There are many companies that have contracts with other businesses to sell their products or services. After the payment terms are discussed and drawn up, business customers are responsible for paying their bill according to the guidelines established in the contract. When a business customer fails to pay, the selling company must report that particular business for non-payment. The following are the necessary steps for reporting these non-payments.

Things You Will Need

  • Credit bureau membership

  • Credit bureau non-payment reporting forms

  • Better Business Bureau forms

  • Dun & Bradstreet forms

How To Report Non Payments

Contact the Better Business Bureau in the city where the non-paying company is located. Report the non-paying company to get that company's record on file. Ask the Better Business Bureau representative if the non-paying company has any pending complaints on file. Find out if the Better Business Bureau has any specialized programs that can help you resolve the non-payment issue. Fill out and send the necessary paperwork (See reference 2 below).

Make sure the payment is at least 90 days past due. Go to Equifax.com or Experian.com. Sign up with one or both of these credit bureaus; then pay the necessary fees. Contact the division that is in charge of handling non-payments from vendors. Ask them which documents you need to complete the filing process. Access those documents online or have them sent to you. Fill them out completely. Include the legal name or DBA of the non-paying company, their address and phone number. Write or type in the exact reason why you are filing the non-payment report, according to Allbusiness.com: How Do You Report a Delinquent Account to a Credit Bureau?

Contact Dun & Bradstreet online at dnb.com/us; or by phone at 1-800-234-3867. Find out if the non-paying company has other outstanding financial obligations. Ask about any pending litigation involving your business customer. Tell them that you also want to file a complaint against the non-paying business. Obtain the necessary files then file your complaint (See reference 3 and resource 1).

Tip

You stand a better chance of resolving your non-payment issue in court proceedings if you also report the customer to Dun & Bradstreet and the Better Business Bureau. Dun & Bradstreet will have historical payment history on file about the company as well as the status of any pending litigation. You may also better determine if the company is having financial problems such as a bankruptcy (See references 2 and 3).

Warning

Do not report business non-payment issues to TransUnion. They only handle non-payment issues from individuals or consumers (See reference 1 below).