D‑U‑N‑S Number
Find Out How Companies Use the D‑U‑N‑S Number
D‑U‑N‑S Number Use Between Companies
Across the globe, governments and agencies also assign identification numbers to companies doing business within their borders. Many of these identifiers are used for very specific purposes (tax preparation or contract bidding). In other cases, specific types of businesses are required to have an identification number.
The D‑U‑N‑S® Number, however, could be the most widely used number your business ever has. That’s because it can be used not only by government agencies, but by every other business operating in the world.
Identification Numbers
EIN Number
D‑U‑N‑S Number
UEI
D‑U‑N‑S Number as a Permanent Global Identifier
D‑U‑N‑S Numbers are assigned to each location of a business. Once assigned, they are never altered. When and if a particular business location ceases operation, that number is never reassigned. It’s this uniqueness that companies rely on to help them perform their compliance due diligence or make credit or loan decisions.
With your D‑U‑N‑S Number, your company becomes searchable in the Dun & Bradstreet Data Cloud of more than 500 million global businesses.
Outside of the Dun & Bradstreet Data Cloud, your number can be used and displayed differently than it is within it. You may sometimes see your number displayed on company application forms with dashes, but those are just visual differences that may help to promote readability. There is nothing in a D‑U‑N‑S Number that says anything about a company’s stability or creditworthiness.
This difference in display does, however, illustrate that where or how the number is used outside of Dun & Bradstreet may vary. Here are a couple of examples that illustrate how different companies may use your D‑U‑N‑S Number for similar reasons.
D‑U‑N‑S Numbers for Developers or Dropship Vendors
There have never been as many opportunities for a business to extend its reach to customers as there are today. A small company can apply to have its products sold in digital marketplaces that reach potential buyers around the world. Some of the world's largest marketplaces ask for a company’s D‑U‑N‑S Number when that company applies to join them.
- Apple, Inc. — If you want to join the Apple Developer Program a D‑U‑N‑S Number is also a requirement to enroll in the program.
- Walmart, Inc. — Want to become a Walmart Warehouse Supplier or Drop Ship Vendor? Enrollment is free, but you must meet strict guidelines and provide your D‑U‑N‑S Number among other corporate information according to the Walmart Supplier Help Site.
- Amazon, Inc. — Amazon also spells out its requirements for dropship vendors online. If you want to sell certain products on Amazon, or you may want to obtain credit from them, your company will be required to submit a D‑U‑N‑S Number as part of your application.
Each of these third-party programs have different guidelines that are not created or managed by Dun & Bradstreet. If you aren’t sure if you need a D‑U‑N‑S Number to access a certain platform or marketplace, check the company’s application standards. Most companies will post requirements for dropship vendors on their website or in an FAQ section.
If you still can’t find the information you need, contact the specific company or marketplace you are trying to join to ask.
Next Steps
Now that you know when and how other companies may use your D‑U‑N‑S Number, it’s time to find out if one has already been assigned to your business. If it has not, applying for a D‑U‑N‑S Number is free and can take just a few minutes. You can get started here.
D‑U‑N‑S Number Use FAQs
If you search for your D‑U‑N‑S Number in Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Cloud of more than 500 million businesses, and you use it to investigate your company profile, you’ll see how other companies can view your business. The Dun & Bradstreet Data Cloud offers the world’s most comprehensive business data and analytical insights to power today’s most crucial business needs. That perspective can show you what if there is any company information you may need to request updates to for free using the Dun & Bradstreet D‑U‑N‑S Manager or what you may need to do to potentially build your credit file.
Other times and ways you may use your D‑U‑N‑S Number can include:
- To raise capital or refinance an existing loan
- To request credit from another company
- To apply to become a customer, supplier, or partner of a company or marketplace
No, there is no requirement that you display your D‑U‑N‑S Number in any particular manner or place. Your D‑U‑N‑S Number is a unique, nine-digit number assigned to your business. No other business in the world can have a number that matches yours. Other companies may use it to help identify your business, and to help make business decisions about whether, or how, to do business with your company.
Your company’s D‑U‑N‑S Number is not an evaluation score of your business. There is no code built into the digits that refer to your credit score, your company’s ESG score or other measure. Nor is there any way to alter a number once issued.
It is, however, tied to your Live Business Identity, a dynamic company profile that changes as your company changes. This profile does include Dun & Bradstreet scores and ratings including the D&B PAYDEX®, D&B Delinquency Predictor Score and the D&B Financial Stress Score.
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