On this page
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Information | What to check | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Business identity | ABN, entity name and linked businesses | That every record relates to the same legal borrower. |
| Payment and credit history | Accuracy, dates and status of entries | How every lender will interpret the information. |
| Credit enquiries | Who made them and why | That each enquiry resulted in a loan. |
| A numerical score | Provider, scale and report date | A universal “good score” or guaranteed loan limit. |
| Director or owner information | Which personal checks the application authorises | That a company score is the only report considered. |
Which credit file a lender checks: business, sole trader or director
A company can have commercial credit information separate from its owners' personal credit information. Depending on the application and consent, a lender may also assess directors or guarantors. A sole trader should be especially clear about which report is being requested.
Use the bureau’s commercial-report guidance for a company report and the OAIC’s consumer-credit guidance for an individual’s report. These are different products and processes; a free personal-report entitlement should not be assumed to cover a paid commercial report.
A trading name, company and individual owner are not interchangeable identifiers. Confirm the legal borrower and match the report to the correct entity. If a business has changed structure or ownership, explain that history so unrelated or outdated details are not mistaken for the current applicant's position.
Ask the proposed lender which commercial and personal information it intends to assess. An application by a company may also involve a director or guarantor assessment. A sole trader needs to understand both the business information and the personal information involved.
Read entries in context: the date, creditor, amount and current status can matter more than the headline score. An enquiry records an application or request for information, not proof of an outstanding loan. Reconcile it with your own submission record before assuming a debt is missing.
Understand a credit check before authorising applications
Ask an intermediary which providers will receive the application and whether a preliminary eligibility discussion becomes a formal submission. Keep a record of dates, recipients and consents. This helps explain multiple enquiries and avoid applying repeatedly to products whose published criteria clearly exclude the business.
The OAIC explains the permitted access to consumer credit reports, including consent requirements for relevant commercial-credit and guarantor purposes (checked 5 October 2026). Read the actual authority rather than assuming every business enquiry uses the same type of report or check.
There is no universal pass mark
Scales and risk bands vary by reporting service. A number from one system should not be compared with a number from another without understanding both models. Even within one system, a lender can apply its own policy.
A lender may consider cash receipts, existing commitments, time in business, security and the purpose of the loan alongside a report. A strong score cannot make repayments affordable when there is insufficient cash to meet them.
Separate report errors from lending-policy problems
Obtain the commercial report from the relevant reporting body and ask about access options and any charge. Confirm the entity name and identifiers first, then review account entries, payment status, dates and enquiries. Keep documents supporting any disputed information and follow that provider's correction process.
If a lender declined the application, ask what it can explain about the reason. Incorrect data needs correction. Too little trading history, a loan purpose outside policy or insufficient cash for repayments requires a different response. A higher score would not necessarily fix those issues.
Do not assume paying a credit-repair business guarantees deletion of accurate adverse information. Nor should a list of enquiries be read as proof that every application resulted in a loan. Establish what each entry means before deciding what to do next.
Make a correction request specific enough to investigate
Identify the report, entry and exact information disputed. Explain the correction sought and attach supporting evidence, such as a payment receipt, creditor letter or document showing the correct entity. Keep copies and a record of the response rather than submitting an unexplained request to “fix the score”.
Ask the relevant reporting body or information provider which process applies. Commercial information and consumer credit information do not always follow identical rules. If the complaint remains unresolved, use the escalation route applicable to that provider and type of information instead of assuming one forum covers every business report.
For an unfamiliar enquiry or account, check whether an authorised broker or trading arrangement explains it. If not, raise it promptly with the provider and reporting body. Avoid sending identity documents in response to an unverified message claiming to offer report access or repair.
Track the cause rather than chasing a number
Settling arrears, correcting errors and keeping obligations current can improve the underlying borrowing position, but no fixed score increase or approval date can be promised. Ask when corrected information will appear and obtain confirmation. A paid item should be represented accurately; paying it does not mean every historical record disappears immediately.
For illustration, correcting a debt recorded against the wrong entity addresses inaccurate information. Reducing a genuine overdue balance addresses a payment problem. Producing current accounts addresses an evidence gap. Each can help a lender understand the business, but they solve different problems and should not be sold as one guaranteed credit-repair result.
Practical steps that improve the underlying position
Pay obligations when due, address arrears promptly, keep business records accurate and avoid applications you already know fall outside the product criteria. Where a payment problem exists, agree a workable response with the creditor rather than relying on a future score change.
Keep the corrected report, supporting evidence and submission history together. That gives the next lender a clear explanation of the position and helps you distinguish an information problem from a loan the business cannot yet support.
Commercial reports and personal scores use different scales
| Report | What the published information establishes |
|---|---|
| Equifax commercial score | Equifax describes a scale from −200 to 1,200 for commercial risk. Confirm the model and report date; consumer score bands are not interchangeable. |
| Experian business information | Ask for the particular commercial report, scale and access price. A personal score range is not a verified commercial scale. |
| illion Express via Experian | Check the current report product and correction process. Do not assume a free personal report contains the company’s commercial data. |
Commercial-report links checked for identification on 10 October 2026; a current universal commercial score scale was not verified for every provider, so none is invented here. For your personal file as a director or sole trader, use the OAIC’s credit-report access guidance. Ask the lender which report and entity it actually assessed.
illion reports are now offered through Experian
The former illion homepage redirected to Experian when checked on 10 October 2026. Experian’s small-business report service continues to describe illion Express reports. Treat that as a reporting route within Experian, rather than three independent bureaux with interchangeable scores.
Do not apply a consumer score range to a commercial report. Equifax publishes a commercial scale of −200 to 1,200; we did not verify a comparable scale for every Experian/illion report. Some commercial reports are paid products. The rights and free-access arrangements for a director’s personal report are a separate matter.
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Sources and further reading
- OAIC: commercial credit information (checked 10 October 2026)
- Equifax: commercial credit score (checked 10 October 2026)