The Difference Between Personal and Business Credit Scores
FICO vs. PAYDEX, who sees them, and why you need both.
Personal and business credit scores measure different things, are kept by different bureaus, and are used by different lenders. Understanding both is how you stop your personal score from capping your business.
Personal scores
FICO and VantageScore range from 300 to 850 and are built from your payment history, utilization, credit age, mix and new credit. They’re tied to your Social Security number and governed by the FCRA.
Business scores
Business scores are tied to your EIN. Dun & Bradstreet’s PAYDEX (1–100) focuses on how promptly you pay vendors. Experian Business and Equifax Business have their own models. Anyone can generally look up a business report — which is why a clean one matters.
Why you need both
- Early business funding (like 0% APR business cards) still checks your personal score
- Later-stage funding leans on business history, revenue and returns
- SBA lenders want both: a 680+ personal score and a credible business profile
The $1M Playbook builds them in order — personal first (Phases 1–2), then business (Phases 3–6).
This article is general education, not legal or financial advice. Individual results vary.
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