12 net-30 accounts and vendors to help your business build credit

Building a good credit score for business loans can make it easier for you to secure financing in the future when your business needs it. One easy way to start building credit is by using net-30 accounts. 

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In this guide, we'll explain how to establish trade lines with net-30 vendors to help your business build credit and receive higher credit limits.

What are net-30 accounts?

Net-30 accounts, also called trade credit or vendor lines of credit, allow clients to pay their credit within 30 days (including weekends and holidays) after the invoice.

For example, if an invoice is due March 1st, you'd have until March 31st to pay it in full without any interest. Net-30 accounts are typically free, though some charge an annual fee for the credit line.

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As long as the vendor reports to business credit bureaus like Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, or Experian, your on-time payments will build up your credit score.

Net-30 accounts may also make it easier for your company to budget variable expenses; rather than paying upfront, you’ll know 30 days before bills are due how much they’ll cost your company.

Example of net-30 payment terms

For example, if a company purchases $1,000 worth of products with net 30 payment terms, they would have 30 days from the invoice date to pay the seller. If the payment is made within this timeframe, no additional charges will be applied. However, if the payment is delayed beyond the 30-day period, the seller may impose late fees or interest.

Net-30 account requirements

Vendors typically require that a business has been functioning for a minimum of 30 days and that the owner holds a 25% share. They may also require a minimum purchase amount before offering credit to customers, while others may need an initial deposit.

Typically, you’ll need to fill out an online application form that asks for your business name, EIN number, and address.

Some vendors also require a DUNS number, a nine-digit ID from Dun & Bradstreet that you can request through the rating agency. ‍

Net-30 vs. net-15 payment terms

While net-30 terms allow you to pay invoices within 30 days, net-15 vendors offer a 15-day window. Both options have their advantages and considerations.

Opting for net-30 terms can provide your business with a more extended period to manage cash flow. This flexibility may be particularly valuable if your business experiences occasional delays in revenue collection or if you want to take advantage of longer payment cycles.

On the other hand, net-15 terms offer a shorter payment window, which can be advantageous if you have a consistent and reliable cash flow. This shorter cycle can help you reduce outstanding debts more quickly, potentially enhancing your business's financial health. Additionally, some vendors may offer early payment discounts for net-15 terms, allowing you to save money on your purchases.

12 best net-30 business accounts for new businesses

Here’s a look at some of the best net-30 accounts. Our picks include those with easy approval and no interest rate within 30 days of receiving an invoice.

Newegg Business

Newegg Business offers a Net 30 Credit Line to companies purchasing computers and other IT equipment. It can take five to 10 business days for the company to process your application. 

Shirtsy

Looking for company swag? You can purchase t-shirts, jackets, and accessories with net-30 terms. Simply fill out the online application for net-30 terms.

Summa Office Supplies

Clients of Summa Office Supplies can get net-30 terms for items like pens, notebooks, and tape. Once you’ve activated your account, click on the button that says “Bill My Net-30 Terms Account” at checkout.

Uline

Uline, a family-owned business selling industrial and packing materials, makes it easy for new customers to get net-30 credit by using the customer number on the back of their catalog. If the company needs further information, a credit agent will reach out to you. 

Quill

Customers who place an online order for at least $100 of office products can request net-30 terms at checkout. Quill will run a credit check on your business, typically completed within 24 hours.

Crown Office Supplies

Crown Office Supplies is another office supply vendor that provides net-30 terms to qualified customers, including new businesses. Apply for a net-30 account on the company’s website. 

Office Garner

To qualify for a net-30 account at Office Garner, your business must be at least 30 days old. You can use the account to pay for traditional office supplies in addition to electronics or services like Web site design.

The CEO Creative

This site sells a variety of office supplies and services, including printed products like business cards and brochures. You can apply for a net-30 account on the website.

JJGold International

You can find office décor, such as desk accessories and furniture accents at JJ Gold International. The company has approved more than 25,000 customers for net-30 accounts. To qualify, your order must be worth more than $80, and new customers must make a deposit of 50% of their order.

Strategic Network Solutions

While many of the vendors on this list sell goods, you can also get net-30 terms for service providers as well. Strategic Network Solutions provides net-30 terms for up to $2,000 in credit for IT and services such as endpoint security and business continuity assistance.

Creative Analytics

With this company, you can get net-30 terms for digital marketing services, such as content strategy or site search engine optimization (SEO). The verification process takes three to five days.

JAM Industrial Supply

You can get net-30 terms from JAM Industrial supply for purchases of wide range of business products, from office cleaning supplies to health and safety equipment. To apply, you’ll need to download and print out an application and send it back to the company for approval. 

Best practices for building business credit with net-30 accounts

Building good credit gives your business a competitive advantage, especially in the event of a potential economic downturn. By contrast, having a poor business credit history could cost your company money due to higher interest rates.  

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If you establish vendor trade lines, it's important to use them responsibly. Here are some best practices for how to manage your net-30 accounts and build business credit:

Pay bills on time

Having net-30 accounts is just the first step in using them to build your credit profile. You'll also need to pay your invoices from those vendors on time—or early. Some companies offer terms that provide a discount of 5% or more off the bill for early payments.

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Missed or late payments will decrease your creditworthiness, making it harder or more expensive to borrow money in the future. You may also owe late fees to vendors when you fail to pay invoices by the due date. 

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One way to make sure that your invoices always get paid on time is to use an automated bill pay platform, which can minimize the chance of bills falling through the cracks. Ramp Bill Pay automates every part of the accounts payable (AP) process and offers features like one-click bill creation that automatically extracts relevant details and detects duplicate invoices, all within our accounts payable software.

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Automating your bill payment can also free up your AP team for more high-value tasks like transitioning clients to digital invoicing or improving processes to more efficiently manage your company’s finances.

Monitor your credit reports

It’s important to regularly check your business credit score for mistakes or signs of fraudulent activity. You can order your business credit reports directly from the three credit report bureaus for a fee.

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If you’re a very early-stage startup, your business credit may be tied to your personal credit, so you'll want to make sure you’re monitoring your personal credit report as well.

Use a corporate card

A corporate card can be a great tool for paying down your vendor accounts and building business credit.

These cards make it easy to pay vendors with automated invoicing features. Cards like Ramp also allow you to finance invoices on 30, 60, or 90 day terms. That means that you can choose to pay your vendors now, while you pay your corporate card balance later.

Corporate cards also report to the business credit agencies, so owning one will help you build your score. Unlike regular credit cards, corporate cards have no interest because they require full balance payments each month. Plus, your credit utilization rate on a charge card won't affect your credit score.

Be in control of business spending 

Budgeting effectively to keep costs down will reduce the amount of credit your business needs, in turn helping you avoid any debts that could wreck your credit score.

Two easy ways to reduce unnecessary spending include cutting back on zombie spend (small, forgotten expenses like subscriptions and recurring memberships) and maverick spend (spending that doesn’t follow business and procurement processes).

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You can also take advantage of expense management software to help you track business expenses in real time and receive AI-powered suggestions about where you can cut costs.

Vendor management made simple with Ramp

Ramp's corporate cards come with accounts payable features to automate your invoices so every bill is paid on time. With Ramp's flexible financing, you can pay vendors immediately while choosing 30, 60, or 90-day terms to pay back your card for a small fee.

Learn more about how Ramp can offer the payment flexibility you need to continue growing your business.