Net Terms Vendors Guide: Tiers to Build Business Credit Fast!

Business → Credit → Building
3 min read

You can secretly obtain fast business credit by establishing reporting tradelines using tiered net vendor accounts with 30-day payment terms. By starting small, applying for gas cards and office supply accounts that regularly report to Dun & Bradstreet, you quickly build up your credit and trade lines.

By paying Net 30 invoices on time, you’ll receive positive transaction signals in your credit reports, which in turn will increase your overall score. Do note the opposite holds true for late or negligent payments, so be sure you pay all invoices in full before their due dates.

Tiers

Not all net vendor accounts are created equal, as many of them have specific requirements for application approval. The lower tiers offer easy access to small businesses, while those in upper tiers require a minimum combination of business history, financials, trade lines, and credit score.


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Tier 1

Vendor accounts in Tier I are the easiest to apply for, but can at times, require startup businesses to purchase prepaid orders for 1 to 6 months before getting approved for 30-day billing. If this is the case for your startup, look for vendors who report ALL payments, including prepaid orders.

To qualify for a Tier I vendor account, you’ll need to demonstrate that you are registered as a legal business entity with your Secretary of State, and generally have 2 or 3 of the following.

And possibly some of these requirements:

  • Business Bank account
  • Business must be at least 30-90 days old.

Some examples of Tier I vendor accounts would be:

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Tier 2

As you move up to Tier 2 business credit, you generally need to tack on a little business credit history, and/or offer a personal guarantee (PG) to get approval if you can’t meet the requirements.

  • Established credit history with Experian and Equifax
  • D&B Paydex score and up to 5 trade lines of credit
  • Business address that matches everywhere
  • Decent credit score

Some examples of Tier II vendors would include BP, Valero, Home Depot, Lowes, Office Depot, and United Rentals.

Tier 3

From Tier III onwards, you’ll need a well-established set of trade lines, along with business financial stability. Extra things you might require in this tier are:

  • 7+ Dun & Bradstreet trade lines
  • 3+ Experian and Equifax tradelines
  • At least one $500+ limit trade line

Some vendors in the Tier III range could include Sam’s Club, Best Buy, NewEgg, and Northern Tool.

Tier 4

From Tier IV onward you’ll need a decent limit on one of your trade lines while adding at least 3 more vendors to your list.

  • 10+ Dun & Bradstreet trade lines
  • 7+ Experian and Equifax trade lines
  • At least one $2500+ limit trade line

Some vendors in the Tier IV range could include Costco Anywhere, Apple Lease, Sunbelt Rentals, and Ikea Projekt.

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Tier 5

You’ll have to double your highest trade limit to reach Tier V, along with adding 5 more vendors to your list.

  • 15+ Dun & Bradstreet trade lines
  • 10+ Experian and Equifax trade lines
  • At least one $5000+ limit trade line

Some vendors in the Tier V range could include Home Depot Revolving, Lowes Revolving, Amazon Business, Insight (formerly TigerDirect), and Wright Express Fleet Cards.

Tier 6

You’ll have to double your highest trade limit again to reach Tier VI, along with adding 5 more vendors to your list.

  • 20+ Dun & Bradstreet trade lines
  • 15+ Experian and Equifax trade lines
  • At least one $10,000+ limit trade line

Some examples of Tier VI or higher vendors include Comdata, Dell, Ford Commercial Financing.

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