Learn: using your loan

When to consider refinancing or moving to a different lender

Credicorp provides short-term business loans and revolving facilities for UK limited companies. As your business grows, your financing needs may change — and there will come a point where a different product or lender is a better fit. Recognising that point and transitioning well is a sign of good financial management, not a failure.

Signs your needs have outgrown short-term finance

  • You are rolling over frequently — if your Flex balance never really comes down, or you immediately take a new term loan after repaying the previous one, the underlying cash-flow issue may not be short-term.
  • The amounts are too small — as your business grows, a £500 maximum limit may not be sufficient to fund meaningful purchases or bridge gaps of any size.
  • The cost does not pencil out — at 0.25% per day, a short-term loan is cost-effective for a brief, specific gap. For funding you need for 6–12 months, a longer-term business loan from a bank or alternative lender will typically cost significantly less in total interest.
  • You qualify for better products — if your company has a strong trading history, growing turnover, and a clean credit record, you may now qualify for mainstream business lending with more favourable terms.

How to time a transition well

  1. Repay your current Credicorp balance first — or at minimum, get a settlement figure and plan the full repayment. You do not want an outstanding balance with us while you are applying elsewhere, as it increases your reported debt load.
  2. Research alternative products — look at CBILS-successor schemes, challenger bank term loans, invoice finance, and asset finance depending on what you need the money for. The British Business Bank's Finance Hub is a good starting point.
  3. Apply before you are desperate — mainstream lenders take longer to process applications (weeks, not minutes). Start the process while you still have a runway, not when cash is tight.
  4. Close your Credicorp account cleanly — once you have repaid in full and do not plan further use, you can request account closure and download your final documents for your records.

Keeping Credicorp as a backup

Some businesses repay their Credicorp facility and close the account, then find they need short-term cover again during an unexpected gap. You can apply again at any time — your previous account history is taken into account in your new assessment. There is no penalty for using us intermittently.

See also: When and why to consider refinancing a business loan, How to close your Credicorp account, Preparing for the end of your facility.

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