Asking for more than your cash flow comfortably supports does make a decline more likely — not because a big number offends us, but because affordability is the test, and a larger repayment needs more headroom to clear it. Asking for a figure that fits your business is one of the simplest ways to succeed.
Amount versus headroom
We lend up to what the company can comfortably manage. Request within that and you are on solid ground; stretch beyond it and the arithmetic says no. It is the single most common reason applications are declined. The mechanism is in what does assessing affordability mean.
You do not have to aim for the top of the range. A sensible amount matched to a real need reads well and is more likely to be offered in full — see how much your business can borrow, and for how long.
Find the figure first
Use the affordability tool at Credicorp Tools to see what repayment your cash flow can carry, then ask for an amount around that. If an offer comes in lower than hoped, you can still discuss the amount and term. A clear purpose for a sensible sum is what strengthens an application.
Ask for the right amount and apply.
We lend only to UK limited companies and LLPs, the loan is to the company with no director personal guarantee, and this is business finance outside the consumer-credit regime — as an exempt lender under Article 60B of the Regulated Activities Order we sit outside FCA consumer-credit regulation, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.
See also: What is the single most common reason applications are declined?, How much your business can borrow, and for how long?, Can I change the amount or term after I get an offer?.