The credit crunch has made it harder than ever to receive personal loans, so while the thought of getting a credit card with no social security code may seem impossible it's actually not as hard as you may think. With that being said, using an Employer Identification Number, also known as an EIN is not a legal means for side skirting your own personal credit history problems, rather it's a way of establishing business credit for your established business.
Instructions
1. Form a legal business entity, this can be in the form of a sole proprietorship, multiple partner firm or incorporation. This helps establish your business as a legal entity with employees.
2. Sign up for a Dunn and Bradstreet account. This unit 9 number sequence is used by over 100 million businesses to track the reputation of a company in terms of its business dealings. You should have one of these accounts anyways if you are selling or buying any goods or services.
3. Establish your business for at least a short period of time, start by building up business relationships with suppliers and therefore building up your DNB account into good standing. This also allows you to receive references if needed for credit purposes.
4. Apply for a free EIN number via the official IRS website. This process will only take you several minutes and you should receive your EIN within several weeks.
5. Find companies willing to accept an EIN in the place of a social security number. Dell Computers has historically been a good starting point for receiving credit using EIN numbers. Other locations will offer EIN acceptance based on the company, while some companies require an underwriter for the credit to be accepted. The easiest way to determine if a company will accept your EIN is to call the respective lenders and ask.
6. Establish a credit account with your businesses bank. If you are in good standing with your bank they may be more willing to accept your EIN as a means of establish credit, while using your account as collateral. Some banks will ask that a certain amount of cash is left at all times on reserve until the account remains in good standing for a specified time. If you originally received a business loan from your bank and you have paid on time this may also help you establish credit.
Tips Warnings
EIN credit cards will normally only be accepted once your business has an established credit history with other businesses, the Dunn and Bradstreet number plus good references are a great way to establish your business, as is proof of your original business loan to show your ability to receive and pay your creditors on time.
It is illegal to apply for an EIN for the sole purpose of side stepping your own bad credit history. If you are using an EIN to establish credit it should only be used for actual business purposes, not to receive personal credit cards for purposes outside of business use.
Tags: credit, card, your business, credit history, establish credit, good standing, accept your, business loan, credit cards, Dunn Bradstreet
