A presentation at What Is a DUN Number in July 2026 in New Delhi, Delhi, India by Aditya Maspartner
MERCURIUS ADVISORY SERVICES What Is a DUN Number? The nine digits that tell lenders, vendors and government agencies your business is real. 9 digits, globally unique FREE to request from D&B Read the DUN Number Guide 30 business days to issue www.maspartner.com what is a dun number — full guide
01 — WHAT IT IS The DUN Number, Defined DUNS stands for Data Universal Numbering System. It is a unique nine-digit code assigned to a business by Dun & Bradstreet — which is why a dun number is also called a D&B number. CREATED IN 1963, by Dun & Bradstreet, for business credit reporting NOT A TAX ID A dun number is separate from your EIN and your SSN PER LOCATION Assigned at branch level — multi-site firms hold several GLOBAL www.maspartner.com Used across the US, EU, Australia, Middle East, India and more what is a dun number — full guide
02 — THE PAYOFF Why a DUN Number Matters Credibility Credit access A verified D&B profile signals you’re a real, listed business Lenders pull your dun number to read your business credit file Big-corp supply Grants & gov work Large corporations request it before onboarding a supplier Federal contracting and grant paths still reference it Risk screening Global reach You can look up a counterparty’s dun number before you sign Recognised internationally, which matters for cross-border deals www.maspartner.com what is a dun number — full guide
03 — WHO NEEDS IT Who Should Get a DUN Number Startups seeking investors Investors check background and credit before writing cheques Small firms applying for loans Banks read the dun number credit file during underwriting Bidders on government contracts MAYBE NOT YET No dun number is legally required to operate. If you have no plans for loans, corporate supply deals, grants or government work, it can wait. But it is free — so there is little reason to delay. Agencies and grant programmes ask for it up front Suppliers to large corporations Vendor onboarding often will not proceed without one www.maspartner.com what is a dun number — full guide
04 — THE PROCESS How to Get a DUN Number 01 02 03 04 05 Check first Use the D&B lookup — you may already have a dun number Gather details Legal name, address, phone, entity type, start date, headcount Submit free Apply through Dun & Bradstreet at no cost Verify A D&B representative may call to authenticate your details Receive Up to 30 business days — or pay $229 to expedite to ~5–8 days www.maspartner.com what is a dun number — full guide
05 — DON’T CONFUSE THEM DUN Number vs EIN vs UEI DUN NUMBER EIN UEI ISSUED BY ISSUED BY ISSUED BY Dun & Bradstreet Internal Revenue Service SAM.gov (federal) PURPOSE PURPOSE PURPOSE Business credit identity Federal tax identification Government award tracking STATUS STATUS STATUS Voluntary, free Required for most firms Needed for federal awards Since 2022 the federal government uses the UEI, not the dun number, as its primary contractor identifier — but D&B credit files still run on DUNS. www.maspartner.com what is a dun number — full guide
GET YOUR DUN NUMBER WORKING FOR YOU Building business credit from scratch? HOW MERCURIUS HELPS → Outsourced bookkeeping → US tax preparation & filing → Vendor and payables discipline A dun number opens the file. Clean books, on-time payments and accurate filings are what fill it with something worth reading. → Clean financial statements → Entity setup and EIN support → Year-round advisory Read the Full DUN Number Guide www.maspartner.com what is a dun number — full guide
