchases required for reporting) to their Founders Circle community (customers choose between a digital library plan or access to the full mastermind network at a cost ranging from $49 – $149 a month). Will report tradelines of $1,000 to $12,000.
- Pay by Invoice account with NET 30 (no annual fee) terms for purchase of any of their full suite of marketing or strategy services, such as WordPress web development, logo design, social media management and advertising, Google PPC, email marketing, SEO, management strategy, and more.
To qualify for net-30 business account your business must:
- Must operate in the United States
- Must have both a Tax ID # (EIN) and D-U-N-S number
- Be established for at least 30 days
- Not have any derogatory business reporting or delinquencies
- have an Authorized Officer of the organization submit the application
Payment history is reported to multiple major business credit bureaus monthly.
2. Branded Apparel Club
Branded Apparel Club is a membership based print & embroidery company offering access to premium apparel brands at wholesale rates, high quality custom print and embroidery services, print on demand fulfillment services, corporate partner discount programs and more. The annual membership fee is $69.99.
Payment history is reported to Equifax, Creditsafe, Ansonia & Cortera.
3. Summa Office Supplies
Another net-30 vendor who reports to credit bureaus is Summa Office Supplies, where you can shop for paper, folders, envelopes, labels, and any other office supplies your company might need.
Summa offers credit for both new and well-established businesses, and they’ll provide written trade credit references upon request. Pay your bill on time and then you can request larger credit lines. Summa reports to Equifax business credit.
To open your line of credit, fill out this application and put the code SOSNAV in the referral code field.
4. Growegy
Growegy offers marketing tools and services including marketing AI software, a project management calendar, marketing coaching and marketing agency services. With an annual plan, you can make three installment payments (for a total of $600), and with a monthly plan you you’ll pay $55 a month. To open an account you will need a legal company name, business address, principal name, business email address, and business phone number. Growegy will verify your business EIN.
5. Office Garner
Office Garner offers a variety of products including office supplies, electronics, website design and business cards. There is a one-time $69 processing fee. It offers net-30 terms to businesses that are based in the US and have an EIN, are at least 30 days old, and do not have derogatory business credit.
6. The CEO Creative
The CEO Creative meets a variety of business needs in one stop. They offer office supplies, custom website design and branding services, business accessories, electronics and custom apparel. They do not charge any interest on any purchases.
To apply to The CEO Creative, you must have a US-based business that has been in business at least 30 days in business with an EIN, and your corporation must be active within your state. There will be a business credit check and you must have a clean business credit history with no late payments reported in the last 6 months. Your business can be quickly approved for a starting credit limit of up to $3,500 with no personal credit check or personal guarantee. There is a $49 annual fee upon approval. It reports to Equifax Business and CreditSafe.
7. Crown Office Supplies
You’ll find a variety of items at Crown Office Supplies, including office and school supplies, home decor, electronics, mobile accessories, apparel and more. Opening a net-30 account requires a $99 annual fee, and a $30 minimum first order.
Your business must have an EIN, and if you have a DUNS number you can include it on your application. Your business must be at least 90 days old and have no negative business credit history. When approved, you’ll get a tradeline between $800 and $5000. Payments will be reported to multiple business credit bureaus.
8. Quill
Another place to get office supplies online, from printer ink to pens, is Quill. When you set up your account you will be asked to fill out a profile that describes your business, including the year the business was started and the industry in which you operate. (Don’t be discouraged if your business is young; newer entrepreneurs often report success getting a Quill account.)
Once you find what you want to buy, add it to your cart. Proceed toward checkout and you’ll see a payment option called “invoice my account.” If approved, you’ll get net-30 terms on your invoice. According to Quill, approval can take 1-2 hours during business hours, or up to a business day if you apply outside normal business hours, Monday through Friday.
Similar to the other two vendors mentioned here, you don’t need to provide a Social Security number. Quill will verify your business address before extending terms. Again, most business owners who have properly set up their businesses should find it to be an easy process.
9. Fidextech®
Fidextech is a professional digital marketing agency specializing in web design. It also offers digital marketing services such as PPC ads, SEO, and logo design and branding. It also sells web hosting packages and domain names. Fidextech says it helps small businesses and entrepreneurs – especially startup businesses.
To open a net 30 account, a business must be a US business, have 90 in business at least, and business info such as EIN, type of business, a registered business number, or DUNS etc. It reports to Dun and Bradstreet.
10. NewEgg Business net 30
NewEgg Business offers a wide variety of technology products and solutions including PCs and laptops, hardware, workstations, software, POS devices, peripherals and more.
You must have a Newegg Business account before applying for net 30 terms.
11. Coast to Coast Office Supplies
Coast to Coast office products and digital downloads (software and eBooks)
To use Net-30 terms, during Checkout make sure to click on the button that says: Bill My Net 30 Terms Account. A digital invoice will be sent to your registered email address.
12. Ohana Office Products
Ohana Office Products a variety of office products. It also strives to provide support to new clients through personal support. New clients may qualify for a net-30 trade account for up to $2000. It reports to two major commercial credit reporting agencies: Equifax and another bureau through Behalf.
Sign up for an Ohana Office Products account here and use referral code OOP-LD3OPQ at checkout.
13. NAMYNOT
NAMYNOT Inc. offers digital marketing services which include SEO, content writing, social media management & marketing, inbound lead generation, PPC, video production, e-commerce, plus WordPress design & development. It offers up to $10,000 in buy now, pay later services and reports payments to a major commercial credit reporting agency.
14. Grainger
Grainger offers a large variety of products for businesses, including tools, plumbing supplies, and safety equipment. They also offer office and janitorial supplies. There is a very wide variety of merchandise offered, so you should be able to find something your business needs.
Signing up for a Grainger account is free and easy. You can create your online account to store shipping and invoicing details, but you’ll need to call 800-GRAINGER (472-4643) to set up your line of credit.
15. JJ Gold net 30
JJ Gold offers corporate gifts, personal care and cosmetics.
Your business must be in business at least 30 days with an EIN, utility bill or bank statement and driver’s license to qualify.
16. Uline
Uline offers a wide variety of products your business may need including shipping boxes, office furniture and supplies, food service packaging and kitchen supplies, and more. To qualify for a line of credit with Uline, you’ll need to first apply on the website.
Once you’re approved, just shop for supplies your business needs, then at checkout, choose net-30 billing as your payment option.
Note: you may need to make five or more purchases before Uline will allow you to access net-30 terms.
Pay on time or even make an early payment and you’ll have another credit-building account under your belt. Like Grainger, this account is considered quite easy to get. You don’t need to submit your Social Security number and your personal credit scores won’t be checked. Uline reports to business credit bureaus including Experian (business).
17. Wise Business Plans
Wise Business Plan® specializes in creating professionally written business plans, pitch decks and Powerpoint presentations for small business owners. Plans cover a variety of purposes, including franchises, non-profits, as well as investor grade and bank compliant plans. Each business plan is custom written by writers with MBAs, researchers, and financial modelers, and are professionally designed.
Wise Business Plan purchases are paid for with 50% due up front and 50% due before releasing the draft. Those purchases are reported to business credit bureaus.
18. Supplyworks
Supplyworks is now the wholesale distribution division of The Home Depot® offering pro-grade products—everything from cleaning chemicals, paper products and PPE to plumbing and lighting products.
The minimum order is $150. Orders less than $150 are subject to a $9.95 handling fee. Minimum order on drop ship orders is $50. Invoices not paid within terms are subject to monthly service charges of 1-1/2% per month (18% annual percentage rate).
19. HD Supply net 30
HD Supply offers a wide variety of products for the business professionals in maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO).
You can also apply for a ProPurchase® card, which works at The Home Depot® retail stores nationwide. Those purchases will be invoiced to your HD Supply account. For net 30 accounts, a minimum charge of $2 or 1.5% per month, 18% per year, is charged on past due invoices.
20. Wayfair Professional net 60
Wayfair offers a very wide variety of products including office and storage supplies, furniture, lighting, tech accessories and much more.
Wayfair Professional offers two types of accounts. The Wayfair Professional Flex Account is a net 60 account, at checkout. The Wayfair Professional Credit Card offers 2% cash back. The website states that both accounts help build business credit, though the specific bureau is not mentioned. They are offered through Capital One. Unlike most of the accounts on this list, this account may require a personal guarantee. An EIN is required, and terms and conditions state a business entity is required.
Both financing options are eligible to use in the United States across all Wayfair sites: wayfairprofessional.com, wayfair.com, jossandmain.com, allmodern.com, birchlane.com, and perigold.com.
While orders can be delivered globally, financing accounts must be tied to a United States physical billing address. If you don’t have a United States physical billing address, call Wayfair at 844-251-0720 to learn more about your financing options.
21. Office Depot OfficeMax net 30
Office Depot offers a wide range of office supplies, printing, furniture and more.
The Office Depot OfficeMax Business Account requires payment in full each month. On the application it suggests agreeing to a personal guarantee to increase the likelihood of approval if your business meets any of the following criteria: a sole proprietorship, a partnership, unincorporated; or a corporation with an annual revenue of less than $5,000,000, less than 10 employees, or incorporated less than 3 years. Some applicants have been denied with less than three years business credit history, so you may want to make sure business credit is well established before applying for this account.
22. Amazon Pay By Invoice
Amazon offers the world’s largest selection of products for businesses.
Amazon’s Pay by Invoice program offers net 30 terms, which can be extended with a Business Prime Membership to net 45 (small and medium businesses) or even net 60 terms (enterprise). However, this program is by invitation only and does not report to business credit.
As an alternative, the Amazon Business Credit Card allows you to choose 3% back or 60 day terms, while the Amazon Business Prime American Express card allows you to choose 5% back or 90 day terms. It does report to multiple business credit bureaus.
Bonus: Nav Prime
Nav Prime isn’t technically a net-30 vendor because you pay as you go, but you can get up to two business tradelines — one from your Nav Prime payment and one from regular use of the Nav Prime Card*. This bundle can help you build business credit history since the tradelines are sent to the major business credit bureaus. Reporting is never negative.
How to Get Started With a Net-30
There are a few important caveats to successfully navigating this process.
First, and this is important, you do not have to run up debt and pay interest to build business credit via net-30 vendors. Most vendor payment terms allow you to purchase items and pay them off in full by the due date on vendor invoices to avoid interest. You may even get early payment discounts if you pay before the due date. That’s perfectly acceptable when it comes to building good business credit.
It is also worth noting that credit limits typically do not appear on these reports. Instead, the highest recent balance will be reported. So if you spend a very small amount, you may not see the same impact as you will if you make larger purchases. You don’t want to fall into the trap of buying things your business doesn’t need, but if you do need more expensive items, consider getting them from companies that will report the transaction to credit bureaus whenever possible, to get the added benefit of building credit.
Note that unlike personal credit, the names of your vendors will not appear on your business credit report. Instead, they will report as “business type” such as packaging. So keep track of which accounts you have opened and when; you may need to match that to your credit reports if you aren’t sure which account is coming from which vendor. Also, keep in mind that not every vendor reports to all the major business credit bureaus.
Learn more: Experian business credit report
Pay early when possible. Unlike with your personal credit accounts, where you can usually go online to pay your account and have your payment credited the same day, it may take longer for payments to vendors to be processed. If you mail in your payment, do so at least a week before the due date to ensure your credit report reflects on-time payments, because late payments can negatively impact your business credit rating and credit history.
It may take a month or even two before one of these accounts shows up on your business credit reports. Be patient and monitor your credit. If it doesn’t appear in your payment history by the third month after you’ve opened it, contact the vendor to make sure it is properly associated with your business and to confirm it will be reported with at least one of the three business credit reporting agencies.
Also worth noting: New accounts sometimes have the effect of lowering business credit scores. This is usually temporary and many business owners see a positive impact on creditworthiness as they pay on time.
Net-30 Vendors Are Great for Your Business Credit
Once you’ve established a business credit file, make sure you are doing your part to build your credit history by paying on time. You may also build business credit with business credit cards. Most small business card issuers report to at least one commercial credit reporting agency. Many small business lenders also report to business credit.
Frequently Asked Questions on How to Build Business Credit
*DISCLAIMER: Nav Technologies, Inc. is a financial technology company and not a bank. Banking services provided by Blue Ridge Bank, N.A., and Thread Bank, Members FDIC. The Nav Visa® Business Debit Card is issued by Blue Ridge Bank, N.A. or Thread Bank, and the Nav Prime Charge Card is issued by Thread Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa cards are accepted. FDIC insurance is available for your funds on deposit, up to $250,000 through Blue Ridge Bank, N.A. or Thread Bank, Members FDIC. See Cardholder Terms for additional details.
This article was originally written on December 16, 2019 and updated on June 11, 2024.
This was very helpful, I am grateful for articles such as this! Thank You!
Thank you for this article. I have been in business over 20 years and didn’t know the appropriate steps to establishing business credit. Very helpful
Glad you found it helpful!
Thanks for information that was gravely needed for completing the start of my business
Hello my name is coy and I started my Business 6/16/2020 and it’s a llc called Mr&Mrs One Stop Mobile Wash LLC I’m the sole member and I have ein and fund number! I have a few vendors for my chemicals that is set up not sure why not showing also amazing Joes restaurants, Chilis, are net paid to us and all vendors are paid also Gilman we have a account with and paid! Have. A business account separately and my personal credit is none I have never used credit, I have no money owed at all to anyone and yet I can’t get a business credit card to help build my credit! I need some help to open and build credit!
How can you self report?
I am not sure I understand your question.
You should add MaverickOfficeSupplies.com to the list, they report to all 3 credit bureaus and really helped me build my business credit.
Thanks Steven that will help me I need companies that report to all 3.
Please update this article. My company is four years old. I opened Net 30 accounts with Crown, Shirtsy, Grainger, and Quill in January 2021. I made multiple orders on all of them. I got invoiced for all of them. I paid the invoice seven days after I was invoiced. This is middle of October 2021 and none of them have reported to any of the business credit reporting agencies.
I’d recommend you check with them to find out why those accounts aren’t reporting. We have confirmed with all of them that they do report so perhaps there is something that is happening that is not resulting in your account being reported. A misspelling may not match the account to your business credit, for example.
I wanna be like this author when I grow up. (Age currently: 38!)
I applied for Summa, but its only Tier 1, which requires a digital download for at least $80. I can’t even tell how to get to Tier 2, to order office supplies. I don’t need any digital downloads. I’m going to attempt Quill, again. I tried that site but at the very end, after entering all pertinent information, it said the website was down. My scores range from 600-640. It shouldn’t be this hard. Already tried Staples and Amazon before seeing this post. I’m only looking for $200-$300/mo in purchases. And I am making a profit with my business of only 5.5 mos. So frustrating.
Hi! You will need to have at least over a $100 order in your cart. Once you’re ready to check out. It will give you choices on how to pay. Choose invoice, and it will set you up for the net30 and you’ll be billed for that order. I found this out by calling them. Hope this helps!
What would you consider the best way to make purchases through Net 30 vendors. Business Credit Card or Business Debit Card?
Buy things you need for your business then pay on time. Those simple steps can be very effective.
Yeah, Crown Supplies and Shirtsy are not reporting, but steadily taking people’s membership money.
Shirtsy shouldn’t be anywhere on this list. I paid the $99 to get started and I bought a t-shirt. It took themalmost two months to get this basic t-shirt and they never reported anything. You can’t call them because no one answers and its very much pointless. Who would keep purchasing products when the are still waiting on the first product? They even deleted their IGat one point because alot of people had this same complaint. Please save small business owners from wasting their money
I agree, Shirtsy has not reported for me yet and I used them three time since April. However, I will hold them accountable. Working on reporting them for not holding up to their end of the deal.
I canceled them too! What a waste of time!
Crown is also, I am going to call the are selling things that appears to be low quality and overpricing them. The site is all other the place, it does not appear to be for business supply, as they do not have the basic needs.
I’m trying to find the vendor list and also I’m trying to establish business credit. This website is so confusing
I’m sorry you find it confusing. I’m not sure what you don’t understand. Perhaps our Build Business Credit Checklist will help. You can download it free here.
do I have to continually buy something from these vendors until they report or will they report after I pay the invoice?
You can buy things periodically as you need them. Typically they report on a monthly basis.
I have a Net 30 account with Grainger and Crown Office Supplies and I have been paying on time since January 2021 but the only bureau that’s showing up is Experian,I don’t have nothing on Dun & Bradstreet,Equifax,etc.What should I do???
You’ll need to get accounts that report to those bureaus. That may include business credit cards or other net-30 accounts. Nav’s Business Boost account also reports to all three. Feel free to reach out to Nav’s customer support team for more information.
I’d suggest you contact Grainger and Crown to try to find out why these accounts are not showing on other business credit reports. They can clarify which bureaus they report to. You may also want to consider other accounts such as business credit cards that report or a Nav account that reports.
Self report and use them as references they are still good tradeline that could benefit you in the future if somebody ask for credit references
Very interesting article that has helped me understand business credit much better. Thank you so much!
My Equifax was displaying on my Nav Dash Board. I pay for business boost as well. Today that information is not displayed stating I do not have enough information. How do I rectify this issue at is was a score of 396 displaying and now it will not even load.
Ivy – please reach out to Nav’s customer service team. They’ll be happy to answer your questions.
How do you dispute negative items reporting on your business credit?
You can dispute them directly with the credit reporting agencies. If you are a Nav customer, feel free to reach out to our customer support team for further information. support@nav.com.
Im Pete Abraham from Chicago, I was in thee Mortgage Business for years. I am ‘way behind’ on My Corporate Credit building , but Gerri is ‘at the top of her game’ ! . Excellant info for ‘Beginning your’e Corporate Credit building profile. She has and continues to provide basic tools and information that is ‘to the point, without the drama’ . I ‘stand by her . Everyone , be patient with yourself and your’e expectations. Like your’e personal Bureaus, you must embrace and ‘manage; monitor D n’ B’ , other Corporate Credit Bureaus at least once a month. God Be with us.
Please send more info. I have excellent personal credit; Need business credit for startup!
Collin – We encourage you to set up a free Nav account to see what financing options may show up there. From there you are welcome to reach out to our Credit & Lending team at 844-636-2445 and they are happy to review your situation and make recommendations – no pressure!
I have a pending Duns number and my understanding is that it’s around a 30 day wait to actually get it. Do you have to provide the actual duns number at the time of purchase with the vendor or should I generate invoices now while I wait for Dun and Bradstreet to give me my Duns number?
Should I buy multiple items all from one vendor or make one purchase from each vendor? Which way produces the best score for Dun and Bradstreet? What is the total number of purchases or total amount I need to spend whether I need to go with one vendor or multiple ones?
If I were in your shoes, I’d wait to help make sure my account is reported correctly with my business. As far as what to buy, I suggest you not overthink it. There’s no specific number of purchases you need to make. Buy things you’d normally buy and keep your accounts active by using them as needed.
this passage was really helpful, but I will like to know by my business being new when do I start applying for business cards or loans that I wont regret in the future?
Tyra – I am not sure what you mean by regretting in the future but I recommend starting to use business credit cards and vendor accounts early on to establish credit. You can buy things you would purchase anyway for your business and pay in full to avoid interest. You don’t have to run up debt to build credit. Does that help?
Been following up… Thanks for your adequate infos. My question is, do they support/welcome international business partners aswell?
I don’t know – you will need to check with them.
How do I get a 80 business credit score? I’m signed up with Nav, have a net 30’s with uline, grainger, have EIN number and a Dun’s you told me I have a C score so what can I do to make it a A score
Troy- it’s hard to say and you may be very close but not quite to that number. I’d look at how long you’ve had those accounts– that could be one factor. In addition, I’d emphasize that business lending is often less business credit score driven than consumer credit where there is often a hard cutoff score. With business credit many lenders or vendors who check business credit are more concerned about red flags than a specific score. In other words, your current credit may get you what you need! You are always welcome to reach out to our customer support team for additional insights.
Hello. I have a business score of 85. It helps when you have 3-4 tradeline experiences. You have 2, so add another.
Is your credit history young? If you only have a few months reporting it will take time to build your credit history.
The purpose of the DUNS number is to identify a business in their system. It’s up to a lender whether they want to check business credit, personal credit, or both. All the major small business credit card issuers check personal credit of the owner. But not all of them report to personal credit on a regular basis. (Generally, they will require a personal guarantee if your business defaults.)
I have been in business for about 3 yrs I’m 19; I have made roughly $115,000 last year prior to Covid ; now Covid has restricted a lot of my business flow; how can I start to get business credit now with this pandemic? Where do I start; I recently took out a $$1,500.00 loan then a $300 personal credit card; however my business needs are higher how can I obtain more funding with my newly established credentials in credit?
Ivy – have you thought about applying for PPP? Here’s more information.
If my business is considered high risk what can I do? Can I change something or do I have to create a holding company or what??
I recommend business owners be truthful. If you have multiple businesses or entities though you may want to focus on building credit for the less risky one.
Quill will approve new businesses without having to wait 90 days.
My business is 6 months old with no trade lines.
They approved my net 30 account because my business was listed on Google. Listing your business shows credibility.
Great advice!
Great article! I actually wanted to give you more starts but my phone froze and it wouldn’t allow me to add in more stars Thank for the information.
Thank you Joy!
Hello Gerri, i want to start off by thanking you for helping us Small business owners get a far shot. So I’ve signed up for 6 out of the 7 accounts you listed for net 30. The only one I had to our right purchase from was Quill. And that was for 3 months, spending $100. My question is, how long should one purchase and build with these net 30 accounts before we apply for business credit cards and loans?
Shana – I’m glad you found it helpful. You can apply for small business credit cards at any point as the decision will be made based on personal credit (not business credit) and income from all sources. As for when to apply for a loan that depends on the type of loan and the lender’s qualifications. Your Nav account will show lending matches and you can always reach out to customer support. Other than securing a line of credit, my view is you apply for a loan when you need it for a specific purpose.
Is there any way to start a business bank account without a physical location I have a virtual office and wells fargo wont accept it what should I do next what banks are virtual office friendly?
Patrick – That’s an excellent question. You may need to provide a physical address (such as a home address) to satisfy the Know Your Customer regulations the bank has to meet, but often you can then use your virtual address as the mailing address on your account. (That’s what I did when I opened a business bank account for my S Corp with a local bank years ago.) We have a list of small business bank account options in this article.
Do you have to sign up with NAV in order to check your businesses credit score?
At what point can your business go from Net 30 to Tradeline accounts?
You can go directly to the credit bureaus to check your business credit, but with the exception of D&B’s CreditSignal product there will be a cost.
Net-30 accounts are a type of tradeline. Tradelines in the business credit setting refers to credit accounts that are offered by vendors and suppliers. The list in this article can be a great way to get started.
I want to build my business credit but I’m currently purchasing a home with my personal credit. Are their any lines of credit i can start that won’t run my personal credit.
Kashaira – A paid Nav account does not involve a personal credit check or personal credit reporting so that should be a safe bet. Also, the vendors on our list generally don’t check personal credit but you may want to double check with them before applying. I always advise homeowners to be doubly cautious until their home loan closes…while inquiries aren’t a big deal generally, when it comes to getting a mortgage very point may count so avoid anything that might affect your scores. Once the loan is closed and funded you can go ahead and continue your credit building journey!
im trying to sign up for the account its not letting me do so
Which account Thomas? Nav? If it’s Nav you can email them at support@nav.com or call them at support@nav.com.. (If you have a freeze on your credit that could be the issue.) If you are talking about one of the other vendors you will need to reach out to them directly.
Hello how can you be reached to personally talk to you about business credit
Adrienne – feel free to reach out to Nav’s customer support team at support@nav.com. They will be happy to answer your questions, and if they can’t, they will direct any additional questions to me. We also have a lot of videos about building business credit on our Youtube channel. Appreciate your interest in Nav!
Is there any other Tier 1 net30 vendors that aren’t office supply stores?
Hi Ayala – We just added a new vendor, Shirtsy. It’s first on the list.
Im starting a owner operator Trucking business how can I build my credit.
The steps in this article are a great place to start!
Great and very helpful article! Are there any tradelines for medical supplies and automotive parts?
Fuelman Card 500 deposit builds business credit fast.
They only report 4 times a year.
How can I become one of such vendor who report to credit Buereu about my customers payments? I am a b2b business owner
We wrote about that in this article: How to Report Your Client’s Payments to Business Credit
I’m very interested in installing in my business I have my business license in my EIN number and I have a bank account
I’m sorry I don’t understand the question.
Good article. How often do we need to buy from those net 30 vendors to have a good credit score?
It’s hard to say exactly but if you monitor your business credit (which you can do for free at Nav), our experience is that many business owners see results pretty quickly. No guarantees of course! Once you have good scores you’ll still want to use these accounts on a fairly regular basis to help maintain good credit.
Granger should not be at the top of this list or even on this business list. I had such a terrible experience with them they approve me when I made my order they stopped to order until me they can not help me. I need to be cash for 6 months before they can give me a net 30 What’s the point in having them as a teir one Associate.
Derrick – we really appreciate your feedback. We hear different experiences from different business owners. It may be they are experiencing changes due to COVID-19 (?) We’ll definitely keep an eye on feedback we hear from business owners.
They did me the same way also, wasn’t really happy with them at all
I had a concern with them also almost a year later in August 2021. I ordered with a cash order, spoke with someone who said that they could not verify my business for the net 30 account (even though it shows on DNB), then told me I would have to start off by establishing the account with cash for several months. I decided to work with other vendors instead.
There are new requirements for these accounts due to Covid 19 so this article should be updated to reflect that or a new one written. For instance, Quill requires you to place at least 2 to 3 orders before you can get a net 30 account. It would be good for folks to know this as with all things due your due diligence.
From what other small business owners have told is it varies – sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. Appreciate you sharing your experience.
Quill gave me an credit account two weeks ago. I just bought some printer ink and checked out using “bill me””. There was no applying or anything. And, it was no a decision they made based on my personal credit and they are my first tradeline, so I don’t understand why people are having a hard time with Quill?
Quill does check your personal credit. I just spoke with their customer service. You may want to update your information.
T – I will definitely update that. Have you checked your personal credit reports to confirm? If so did it show up as a soft (promotional) inquiry or hard inquiry?
Quill didn’t check my personal credit because I have all 3 credit bureaus locked. I have Quill, Grainger, Uline with Net30. Seton Net10, FedEx Net15, Axle Fuel Card Net1 for now, then graduates to Net7 after the first 30days, then net15, net30, etc. All with no personal credit check. And those which have PG on the apps – I always select NO PG, so that it will not be approved based on my personal credit. I keep my files locked.
Granger will not do net 30 Uline will and quill you have to buy 100 dollars worth of stuff 3 months in a row before they will do net 30 Crown wants a you to sign some plan
So its not that easy
John – from what other SMBs have told us it depends on how long the company has been in business and other factors. It does make sense that they need to do some screening; otherwise it would be very easy for someone with a brand new business to buy and not pay. However that’s the first I’ve heard of Grainger not doing net 30 at all. I will need to check that out.
Equifax®
Business Delinquency Score™
We didn’t find your business. Let’s try again.
What’s going on with equifax?
Walter – if you have a Nav account please reach out to Nav customer support so they can help you.
Do I need a separate business address from my home address?
No, not necessarily. You can build business credit for a home-based business using your home address if you choose.
The article did not coment on the fact that if your Net 30 purchase is under $60 it will NOT get reported to the business credit bureaus. Make sure all of your Net 30 purchases are $60 and over, to get reported, accordingly.
I know some vendors do report smaller purchases. (Also we do with Nav paid accounts). Is there a specific vendor that’s not reporting? That information will be helpful to others.
How come nav can’t find my
Business in the search
You may not have a business credit report. Feel free to contact our customer service department for more help.
From what I understand in looking everywhere regarding businesses and building business credit with no personal guarantee, you need to have a business address or the banks will not take you seriously when trying to apply for large lines of credit or business credit cards with big banks such as chase and amex, and not have to include your social but let the business stand alone. Please clarify
Business credit is just one piece of the puzzle. Federal Reserve data from the 2020 Small Business Credit Survey shows that of the businesses surveyed (1-499 employees), 12% used only business credit while 48% used a combination of business and personal credit to get financing. Both are important. Have you seen our webinar on how to build business credit. Watch: How to Build Business Credit on Youtube here.
Please how do you record payments from vendor who are not reporting to certain business credit reports? Thank you
Not all suppliers and vendors your business uses will report to the business credit bureaus. If they don’t, encourage them to do so. Of course whether or not a vendor reports to the credit bureau, is not the only reason you would choose the vendors you do, but it is one of the considerations.
Credit reporting is voluntary. You can ask these companies if they will report but if they do not, you may have to do business with companies that do report. If you are asking about accounts in this story that aren’t reporting, I recommend you reach out to the company directly.
Need advice on this credit stuff or guidance
This is the right place for that Nelson! Feel free to sign up for a free Nav account to check if you have business credit reports already. This article should also help: How to Build Business Credit From Scratch/ As a Nav customer you’re also welcome to reach out to our customer support team with questions.
For some reason Nav can’t locate my company is that because I don’t have a Dun&Bradstreet number yet?
Yes that could be the problem. You may need to request a D-U-N-S number from D&B.
Don – please reach out to Nav’s customer support team so they can help you. You can reach them at support@nav.com.
If the Net30 companies do not report until about 3 months , do I have to continue to purchase goods over that period even after I have paid for the first order for each vendor?
What a great question! First, I always recommend buying things your business needs anyway, and not purchasing items you don’t need or want just to build credit. That said, while it may take a little while for these accounts to show up on your reports that doesn’t mean your initial activity will go to waste. I can’t speak for every single one but once they start reporting they should normally report the account activity to date. In other words, if you made three monthly payments it should reflect that fact. You can certainly start with a few small purchases to see how that vendor reports before you ramp up your purchasing activity.
This information is very helpful. After I received my first invoice from Quill do I need to call them and provide my DUNS # for reporting purposes?
They should be able to report with your business name and address. It’s a good idea to double check to make sure they have correct information on your business.
I would recommend you reach out to them. Note that Quill has temporarily suspended reporting due to slow mail delivery times. We were told they plan to resume sometime in the future.
Thank you so much!!
Even, is late for me.
What if you already have good personal credit?.How are these vendor accounts better than just getting a business credit card that reports to D&B and the others?… An example is I’m pre-approved for a chase business credit card and they report to Equifax, Experian and Dun & Bradstreet so wouldn’t this be the same as the vendor accounts to build business credit?
Having both good business and personal credit can open up more financing opportunities for your business. (Fed research shows that 54% of business owners used either business credit or business and personal credit to get financing.) A business credit card can certainly help you build business credit. Like any credit scores, though, a mix of different accounts can be helpful. If you check your business credit (which you can do for free through Nav) and you don’t see many accounts reporting you could consider one of these as well.
Financial tradelines (such as credit cards) can be weighted differently depending on the credit scoring model being used. Just as with personal credit it’s helpful to have a mix of different types of accounts, the same can be true of business credit. Again, it depends on the credit scoring model.
Do I need all four vendors of net-30 on my business credit profile to get the paydex 80 score? and how is it possible to get the paydex 80?can I give me a quick detail how to do so.
You don’t need four but you should have three. Paying early can help you earn a higher Paydex score. It’s a process so don’t expect overnight success but you can absolutely make progress by getting credit with vendors that report.
Peace and Love to everyone,
I would like to thank everyone on this post and Nav for all the knowledge. I applied for Net 30 accounts with Uline (amount unknown) but my order has already been shipped, CrownOfficeSupplies.com was approved for $5000 (but must pay $199 first for the annual membership), Grainger (amount unknown) I contacted customer care via chat before placing my order and Oliver told me I already have Net 30 on my account,
Quill wants me to pay upfront for purchases before giving me the Net 30 (so I canceled my order lol) Ill eventually will do business with them in the future.
Thanks for sharing your experiences Shanika! Feel free to update us with your progress.
What all have you found to help boost business credit
As I’m a new business owner and I’m looking to get a loan of 45-75000$ as quick as possible what do you say I do ???
I was approved for a NET30 account with Quill.com (NET30 $500), CrownOfficeSupplies.com (NET30 $2000), and BP (NET30 $300)
What are some other vendors to get for starter tier 1 accounts?
Zacharia,
We are adding more options to this article: Easy Approval Net-30 Accounts
Correct me if I’m wrong so you’re saying that Nav will report monthly to the business business credit bureaus when you pay any of the mentioned plans per month?
Yes, as you pay your monthly subscription for Business Boost and Business Loan Manager, those payments will be reported to major commercial credit reporting agencies. You’ll find more details about Nav tradeline reporting if you scroll down the Nav pricing page.
Way to go
What process did you go thru to gget your net 30’s
I am a vendor that sells digital products. I would like to help my customers by reporting positive payments to the business credit bureaus. What steps should I take to become a vendor who reports to the business credit bureaus and help my customers build their business credit?
So glad you’re interested in reporting! Here’s an article we wrote on that topic: How to Report to Business Credit Bureaus
Let us know if you start reporting as we work with business owners who like to do business with companies that report.
what happens if you get behind by a week or 2 on your quill.com invoice after its due? Just curious.
Generally, vendor accounts report Days Beyond Terms (DBT) so if you pay 10 days after the due date the account will be reported as 10DBT. We wrote more about that here: Payment History and Credit Scores.
You’ll likely be reported as 5DBT (5 Days Beyond Terms)– substitute 5 for the exact number of days the account is paid late.
Great article, it help alot.
– Quill was easy for me.
– Uline is requiring me to have 5 purchases and then they will consider my credit line. Am not too sure about that because the main reason of spending money with this companies was to establish payment history. So am moving on to other vendors that report my history.
– Grainger never offered a credit line but i’ll reach out to them today and find out more.
Does anyone know other vendors that report your history?
Several vendors on this list are eager to work with new businesses. Also a Nav Business Boost or Business Loan Builder account will now report to major commercial credit agencies.
Looking to build my business credit and are you a company that charges to do this? Thanks JOHNNY
Johnny, we have a lot of free resources to help you build business credit. Start by getting a free Nav account here. Then use the free tool Business Launcher to get started.
Grainger did not give me the option to set up a payment term other than enter in credit card information
Julie – Have you tried reaching out to them to see why you weren’t offered the option of purchasing on terms?
Great advice! Thank you very much!
Hey, Gerri
This advice is working for me to keep sharing with like these tips. The no 3. Quill is very important for me That information includes the year the business was started and the industry in which you operate… Right.
Thanks
Buzz CNN
Awesome advice. Every one of these tips worked
Quill will not offer you a line of credit if your business dose not have existing credit or trade lines elsewhere. I attempted to place an order today and was told that being that they were unable to verify credit history via our DnB account, they could not offer us credit. However, if we purchase our items upfront for the first 90 days, they will then offer the Net30 option.
My experience was the opposite. I was able to purchase a item through the net 30(invoice) and my package was delivered the next day. I’m only using it to build some business credit for my establishment.
same they let me do net 30 immediately
How long have you been in business???
When you applied
Did you have any previous business history??
Greatly appreciate Nav. It is very informative and helpful. Thank you for being there.
Thanks for the kind words! Be sure to share your success with us as well.
Iam taking suggestion on ways to help this process be successful.
Hi I am trying to log on for the credit card portion & its not accepting my business name.
Eleanor, Apologies for the difficulty you are experiencing. If you’re having trouble with your Nav account please feel free to reach out to our customer service team. They will be happy to help you.
Good and valuable information!
Thank you,
Tony Montgomery
I applied for your one of your recommended vendors, Amsterdam Printing. But they don’t operate as you had advertised.
1). They only offer a “Bill me later” option for “established customers”. And established customer was defined by Amsterdam as a customer who has ordered with them previously and has made on time payments.
2). I was told they only report negative information to the credit bureaus. On time payments are said to not be reported and therefore cannot be used to build any sort of credit.
This is true and confirmed by to Amsterdam reps. I wish people would stop spreading misinformation because now they won’t stop calling me. If you pay 199 for a vista print business acct and are approved they will give you net terms. And much more reasonable pricing in the way of product offerings. Ask for Amanda Horton she’s the best.
This information is very useful and thanks for leading Me and me business in the proper direction Mr. D . L . W
Glad you found it helpful. Let us know how it works for you.
You didn’t mention whether these vendors make a hit on your personal credit rating when applying. Let me know.
I should have made that clear. These three vendors don’t check personal credit so there isn’t an inquiry when you apply.
What 3 vendors don’t check? Also does Nav make a soft or hard inquiry (Nav asked for my social)?
Nav is a soft credit check. We aren’t aware of any of these vendors conducting a hard credit check on the owner’s personal credit.
How long did it take to established your business credit?
Mine was Approved in 2 weeks
Hello,
If your business has no credit history at all. Quill will require that you order a minimum of $100 each month pre-paid over a 90 day period. After that 90 day period
where a minimum of $100 was successfully paid on time, they will then extend your business credit to pay on Net 30 terms. After your business starts making these Net 30 payments is when your Businesses payments will be reporting this payment history to Dun and Bradstreet. So it will take a while to get your business credit established.
Lisa,
Most vendor accounts take 30 – 60 days to start reporting.
No I was approved right away as a business.
I was able to get a quill net 30 and a Uline net 30 with no issues and I just started my business on Jan 2nd. I do not have any established business credit. Grainger however, wanted me to have some business credit established. And both my orders with quill and uline were under $100
This kind of feedback is always helpful. Thanks Trey!
Not to be nosey but since last year and this post have you / or how long has it taken you to get loan approvals or offers for loans ???
I just started my LLC and my question is how many trade lines do really need. Too much credit can be just as bad as no credit. I say stay under budget. If you not making enough business to pay off at the end do not buy. Do most of it on business money from account ie checking maybe some on credit. Any suggestions that will me. Business Savings.
It’s perfectly fine to start small with a couple and then monitor your results.
Just started my business this year and was able to open a Net-30 Account with Quill (if no history they may start you off with $100 with 90-Day potential increases if credit is utilized). However, once I called they bumped it up to $350 no purchase necessary.
Thanks for sharing your experience Mel.
Thank you for this. I applied with Grainger and got the net 30, $1,000 credit approval. No credit check required. I initially signed up but it didn’t give me the option like the screen shot above. I had to contact customer service via chat but they gave it to me right away. Thank you!!
Thanks for sharing your experience. Helpful!
It’s helpful to hear your experience. Thank you!
I have truly been blessed and informed. Thanks for the information
Dear Gerri,
Thank you for your suggestion, I have already apply with Grainger and was qualified for $1000 Credit.
Great to hear Angela!
I was able to get an immediate net30 account with Quill and Uline. I made an order with Grainger and will make another couple of orders and check them in 90 days to see if they will give me a net30 account.
I got a partially secured BP card and an Edge (Pilot/Flying J) fuel account.
I’m also going to use Monopolize Your Marketplace and Jason Adams Transport to get my beginner reporting lines connected.
were both BP and EDGE in need of “partial secure”? And were they at all needing your personal ID/Social?
Excellent article, Gerri! Uline is super simple to qualify for if you take it slow. Initially requesting $50 as a start for your net-30 account will probably increase your odds. Also, Mumeen Media Group offers new small business start-ups a business line of credit with 5% down. They report to DNB and Experian.
Hi have u tried Mueen Media Group? I don’t see any reviews on the company.
Quill gave us a 30-day pay account immediately. We did not have to purchase anything with cash at all. Uline also set us up with an account immediately, as did Grainger. All are reporting for us.
hey when you applied did you already have trade lines on your business credit or was your company new because quill and uline denied me because of no trade history on my business credit
It just depends sometimes
I was finding it hard time to apply for net 30 with grainger because no vendor was reporting on my credit
After 3 months of reporting I re apply with grainger and was qualified for $1000 Credit because I had few tradelines.
I will suggest you to try other vendor credit like gemplers,strategic network solutions and grainger
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Gemplers and Strategic network solutions offer net 30
They do report commercial bureau.You can try them too.
Gempler require that you spend $2500 pre-paid over 1 year before they will extend you a line of credit.
Quill does not offer a line of credit until your business has spent a minimum of $200.00 a month for three consecutive months. The challenge we ran into is as a small business that is watching the bottom line, the 25% more that Quill charges for those things we use than we have to pay Staples (delivered free) does not make it a worthwhile account.
agree
I did not need to purchase that much in fact I only purchased $36 to start not knowing if it was a minimum, and when I didn’t have the invoice option, I called they fixed it and was invoices for $36 and now have my net 30, lol.. always best to call they can just set you up over phone often times anyway
Thanks for the advice! I’ll check out Quill.
Yes not all report to everyone. The three listed do report to either D&B or Experian or both. My Nav.com scores shows both D&B and Experian. My D&B shows trade lines . There is also Equifax but I don’t have an account with them.
What business bureaus do they report to exactly? From what I understand not all accounts report to everyone.
I have these 3 and 3 more. I’m working on getting a fleet fuel card. It was an easy process to get the three mentioned above and my d&b does show I have trade lines now. I also have Nav and it shows my business rating. I made no personal guarantees. Strictly business credit.
Jill, please tell us what are the names of the other 3 vendors other than Grainger, Uline & Quill? Thanks,
Wilmar was one I have from 2016 not sure & I also had a website & email venture Logix that reported but site crashed just recently so not sure what’s going on. It was great $20 / mo
Also keep in mind most small business credit cards report as well. I wrote about that in this article: Which Credit Cards Can Help Me Build Business Credit?
Shell fleet card is great, they provide a line of credit and bill monthly. Chevron bills every two weeks and charges a $75.00 late charge if you do not pay the entire bill every two weeks.
How do you get a Shell Fleet card or a Chevron using commercial credit only?
Erica – Do you mean without a personal guarantee? Shell’s site says: “If any of the following apply, you may be eligible for an account with only business liability. Does your business meet any of the following criteria: a government entity, a non-profit organization, or a corporation in business for at least 3 years with more than $1,000,000 in annual sales?”
Thanks Jill for sharing your experience.
HI Jill, what are the other 3 vendors that you have besides quill , uline, and gainger ?