DUNS Number Explained: What It Is and When Suppliers Need One

A DUNS number (officially D-U-N-S Number) is a nine-digit business identifier issued by Dun & Bradstreet. Buyers and platforms use it to identify a company and link it to a business credit file, and some customers ask suppliers for one during onboarding. Getting a DUNS number is free, but it is not an official registration: it sits alongside your company registration number and VAT number, not in place of them.

What is a DUNS number?

Dun & Bradstreet describes the D-U-N-S Number as a unique nine-digit identifier used exclusively for businesses, separate from any personal identity. The name stands for Data Universal Numbering System. Organisations use it to evaluate business credit, keep supplier records, onboard companies and support compliance processes.

Three points about the D-U-N-S Number are easy to miss:

• It is issued by a private company. Dun & Bradstreet runs the system; it is not a government register.
• It says nothing on its own about reliability. According to Dun & Bradstreet, the number does not contain any information related to a company's stability or credit scores. Its value comes from the credit file linked to it.
• It is assigned per location. A business with several branches or subsidiaries has a separate number for each.

DUNS number vs company registration number and VAT number

European suppliers already have at least two official identifiers. It helps to know what each one proves.

The EUID is the European Unique Identifier used when national registers exchange data. An Estonian example shows its three parts: country code, register code and the company's own registry number. Official registers can be searched across the EU through the e-Justice Portal's Find a company service, which covers EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Which one should a buyer check?

For verification, start with the official identifiers: the register entry and the VAT number. Use the D-U-N-S Number if your own systems or credit checks rely on Dun & Bradstreet data. Our supplier verification checklist shows the full order of checks.

Who asks for a DUNS number?

Requests usually come from larger customers whose supplier onboarding or procurement systems use Dun & Bradstreet data to identify vendors, or from platforms that ask for it when a company registers. Dun & Bradstreet says many agencies, governments and companies around the world use the number, and notes that it is not required for US federal government contracts.

Do small European suppliers need one?

Only if a customer or platform asks for it, since many European B2B relationships never involve one. If a customer's onboarding form has a mandatory D-U-N-S field, getting the number is usually quicker than asking for an exception.

How to get a DUNS number

Dun & Bradstreet states that getting a D-U-N-S Number is free. The process of getting one works as follows:

1. Check first whether your company already has one, using the free lookup tool, so you do not end up with a duplicate record.
2. If not, gather basic business information, such as the legal name, registered address and phone number exactly as they appear in your official records.
3. Submit the request through Dun & Bradstreet's request page. Only a verified owner or officer of the business can request a number.
4. Keep the details accurate, and if your address or phone number changes, update your record so lookups still match.

Be careful with paid offers

Some third parties offer to obtain a number for a fee. Since the standard number is free from Dun & Bradstreet, read carefully what any paid service actually adds before you pay.

How to look up a DUNS number

Dun & Bradstreet provides a free lookup tool for finding your own number or that of a company you plan to work with. If the lookup fails, Dun & Bradstreet suggests checking that the phone number and address you enter match what is in your profile.

When you look up a supplier, compare the name and address with the official register entry. A mismatch can simply mean outdated data in the D-U-N-S record, but it is worth a question, especially if the details differ from the invoice or the bank account holder.

What the linked credit file can contain

For another company, the file linked to the number can include credit history, ratings and scores, and records of lawsuits, liens and judgments. Access to the full report depends on Dun & Bradstreet's products and is not part of the free lookup.

Keeping your business identifiers consistent

For suppliers, the practical lesson is consistency, because buyers compare the details on your quote, invoice, website, register entry and bank account. Small differences, such as an old trading name on the invoice or a former address in a credit database, slow down onboarding and can trigger extra fraud checks on the customer's side.

• Use your exact legal name on quotes and invoices, and add the trading name separately if you use one.
• Show your company registration number and VAT number on invoices and in your email signature or website footer.
• Make sure the bank account is held in the company's legal name.
• When you move or change your name, update the business register first, then tax records, then commercial databases and customer portals.
• Keep a short company fact sheet with all identifiers ready to send to new customers.

A buyer who can match every detail in a few minutes is far more likely to approve you quickly than one who has to chase explanations by email.

Identifiers and verification on Flobid

Flobid does not require a DUNS number from suppliers. Instead, suppliers get the "VAT-checked" badge when their VAT number is valid in VIES and the name matches, and the "Verified" badge when they have also been checked in the national company register and their documents reviewed. See how this works on our verification page, or browse suppliers in the supplier directory.

Sources

1. D-U-N-S Number Questions: Start Here, Dun & Bradstreet
2. D-U-N-S Number, Dun & Bradstreet UK
3. Find Any Company's D-U-N-S Number, Dun & Bradstreet
4. General information on find a company, European e-Justice Portal
5. EUID: The European Unique Identifier for Estonian Companies, Eesti Firma