Checking whether your company is likely to qualify does not have to leave a hard footprint. The full-search stage that a lender records only comes into play once you take an application forward — so simply seeing where you stand is designed to be low-impact.
Soft vs hard, in plain terms
- A soft search lets us and you see the company's credit picture without leaving a mark that other lenders can see. What it reveals is set out in what a soft search shows on your company credit file.
- A hard search is recorded on the company file and is visible to other lenders. It relates to a genuine application for credit.
One considered application has a limited effect on a healthy company file. The bigger risk is scattering many applications in a short window — see whether applying more than once hurts your chances and how multiple applications affect each other.
Personal file is separate
Because there is no personal guarantee, this is about the company file, not your personal consumer credit — see whether applying affects your company credit score and why we do not take a personal guarantee. Apply thoughtfully rather than repeatedly, and the footprint stays proportionate.
Ready to check your position? 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 a soft search shows on your company credit file?, Whether applying affects your company credit score, Does applying more than once hurt my chances.