When you apply, we assess your company's ability to take on and repay business finance. Part of that involves looking at credit information held about the business. It is reasonable to want to understand what this means for your company's profile before you apply.
What we check
- Information about the company held by business credit reference agencies
- Your trading activity, which you share through Open Banking or statements
- Companies House records to confirm the company and its officers
Company versus personal credit
We lend to the company, not to you as an individual, and we do not take personal guarantees from directors. Our core assessment is about the business as a legal entity rather than the personal credit files of its directors.
Footprints
Searches can leave a record on a company's business credit file, in the same way they do for any commercial finance enquiry. A single, well-considered application is a normal part of running a company. We will be clear at the point of application about the checks involved so there are no surprises.
Because this is business lending outside the consumer-credit regime, it is not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS. If you want a copy of the information we hold, you can ask us at any time.
See also: How do you decide whether to lend to my business?, What documents do I need to apply?, Our structure changed — does that affect our application?.