How your data is used in lending decisions

What informs a decision

We assess your company's ability to afford the facility. That draws on the figures you provide (accounts, the purpose of the funds), credit reference agency data about the business and, where you grant it, open banking access to your business bank data for a current view of cash flow. Combining these lets us lend responsibly and price fairly rather than guessing.

Open banking is your choice

Open banking is opt-in and read-only: with your permission we see transaction data to assess affordability, and we cannot move money through it. You grant access through your bank's own secure authorisation, and you can withdraw it. It often speeds up and sharpens a decision because it shows real, current trading rather than dated accounts. The Learn hub explains open banking in more depth.

Credit reference data

We use business credit reference data to assess the company, and our searches and the account are reported back to the agencies as part of the normal credit ecosystem. This is standard for commercial lending and helps build your company's credit profile when you borrow and repay well. Your rights over this data — access, correction — apply as normal.

Your rights around decisions

You can ask us about a decision and the main factors behind it, correct any data that was wrong via correcting an error, and make a data request to see the personal data used. For the questions directors most often ask about eligibility and decisions, see the answers hub.