- Accreditation is voluntary and separate from the rating, so not accredited says nothing by itself about quality.
- A rating is a letter from A+ to F that BBB assigns from its file. Accreditation is membership. They are different things.
- NR is not accredited, not a grade and not negative. BBB assigns it when there is not enough information to rate a business, or while a file is under review.
- Buyers should read the rating, complaint history and responses. Owners should decide on accreditation as a business choice.
- Some businesses were never accredited and some lost it. The profile may not make the reason obvious.
The Plain Meaning
A business that is not BBB accredited has not joined, or is no longer in, BBB's voluntary accreditation program.
BBB states that accreditation is voluntary and separate from the rating. A business may never have applied, may not yet qualify, may have decided the fee is not worth it, or may have left the program. The label itself does not tell you which.
To qualify, BBB publishes a requirement of at least a B rating at all company-owned locations and headquarters, at least six months actively selling, an accreditation fee that depends on business size, and ongoing compliance. So not accredited can reflect a choice, a missing requirement or a lapse. We cannot tell from the outside, and neither can you without asking.
It is a membership status. The grade is the separate A+ to F letter BBB assigns from its file on the business.
Rating Versus Accreditation
A rating is a score BBB assigns from the business's file, while accreditation is a program a business chooses to join and pay for.
| Rating | Accreditation | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A letter grade from A+ to F on a 100-point scale | Membership in a voluntary program |
| Who assigns it | BBB, from the information in the business's file | Your local BBB decides whether to accredit |
| Can you pay for it | No. The rating is not based on whether a business pays dues | Yes, a fee applies that depends on factors including business size |
| What drives it | Complaint history and a few profile items | Meeting eight standards and a B minimum |
| Do dues change the grade | No, per BBB | No, per BBB. Dues do not buy a rating or remove a complaint |
That is why you can find an accredited business with a B and a non-accredited business with an A+. The two measures are independent apart from the B minimum for joining. For the full published scale, see how BBB ratings work.
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What It Means for a Buyer
If you are checking a business, treat not accredited as neutral, and read the rating, the complaints and how the business responded.
If you came here because a company you are researching is not accredited, the label alone should not decide it. Look at the evidence that actually carries information.
- The letter grade, and how long the business has been operating
- Whether complaints were answered and how they were closed
- Whether any complaint pattern or alert is shown on the profile
- How the business responds to reviews, in tone and specifics
- Licensing information if your industry requires it
- Independent sources outside the BBB, such as local licensing boards and your own references
Complaint statuses mean different things. BBB lists Resolved, Answered, Unresolved, Unanswered and Unpursuable, and a business that answers and resolves is showing you something useful about how it treats customers. Remember also that BBB says it is not a government agency and holds no regulatory power, so the profile is one input, not a final verdict.
Reviews are worth reading but not worth over-weighting. BBB says it verifies that a marketplace interaction took place, and also says it cannot guarantee the accuracy or truthfulness of any single review.
What It Means for a Business Owner
If you are not accredited, your rating still works, your profile still shows, and the real question is whether your customers care.
Non-accredited businesses are still rated. BBB builds a rating from the information in a business's file, and complaints and a few profile items drive it. Your grade can be excellent without accreditation, and it can be poor with it.
So what is the real cost of not being accredited? That depends on who buys from you. In some markets buyers look for the seal. In others they never notice.
Reasons owners stay unaccredited
- Customers do not check the BBB
- The fee does not fit the budget
- The rating is not yet at the B minimum
- Under six months of active selling
- A preference to put money elsewhere
Reasons owners consider joining
- Buyers look for the seal in your industry
- A wish to be held to published standards
- Commercial buyers who screen vendors
- A strong rating already in place
- A competitor in your market is accredited
To decide, use the framework in is BBB accreditation worth it. If your grade is the real concern, accreditation will not fix it. Complaints and how you answer them will.
Not Accredited, Not Rated: What NR Means
NR means not rated. It is not an accreditation status, not a grade and not negative.
Owners and buyers sometimes confuse NR with not accredited. BBB assigns NR when there is not enough information to rate a business, or while a business's file is under review or being updated. BBB says NR is not a grade and not negative.
| Status on the profile | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Accredited with an A+ | Joined the program and BBB's scale places the file in the top band |
| Not accredited with an A | Has not joined, but BBB's file scores high |
| Accredited with a lower grade | A member, but the complaint file or other items cost points |
| Not accredited with a low grade | Not a member, and the file has deductions to look at |
| NR | Not enough information to rate yet, or the file is under review |
If your business shows NR, the likely work is information, not accreditation. Make sure your profile details, licensing and time in business are accurate and complete.
Lost It, Left It or Never Had It
A business can be not accredited because it never joined, chose to leave, or no longer met the requirements, and the profile may not make the reason clear.
We cannot say from public information why a particular business is not accredited, and we will not guess. If you are a buyer and it matters, ask the business directly. If you are an owner who lost or left accreditation, the conditions to rejoin are the same published ones: at least a B, six months actively selling, a fee and compliance with the standards.
Rating work is the fastest route back if the issue is a grade under a B. Start with the published elements that carry the widest ranges, which are unanswered complaints at 40 to 0 points and unresolved complaints at 30 to 0. A responsive process helps in both cases, so see how to respond to a BBB complaint.
Also, keep calls in perspective. If someone phones you about accreditation, verify them before replying. See why the BBB might be calling you.
If Your Rating Is Holding You Back
If a low grade is the real problem, a free audit shows which published elements are costing points.
Business Rating Fix is an independent service operated by Reputation Resolutions, which is itself BBB Accredited with an A+ rating. We are not affiliated with the BBB and cannot assign or change a rating. What we do is audit your file against the published elements, then work what can legitimately change, such as unanswered complaints, profile gaps and licensing information.
All our work is results-based. Before work starts, we agree in writing on the result, such as moving from a B+ to an A, and you pay when that result is delivered. The audit is free, with no obligation. Start with the free BBB audit or see rating improvement.
