DUNS Number: What It Is and How to Get One Free

A DUNS number is a free nine-digit identifier that Dun & Bradstreet assigns to a business location in its commercial database. You can request one at no cost on D&B's website; the free route can take up to 30 business days, and a paid expedited option is faster. Today you mainly need one for large corporate supplier portals, app store organization accounts and business credit, not for federal contracts, which switched to SAM.gov's Unique Entity ID in 2022.

The signup process mixes the free number with paid credit products, so many owners either overpay or give up. This guide explains who needs a DUNS number, the free step-by-step route, how long it takes, and how it connects to your business credit and billing.

What is a DUNS number?

D-U-N-S stands for Data Universal Numbering System. Dun & Bradstreet created it in the 1960s to identify businesses in its credit reports, and it is now used worldwide by procurement teams and trade partners. Each number points to a D&B record holding your legal name, address, phone, industry, year founded, employee count, ownership and payment history with suppliers.

Unlike an EIN, which the IRS issues, the DUNS number is private and assigned per location. Our article on EIN vs SSN covers the tax identifiers you will use on invoices and W-9s.

Do you need a DUNS number in 2026?

Situation	DUNS needed?	Notes
Registering in SAM.gov for federal contracts or grants	No	SAM.gov assigns a Unique Entity ID; DUNS was retired as the federal identifier on April 4, 2022
Apple Developer Program as an organization	Yes	Individuals enrolling in their own name do not need one
Supplier onboarding with large corporations	Often	Many procurement systems ask for it to verify vendors
Building a Dun & Bradstreet business credit file	Yes	Payment data from suppliers attaches to your number
Applying for some net-30 trade accounts	Sometimes	Some vendors report to D&B and ask for the number
Freelancer invoicing small clients	No	An EIN or SSN on your W-9 is what clients need

The federal change is worth stressing because many older articles still say you need a DUNS number for government work. The GSA announcement confirms the switch to the Unique Entity ID (SAM) on April 4, 2022. If government contracting is your goal, read our new SAM.gov registration guide and how to invoice the federal government.

How to get a DUNS number for free, step by step

1. Search first. Use D&B's lookup to see whether your business already has a number. D&B creates records from public data, so many registered LLCs already exist in its system.
2. Gather your details. D&B asks for your registered legal name, physical business address, phone number, the owner or CEO's name, legal structure, year founded, primary industry and total employees.
3. Use the free request form. On D&B's Get a D-U-N-S Number page, choose the free option. Read each screen carefully; paid products are offered along the way.
4. Verify your identity and business. D&B may call or email to confirm details. Answer promptly; unanswered verification is a common cause of delays.
5. Receive the number by email once the record is created, usually within 30 business days on the free route.
6. Review and update your record so your name, address and industry match your state registration and your invoices.

Free vs expedited

Option	Cost	Typical time
Standard request	Free	Up to 30 business days
Expedited request	Fee set by D&B	Within about 8 business days
Apple developer lookup route	Free	Apple says allow up to 5 business days for D&B, plus up to 2 business days for Apple to receive it

If you are enrolling in the Apple Developer Program, Apple's own D-U-N-S lookup tool lets eligible organizations request a free number, and Apple notes that paying D&B to expedite does not shorten its waiting period.

Worked example: timing an app launch around a DUNS number

This example is illustrative. A two-person studio, Northbeam Apps LLC, plans to publish its first iOS app under the company name, with a launch date of December 1. On November 3 it learns that organization enrollment requires a D-U-N-S Number.

Date	Step
Nov 3	Search D&B and Apple's lookup; no existing record found
Nov 3	Request a free number through Apple's lookup tool using the exact name on the state certificate
Nov 10	Number arrives (5 business days)
Nov 12	Apple receives the D&B data (up to 2 more business days); studio enrolls
Nov 14 to 24	App review and fixes
Dec 1	Launch on schedule

Had the studio requested through the general free route and hit the full 30 business days, the number could have arrived around mid-December, pushing the launch. The safest habit is to request the number as soon as the LLC is formed, even if you do not need it yet, because a number that sits unused costs nothing and saves weeks later.

DUNS vs UEI vs CAGE vs EIN

Business owners collect identifiers fast, and procurement forms often ask for several at once. This table sorts them out:

Identifier	Issued by	Format	Main use	Cost
D-U-N-S Number	Dun & Bradstreet (private)	9 digits	Commercial credit files, supplier verification, app store organization accounts	Free; paid expedite optional
Unique Entity ID (SAM)	SAM.gov (federal government)	12 characters, letters and numbers	Federal contracts, grants and assistance	Free
CAGE code	Defense Logistics Agency, assigned through SAM.gov registration	5 characters	Identifies a contractor facility in federal procurement	Free
EIN	IRS	9 digits (XX-XXXXXXX)	Federal tax filings, W-9s, payroll, bank accounts	Free

For most freelancers the EIN is the only identifier they will ever put on an invoice. For a company selling to enterprises or government, it is normal to hold all four and to list the relevant ones in a vendor profile. Keep a single document with each number, the exact legal name used to obtain it, and the address on file, so that a mismatch does not hold up a supplier application or payment.

Keeping your D&B record accurate

Once your number exists, the record attached to it is visible to anyone who buys a D&B report on your company, including prospective clients and suppliers checking whether to extend credit. Review it once a year and after any change in address, ownership, name or headcount. Typical problems are an old address from public records, an industry code that does not match what you do, or a sole proprietorship listed under the owner's personal name instead of the trade name. D&B provides free tools to request corrections; you do not need a paid subscription to fix factual errors. Accurate data also reduces the chance of a procurement system flagging your company for manual review, which can delay your first payment by weeks.

Expect sales calls and emails after you request a number. They usually promote credit monitoring, credit-building subscriptions or report access. Some owners find these useful, but they are optional. If you only need the number for an app store or a supplier portal, you can decline politely and keep using the free record. Write down the date you requested the number and any case reference, so you can follow up if nothing arrives within the stated time.

DUNS numbers and business credit

Your DUNS number anchors your Dun & Bradstreet credit file. Suppliers that report to D&B add your payment history, which feeds scores such as the PAYDEX score. Paying trade accounts early or on time helps; paying late hurts. Our guide to your business credit score explains how D&B, Experian and Equifax differ, and net-30 vendor accounts lists suppliers that report payment history.

You do not have to buy D&B's credit products to have a file. Many businesses keep a free number, correct their record, and let supplier reports build the history naturally.

Common DUNS mistakes

• Paying for the number. The number is free. Paid services add speed or monitoring, not eligibility.
• Requesting a duplicate. If your business already has a record, claim and update it instead.
• Using a different name than your registration. Apple, banks and procurement teams compare your D&B name with your state record and invoices. Keep "Northbeam Apps LLC" identical everywhere.
• Using a virtual mailbox as the address. D&B ties numbers to physical locations; a mismatch can delay verification.
• Ignoring verification calls. Unreturned calls are a common reason requests stall.
• Thinking DUNS is required for federal work. It has not been since 2022.

Where a DUNS number appears in billing

Some enterprise clients ask suppliers to include their DUNS number on invoices or in their supplier portal profile so accounts payable can match payments to the right vendor record. If a client asks, add it as a line in your business details block next to your EIN or VAT number. For federal invoices, use the UEI and CAGE code instead. A clean vendor profile matters as much as the invoice itself, as our vendor onboarding checklist shows.

Once your identifiers are sorted, create consistent invoices with our free invoice generator: no sign-up, add your company details and any identifiers your clients require, and download a PDF ready to upload to any supplier portal.