What is a DUNS Number?
More than 600 million businesses worldwide use the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) to maintain relationships with financial institutions, governments, and other companies.
With this, a DUNS Number is a unique nine-digit identifier given to a specific business, which is linked to its business credit file and key financial health indicators.
DUNS Numbers were created by business analytics company Dun & Bradstreet in 1962 to streamline and standardize business credit reporting.
In practice, a DUNS Number is used by organizations to determine whether they want to work with another company.
During the due diligence process, they can look up the business’s DUNS Number to find information such as:
- Credit score
- Credit history
- Previous lawsuits
- Liens on the business
- Past judgments against the company
Key features of a DUNS Number:
- Free service: Businesses can request a DUNS Number from Dun & Bradstreet at no cost. The typical turnaround time for receiving the number is 30 days, but businesses can pay for expedited service to receive it more quickly.
- Global standard: DUNS Numbers are accepted globally, helping to standardize business credit reporting.
- Credibility: Potential partners, lenders, and insurers will use a business’s DUNS Number to vet a company’s creditworthiness and financial health.
- Location-specific: Companies should request a DUNS Number for each location they own and operate.
Why do businesses use a DUNS Number?
While not officially required to form a business or submit financial reports, companies can still benefit from having a DUNS Number.
Streamlines credit applications
Having a DUNS Number can also streamline credit applications with lenders and other financial institutions. In fact, some banks may even require a company to have a DUNS Number when applying for a loan.
Similar to the credit score that an individual has, the DUNS Number works similarly for businesses.
With a company’s DUNS Number, lenders and potential partners can look up the business’s payment history and credit profile, assessing their creditworthiness and risk profile before approving their loan application.
Required for doing business with certain partners
As DUNS Numbers are globally recognized, they provide a standardized method for companies to vet the legal status and financial stability of potential vendors and partners.
For this reason, companies expecting to do business with major enterprises may need a DUNS Number to satisfy due diligence requirements.
For instance, Apple and Google both require a DUNS number for any company that wants to enroll in their developer programs.
Government contracting
Between 1998 and 2022, any business that wanted to do government contracting work for the US Federal government had to have a DUNS Number to be considered.
This requirement has since changed, as the US government transitioned to the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) system in April 2022. A UEI is provided to companies for free when they register on the System for Award Management website (SAM.gov).
However, it is possible that local or state governments will still require a company to have a DUNS Number when submitting a bid for work. So, the DUNS Number is not completely obsolete for government contractors.
How to obtain a DUNS number
As mentioned throughout, getting a DUNS Number is completely free. There is no purchase required to get one, and there are no ongoing maintenance costs.
The entire request process can be completed online in just a few minutes. Here’s a quick overview of what this process looks like:
1. Visit the Dun & Bradstreet website
Companies can visit the Dun & Bradstreet website at dnb.com to initiate their request.
It’s recommended that businesses first check whether they already have one using the DUNS Number Lookup tool.
If they don’t have a number yet, they can continue on with the new request form.
2. Enter the required information
Be prepared to provide Dun & Bradstreet with the following information to complete the request form:
- Legal name of the business
- Business address (DUNS Numbers are location-specific)
- Business phone number
- Legal structure
- Business owner / key leadership
- Year of formation
- Primary industry
- Number of employees
3. Choose expedited processing (optional)
If needed, companies can choose expedited processing before submitting the request. There is a fee for expedited processing that returns the DUNS Number within eight business days.
Otherwise, companies can request the DUNS Number at no charge, which they’ll receive within 30 days for standard processing.
4. Verify information upon request
The Dun & Bradstreet team may reach out to the company to verify its information after the request is submitted.
After this verification is complete, the company will receive its DUNS Number via email from Dun & Bradstreet.
EINs vs. DUNS Numbers: What’s the difference?
While both EINs and DUNS Numbers are unique nine-digit identifiers associated with a company, they serve two distinct purposes and are issued by completely different organizations.
More specifically, an EIN is issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and used by companies to file taxes, submit financial reporting, hire employees, and open business bank accounts.
While not required for all companies, generally, any business entity that hires employees must have an EIN.
This compares to DUNS Numbers, which can streamline lending and business relations for companies, but are largely voluntary.
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Frequently asked questions
Do LLCs need a DUNS Number?
Requesting a DUNS Number is not a requirement for compliant LLC formation or operation. However, having a DUNS Number can benefit LLCs when applying for credit, seeking vendors, or partnering with large enterprise companies. It may even be required by certain large companies during the verification process for new vendors.
How long does it take to get a DUNS Number?
The typical turnaround time for receiving a new DUNS Number is 30 days or less. For those with more urgent needs, there is expedited processing available. However, this comes at an additional cost.
With expedited processing, companies can expect to receive their DUNS Number in eight business days or less.
How can you find your DUNS Number?
If you believe your company already has a DUNS Number, or you’re not entirely sure, it’s easy to double-check the DUNS database. Dun & Bradstreet offers an online DUNS Number Lookup tool that lets you search for a partner company or your own number.
All you’ll need is the company’s legal business name and physical address or the business phone number to search.
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²Credit lines and the advertised range are not guaranteed and will be determined upon application approval.
