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In our tier 1 and tier 2 lists, we reviewed vendors such as Uline and Grainger.
But you can’t stop there.
Our Tier 3 Business Credit Vendors List
These vendors require a longer time in business and an established business credit score. This type of vendor will typically like to see regular business revenue before they will offer net terms.
Some even offer revolving credit similar to a credit card.
By the time you get to tier 3 vendors, you should have at least 6 trade accounts reporting. That’s enough to help you get approval for vendor credit in tier 3, but not enough to be finished.
You need at least 3 of these vendors reporting, making for a total of 9 trade accounts on your business credit report.
Here are some examples. This kind of trade credit can be a Net 30 account with a vendor or have different terms.
Crown Office Supplies
Our first Net 30 account is Crown Office Supplies. Some articles on the internet report them as a tier 1 account, but categorize them as tier 3.
You can get paper and other office supplies through Crown Office Supplies. They report payment history to all three of the major business credit reporting agencies. These are Dun & Bradstreet, Credit Safe, and Equifax Business.
The major benefit here is that it can be hard to find vendors that report to Equifax. Reporting to D&B means you can build your PAYDEX score, too.
To qualify with this vendor, you will need:
- To be an entity in good standing with Secretary of State
- An EIN
- A business address that matches everywhere
- A D-U-N-S number
- Business license (if applicable)
- Business bank account
Your business must be at least 90 days old. It must have other approved vendors with a credit limit of $800 or higher.
Apply online or email [email protected] and [email protected].
Terms are Net 30.
There is a membership fee of $99 annually upon approval, but payment of this fee is reported to each business credit bureau as well. You must pay the fee before you can access this trade credit.
They report every 15th of each month. If the order is less than $30 plus the shipping fee, then it will still be reported so long as the total amount is $30 or more. This is our full Crown Office Supplies net 30 review.
Gempler’s
The next Net 30 account on our list is Gempler’s. Gempler’s sells work supplies and products, such as:
- Outdoor workwear and safety supplies
- Pest management products
- Tires, and footwear
They have two brick and mortar stores in southern Wisconsin. A lot of their business comes from agricultural and horticultural industries.
Their commitment to worker safety extends to providing free safety training sheets to anyone. You do not have to be a customer of this Net 30 account to be able to access these PDFs.
This Net 30 vendor will report to the Dun and Bradstreet credit reporting agency, so you can improve your PAYDEX score. No personal guarantee is necessary.
To qualify with this vendor, you will need:
- To be an entity in good standing with Secretary of State
- An EIN
- A business address that matches everywhere
- A D-U-N-S number
- Business license (if applicable)
- Business bank account
A small business must have good credit – a Dun & Bradstreet PAYDEX score of 80 or higher. It must have one year in business or more.
They require annual sales with Gempler’s of $2500 and 4 or more orders within a 12-month period paid via credit card before you apply for a Net 30 account.
Apply over the phone. Terms are Net 30.
Summa Office Supplies
Our next Net 30 account is Summa Office Supplies. Strategic Network Solutions is now a part of this entity. They report your credit history to the Equifax credit bureau, which helps you build business credit.
This provider was considered to be a Tier 1 vendor in the past. However, some changes in this Los Angeles-based office supplies vendor have caused us to reclassify them as being a part of Tier 3.
Along with the large variety of office supplies, this trade line also offers a number of downloadable products. The only eligible purchases for Net 30 terms are their downloadable products, with a minimum order of $90. These include ebooks, software downloads and subscriptions.
An order must be for at least $90 before they will report to the business credit reporting agencies. But there is no annual fee for this Net 30 account. This Net 30 account’s system will take note of slow, prompt, or late payers.
To qualify a small business is going to need:
- To be an entity in good standing with the Secretary of State
- An EIN
- Business address- matching everywhere
- D-U-N-S number
- Business license- if applicable
- Business bank account
- To offer Net 30 with a normal business foundation (for a $2000 limit)
An entrepreneur can apply online or over the phone.
Here is our full Summa Office Supplies net 30 review.
Platt Electric Supply
The final Net 30 account on our list is Beaverton, Oregon-based Platt Electric Supply. They report your credit history to Dun & Bradstreet and Experian. No personal guarantee will be necessary to get Net terms or, apparently, an open credit line with them.
Platt Electric Supply is a wholesale distributor of electrical, industrial, lighting, tools, control and automation products for the electrical, construction, commercial, industrial, utility and datacom markets.
They sell everything from cable trays to PVC fittings and underground pull boxes. They keep product recall information readily accessible for their customers.
This is a very different vendor as they really only serve the electrical niche, although other industries can conceivably use their tape, fixture hardware, and cable management systems.
In order to qualify for Net 30 a small business is going to need:
- To be an entity in good standing with the Secretary of State
- An EIN
- Business address- matching everywhere
- D-U-N-S number
- Business license- if applicable
- Business bank account
- A business phone number listed in 411
- A Dun & Bradstreet PAYDEX score of 80 or better
A small business founder or business owner can apply online for Net terms with Platt Electric Supply. Terms are Net 30. You can also apply for an open credit line with them.
After Tier 3 Vendors, Consider Working with Nonreporting Trade Accounts
One of the many rewards of building trade credit is the numerous opportunities it opens up for your business.
Even nonreporting trade accounts are important to a business credit portfolio. Do not neglect them, even though they will not report your commercial credit history to a business credit bureau. There is no need to put everything on a credit card.
Even vendors that do not report can help you get the things you need without dipping into cash reserves, while allowing you to save revolving credit for larger concerns or times when trade credit is not available.
Don’t Stop Building Your Business Credit Portfolio
What’s the goal of a strong business credit score? It’s to help you build a business credit portfolio for your business. Of course, with a strong score, you can add a credit line and credit cards to that portfolio. Your business credit profile will only get stronger.
However, the vendors you use for building business credit score, along with other vendors, are very useful additions. A well-rounded business credit portfolio is key to business success, and trade credit from Tier 3 vendors is a bridge to get you there.
Business credit goes beyond Tier 3. If you want more information on the tiers, check out the other articles in our “Tiered Business Credit” article series:
- Verified Tier 1 Business Credit Vendors to Kick Off Business Credit
- Tier 2 Business Credit Vendors – Your Next Level Up
- Tier 4 Business Credit Vendors – Time for Serious Funding
Here’s the next article.
