A top-up request is a fresh lending decision based on your account's current position and your company's current finances — it is not automatic. If your request was declined, one of the following is likely the reason.
Common reasons for a top-up decline
Missed or late payments on your current account
If one or more payments have been missed, returned, or paid late in your current agreement, this significantly affects top-up eligibility. Lenders are more cautious about increasing exposure on an account that has shown payment strain.
Your business finances have changed
Your current business bank data (provided again through Open Banking for a top-up assessment) may show reduced revenue, increased outgoings, or a weaker cash position than when your original loan was issued.
Existing borrowing level already at capacity
There is a limit to how much we will lend against your company's revenue and balance sheet. If your current agreement is already close to that limit, a top-up may not be available even with a good payment record.
Minimum time since last funding
We apply a minimum period between funding events to ensure your business is not over-leveraged. If you request a top-up too soon after your initial loan, you may be asked to wait.
Director or company credit changes
If there have been significant changes to a director's credit profile or to the company's Companies House record (for example, a new CCJ, charge, or winding-up petition), this affects the top-up decision.
What to do
- Review your payment history in the portal under Payments → Transaction history. If there are missed or returned payments, address these first.
- Contact us using the General Support Enquiry form to ask whether there is a specific reason for the decline and what the earliest you could reapply would be.
- Continue making on-time payments — a clean payment record over the following months is the most effective way to improve future top-up eligibility.
See also: My top-up request is not progressing, Can I reapply after a business loan decline?, My drawdown request has been pending for a long time.