What documents do I need to apply?

The fastest applications are the ones where everything is ready before you start. Creditcorp's process is short, but we still need a few things to identify your company, confirm you can borrow on its behalf, and understand whether the borrowing is affordable. This is the full checklist, with the quickest option flagged for each item, so you can gather it once and apply in one sitting.

1. Proof of your identity as a director

We carry out an identity and anti-money-laundering check on the person applying. Have a current photo ID ready, such as a passport or a UK driving licence. This is an identity check, not a personal credit search, so it does not leave a footprint on or affect your personal consumer credit file. For the detail of how this works, see ID verification when you apply.

2. Your company details

Because we lend to UK limited companies and LLPs rather than to individuals, we need to identify the company on the Companies House register. The single most useful thing to have to hand is your company registration number (the eight-character number Companies House issued when the company was incorporated); with it, most company details populate quickly. We also need to know that you are authorised to borrow on the company's behalf, for example as a director.

3. Your business bank details

Have the details of the company's main business bank account ready — the account name, sort code and account number. This is the account we read to assess affordability, and the account any loan would be paid into, so it should be the one the company actually trades through, in the company's name rather than a personal account.

4. Recent company bank activity

To assess affordability we look at how that business account has behaved over roughly the last six months. There are two ways to share it, and both lead to the same decision.

• Open Banking (quickest). You authorise read-only access through your own bank. We can only see, not move, money, and you can revoke access at any time. This usually means a faster decision. To understand exactly what we can and cannot see, read how we verify your company's bank statements with Open Banking.
• Upload statements (alternative). If you would rather not connect your bank, you can upload official business bank statements as PDFs instead. This is just as acceptable; it simply takes a little longer to review, because a person checks them. For how to choose, see whether to upload statements or connect by Open Banking.

What we do not ask for

We assess the company's affordability, not yours personally. So we do not ask for your personal payslips, your household income, your benefits, or your personal bank statements. We also do not take a personal guarantee from you as a director, so you are not signing your own assets onto the company's debt. If anyone claiming to be from Creditcorp asks for an upfront fee to release a loan, that is a scam: walk away.

Things that speed everything up

• Use the business account your company actually trades through, not a dormant or secondary one.
• Make sure your Companies House record is up to date, including the registered office and active directors.
• Apply as the director who is authorised to borrow, or have your co-director ready to confirm.
• Use a device with a camera if you are providing photo ID.

This checklist versus a later document request

The four items above are the standard up-front set — what every applicant gathers before they start, so the application can run in one sitting. They are not the same as a one-off document request, which is a follow-up we sometimes raise for a single specific item after you have applied, when something needs confirming on your particular case. A request like that always appears inside your portal or a secure message, never via a random link or by asking you to email a file.

A note on what comes after the documents

Once we have your identity, your company and your bank activity, we run a business credit check on the company and make a decision. If we can lend, you will see an offer with your Key Information Sheet (KIS), which sets out the amount, term, total cost of credit and the full repayment schedule before you sign the Business Loan Agreement. You can always see the current amounts, terms and costs on our business loans page first.

This borrowing is to a company for business purposes, so it sits outside FCA consumer-credit regulation under Article 60B FSMA RAO 2001 and is not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or the FSCS. If you want free, independent help for the business while you decide, Business Debtline (businessdebtline.org, 0800 197 6026) is a good place to start. Gather the items above and you can move through the application quickly and confidently.

See also: Can a newly formed company apply?, Can a charity or charitable company apply?, Can a CIC or community interest company apply?.