Business Reports have been improved in the following ways:

• Increased flexibility - Modular reporting framework enables you to choose the right report based on decision type, risk exposure and budget.
• Predictive power - We’ve introduced highly predictive credit scores and analysis into two of our four new reports, which facilitate automated, real-time decisions.
• Simplified - Reports have been re-designed to be more user friendly with essential detailed information up-front for fast identification.

International Business Reports have also been enhanced:

• Faster - Reports are delivered in seconds, providing critical information to enable quick decision making.
• More current - All data is freshly sourced at the point of enquiry, so you’re basing your decisions on the latest available information.
• Easier access - One convenient access point for business credit information from around the world.

For credit assessments involving New Zealand businesses, initially you will be able to choose from one of two different report types; Standard or Advanced. Two other reports are planned for later release.

The International Business Reports is an all-in-one reporting solution.

The following table summarises key information in the Standard, Advanced and International reports.

** Provision of this information is subject to director consent in keeping with privacy rules.
*** Content varies by country based on local reporting rules, organisation type and depth of credit data.

The Standard report provides the company credit profile and should be used when an understanding of the credit background of the company directors is not critical to the decision. The Advanced report provides the same information as the Standard report as well as credit information on the associated company directors.

Once available, the range of business and international business reports will be accessible through the following service channels:

• our secure web portal
• our secure API gateway

You need to have a subscriber account in place before you can access our business reports and other services.

Check and Check Plus will continue to be available. In time these reports will be replaced. We will notify customers in advance to ensure a smooth transition.

Data on New Zealand companies and other organisations comes from the Companies Office, NZ Gazette and Mercantile Gazette, the Personal Properties Securities Register and Equifax subscribers. Data on international companies is collected by our partner, Creditsafe from a global network of over 200 credit reporting agencies, who source their data from the equivalent parties to us here in New Zealand.

All reports are dynamically updated at point of enquiry using the latest available business data.

Yes. The Standard and Advanced reports both provide credit scores and this is also the case for International Business Reports. The credit score shows the credit worthiness of the candidate business, taking into account a range of attributes such as length of time in operation, management stability and payment performance including delinquencies and defaults.

Equifax operates a common scoring framework that evaluates companies on the same basis. Each company is assigned a credit score within a range. High scores are assigned to companies that exhibit strong credit behaviour associated with very low likelihood of recording an adverse event in the following year. Lower credit scores are assigned to companies with poor credit behaviour associated with a high likelihood of recording an adverse event.

The Standard report evaluates the credit risk based on the credit profile of the organisation, while the Advanced report extends the investigation and incorporates the credit performance of the company directors. Credit performance across the directors includes information in the public domain and personal credit information where permitted by director consent.

Yes. The Standard and Advanced reports provide a range of probability measures such as the likelihoods of late payment, default and failure. These measures feed into the calculation of the credit score.

In New Zealand, the disclosure of financial statement information isn’t compulsory and only a small pool of companies do this voluntarily. Therefore, business reports do not contain this information. We have a highly specialised team of forensic accountants and analysts available for financial viability assessment purposes should you have a requirement in this area.

International Business Reports contain financial statement information where available, which varies by country of origin in line with local reporting rules.