The ladder The bureaus Vendors that report What is fraud Check an offer

3. Open a business bank account

Open a dedicated bank account in the entity's exact legal name.

Why it matters

Separates business and personal money — required for clean books and for many tradelines/cards.

How

Bring your formation documents and EIN letter to a bank or credit union.

Source: Your chosen bank / credit union

What it costs

Free to open at most credit unions; some banks charge a monthly fee below a balance minimum

What gets sold here: If a past account was closed for overdrafts, you are likely in ChexSystems — a Bank On certified account is designed to open anyway. That is the door, not a fee-heavy "second chance" account.

Do these first

1. Form an active state-registered entity

2. Get an EIN from the IRS

Then

6. Open net-30 vendor tradelines that report

Reported on-time payments are the raw material of a business credit file. Tradelines that don't report do nothing.

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This is general business-credit education, not financial, legal, or tax advice. Confirm specifics with a licensed professional and the official sources directly.