BizSource and TrueSearch FAQ

The Basics

What is BizSource?

BizSource is Experian's new business credit database that aggregates all of Experian's commercial intelligence into a single master database.

What is TrueSearch?

TrueSearch is the official name given to the search and match technology that is the "brain" behind BizSource. TrueSearch combines all the data associated with variations of a company's name and address to ensure the right match. The quality of matches is continually optimized as the system "learns" how to classify new data and associate it with the right business.

Why are BizSource and TrueSearch important?

Together, BizSource and TrueSearch provide clients with more comprehensive credit records to make better informed credit decisions. Business intelligence tends to be fragmented and difficult to track as companies change names, ownership, addresses and affiliations with larger entities. BizSource and TrueSearch help overcome these business data management challenges.

Will BizSource and TrueSearch impact the information available on a business?

Yes. In a sample test of 100K businesses in our BizSource database vs. our legacy database, the amount of credit information available for each business increased significantly. Deeper, more comprehensive credit records mean you have more information to make better decisions.

Data elements per file
in 100K sample
% increase from legacy database to BizSource
  Collections 381%
  Legal items 142%
  Liens 327%
  Judgments 360%

Migration

Do I have to migrate from legacy?

Yes, all clients must move to the BizSource system. We will shut down our legacy system once all clients are migrated.

When do I get access to BizSource?

You will have access to BizSource as soon as your company is migrated. Migration dates will be communicated to you via email, and if you have questions or concerns, you can contact your Experian sales or support representative.

Most migrations will happen on a Sunday. Once migrated you will have immediate access to BizSource and TrueSearch.

Information on the new Business Identification Number (BIN)

How is each unique business defined in BizSource?

BizSource assigns a Business Identification Number (BIN) to each business location. The BIN is a unique 9-digit number. This persistent ID allows BizSource to track all information associated with a business over time, even with address or name changes.

BIN FACTS:

How is a BIN assigned?

The Business Identification Number is location based. Multiple business locations can be linked together to form the Business View.

Is the BIN in the commercial database, BizSource, the same as the BIN in Experian's commercial marketing database?

The credit database BIN and the marketing database BIN will differ for the time being. However, conceptually the search match process is very similar. We will be integrating the two systems in the future to deliver a single, persistent ID across the commercial credit and marketing environments and products. During this dual operating period, the BINs can be cross-referenced at Experian to enable a single view for marketing and credit purposes.

Can I still use the Experian File Number to search for a business?

The Experian File Number can be used to search for a business within the BizApps online application or through a cross reference table provide by Experian sales representative. When searching using the File Number, if a one-to-one match between the legacy file and BizSource is found, a business record will be returned along with the BIN for the business. If a match is not found a message will be returned to let you know a match was not available.

Information on Business View

What is a "Business View"?

Credit information for single business locations of the same company is combined to form a Business View. The Business View allows clients to see the full liability of a business to better assess credit worthiness.

Is Business View the same as Corporate Linkage?

Business View is different from Corporate Linkage. Traditionally, Corporate Linkage is a parent-child relationship linking all subsidiaries and branches of a company to headquarters. Business View links multiple locations together to create a credit or risk view of the business. The Business View brings together businesses for credit decisioning. While Corporate Linkage is often used to determine associations within the client's own database or sales processes, the Business View is designed for credit purposes.

How do I get a Business View report?

Business View is automatically enabled for all Experian commercial reports and scores and is returned with each request.

How do you determine locations that roll up to a Business View?

The technical details of how we combine multiple locations to create a Business View are proprietary information. However, combining locations typically uses information like the following in addition to proprietary algorithms:

Will franchises roll up to a Business View?

We have special rules in place for franchises that help ensure that franchise locations are stand-alone businesses that do not roll up to a Business View.

How do we know the name and address displayed is correct?

Experian uses referential matching and data triangulation to link multiple records behind the scenes. During this process, we identify many variations in name and address to which Experian applies best name and address rules to select the name and address of the primary location. While the name and address returned may look visibly different than your inquiry, we have matched your inquiry to one of the variations within our reference file to identify the match. The Match Reliability Code used for this matching process can be used to deliver further intelligence on the level of match achieved to your inquiry.

Why does the name and address returned not match the name and address from my inquiry?

At this time although many name and address variations are available, Experian is only able to return the primary. An enhancement under consideration would allow for the display of additional names and addresses.

Changes to Products

Will reports appear in the same layout and format?

Product elements, layouts and data delivery will not essentially change, so a BPR and CI report will look and be delivered the same way post BizSource/TrueSearch as they were previously. The only major changes you should see are more accurate matches to your inquiries and more comprehensive credit reports and scores.

Which will display - the legacy File Number or the new Business Identification Number?

In the company information section at the top of each report, the File Number will be replaced with the Business Identification Number (BIN).

How might my IntelliscoreSM and Small Business IntelliscoreSM (Blended Score) scores be impacted?

Because of the improved way BizSource and TrueSearch reduce fragmented files and combine records, more credit information is available on many businesses. A score pulled via BizSource may differ from a score pulled via our legacy system because additional data is being used to calculate the score. The net result is a score even more predictive than before.