Get a DUNS number

Key points

• The DUNS number concerns the creditworthiness of the company, not your personal creditworthiness.
• The application is free. For a fee, Dun & Bradstreet processes it faster, and the number stays the same.
• Business credit only arises when suppliers and lenders report. The number alone achieves nothing.
• Suppliers, Apple and Google ask for it. US federal contracts have used a different identifier since 2022.
• For business credit cards, banks as a rule also look at your personal history.

A European company, Apple or Google: you don't need us for that

Dun & Bradstreet also issues the number to companies outside the US, and its application page has a separate option for international businesses. A GmbH, a Ltd or any other European company can apply free of charge without a service provider.

Before applying, run the free lookup, because some companies already have a number. A second application for the same company creates a duplicate record.

Apple requires the number from organizations in the Developer Program. Google requires it for organization accounts in the Play Console and for advertiser verification. Our support only covers US companies where the number is part of the business setup.

What the DUNS number is needed for

In the setup, the DUNS number comes late, after the company, EIN, account and first business card. It is the file into which supplier and lender reports later flow, kept apart from your personal credit history. How the two files sit side by side, and who is liable for what, is covered in Business credit and personal credit.

• Supplier accounts with payment terms instead of payment in advance
• Credit lines in the name of the company
• An organization developer account with Apple or Google
• Advertiser verification with Google
• Credit reports for business partners who check the company before signing

EIN, DUNS and ITIN compared

Three identifiers that are regularly confused, plus a fourth one for US federal contracts.

What Dun & Bradstreet asks for

The application form asks for eight details. The EIN is not one of them. We still file only once the company and EIN are in place, because name, address and legal form are settled by then and stop shifting.

• Legal name of the company, exactly as in the formation documents
• Business address. Each location gets its own number
• Business phone number
• Name of the owner or managing officer
• Legal structure
• Year the company was formed
• Primary industry
• Number of full-time and part-time employees

Step-by-step process

1. Look for an existing number. The Dun & Bradstreet lookup is free and prevents a duplicate record.
2. Define the master data. Name, address, phone number and industry must match the formation documents exactly.
3. Submit the application. The free route takes longer than the expedited one. Both lead to the same number.
4. Answer follow-up queries. Dun & Bradstreet may get in touch to validate the details, so the phone number given has to be reachable.
5. Check the entry. Once the number is issued, we review the record. Errors in it resurface in every later credit report.
6. Build reporting accounts. Only suppliers and lenders that report to Dun & Bradstreet create a history. The order in which such accounts come together from Europe is set out in US business credit from abroad.

Costs and timeline

What Paydex is and when it appears

Paydex is the payment score of Dun & Bradstreet, a credit bureau for companies. It runs from 1 to 100, and a higher value means more punctual payment. Large invoices weigh more than small ones.

It is calculated from payment experiences that suppliers report to Dun & Bradstreet. Without reports there is no score, and the DUNS number stays an empty file. Whether a supplier reports is worth asking before you sign.

When it is not worth it

• You run a European company and only need the number for Apple, Google or a supplier. You can file the free application yourself.
• You do not plan any supplier accounts with payment terms. Without reporting accounts the file stays empty and the number does nothing.
• Your only goal is a business credit card. There the bank mainly looks at your personal history and your personal guarantee.
• You want to bid on US federal contracts. Those use the Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov.
• The company serves a single project that will not continue.

Common mistakes

• Inconsistent spellings of the company name. This creates duplicate entries that are hard to merge later.
• Applying without first looking for an existing number.
• Giving the registered agent's address as the business address. It exists for official mail, and if it changes later, record and documents no longer match.
• Expecting the number alone to create creditworthiness. Without reporting accounts, the file stays empty.
• Entering a trade name for Apple. Apple only accepts the number of the legal entity.