Online business credit reports has sped up the financing process for thousands of businesses. They provide lending institutions with a company's financial background, as well as their current status. They are made up of three key "ingredients," if you will: overall credit rating, Paydex score, and percentage of payments within terms.

Overall business credit rating is the first item a lending company looks at; Dun and Bradstreet ratings, in particular. If D and B has current financials on a company, then they have a rating anywhere from 5A to HH. The 5A to HH ratings reflect a firm's size based on net worth or equity. If a firm has supplied financials that show their company has a negative net worth, then their company will not be rated.

The second most scrutinized score on online business credit reports is a firm's Paydex score. It is a unique, dollar-weighted indicator providing an instant overview of how a firm has paid its bills in the past, and how the firm is likely to pay its bills in the future. It is essential that this score is good, in order to be approved for credit terms or financing.

Percentage of payments within terms is the third item of business on online business credit reports to be judged by a lending institution. It will relate directly to the Paydex score, and when the weight or size of the payment is not considered. This figure is generally found on business credit reports in the paragraph that describes what the Paydex is and what it represents.