How to Get a DUNS Number for Business Credit
DUNS numbers give potential business partners a brief overview of one another's credentials. Even businesses that do not need to apply for credit can benefit from having a unique nine-digit DUNS number. DUNS numbers are required for organizations planning to bid on many government contracts. Private companies may require them as well for outside contractors.
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Things You'll Need
- Internet access or telephone
- Corporate name
- Business name
- Business address
- Mailing address (if different)
- Telephone number
- SIC (standard industrial classification) code
- Number of employees
- Headquarters
Instructions
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1
Gather the following information: corporate name, business name, business address, mailing address (if different), telephone number and number of employees.
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2
Find your SIC code. Go to the Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) SIC code search website. Enter a general name for your type of business into the keyword window, for example "retail." Keep going till you find a code that describes your business.
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3
Apply. You can do this by telephone or internet. Information about both methods is available on Dun & Bradstreet's website. Applying by telephone takes 5 to 10 minutes.
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4
Check to see if you have a current DUNS number. This step is required.
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Answer the questions on the form and submit it.
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Wait until you receive your DUNS number by email. Having a DUNS number makes it easier for you to apply for credit and to negotiate favorable payment terms.
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Tips & Warnings
The DUNS number is provided by Dun & Bradstreet, or D&B, a business credit reporting service.
Apply before you need a number. The free DUNS number application process takes 30 days. If you need a DUNS number in a hurry, you can apply for D&B's CreditBuilder service. This service provides a DUNS number in one business day, but costs several hundred dollars.
Your business does not need to be legally incorporated to apply for a DUNS number. If your state allows you to work as a sole proprietor under your own name, you can receive a DUNS number.
To show how trustworthy you are to creditors and business partners, once you receive your DUNS number, keep your report up-to-date.
Once you tell D&B, it's public. Dun & Bradstreet provides information from its databases to interested parties. Those interested parties can be beneficial, like potential lenders, or annoying, like cold-calling salespeople. If you don't want to make your home number public, get a business number. You do need a physical address--not a post office box--so if you work at home, you will have to provide your home address.
