™
Learn how the
lending works.
Short, jargon-free explainers for the directors of UK companies — what each product is, how it is priced, what "no personal guarantee" really means, and how a lender decides you can afford to repay. On every product, the company borrows, never you personally.
Creditcorp is the growing name for the Credicorp group, and Credicorp Limited is the lender behind it. It does one thing: short-term working capital for incorporated UK businesses.
These guides are here to explain that lending plainly, before you go anywhere near an application. Each one takes a single idea — a product, a piece of jargon, a step in the process — and sets it out in everyday language, with the exact published terms where they matter. They are a companion to the products page and the industry guides: where those describe what the products are and who they suit, these explain how they actually work.
Throughout, the borrower is the company — a UK private limited company (Ltd), LLP or PLC — not the director who signs. No personal guarantee, no charge over a home and no personal credit check on a director. These are not personal loans, payday loans or sole-trader finance. When you are ready, applying happens on the lender's own site, credicorp.co.uk.
Start with a guide
Each guide stands on its own. Read the one that answers the question in front of you, or work through them in order.
How business bridging loans work
What a Business Bridging Loan is, the exact terms, a worked example, and when a single fixed-term lump sum fits — and when it does not.
Read the guideWhat a revolving credit facility is
Credicorp Flex explained: a limit you draw, repay and redraw, with interest on the drawn balance only, on a rolling 14-day cycle.
Read the guideNo personal guarantee — what it means
Why the company is the only obligor, how that differs from secured or guaranteed lending, and what it changes for a director.
Read the guideHow affordability is assessed
How the operator works out whether a company can afford to repay — bank statements, Open Banking, business bureaux, and human review.
Read the guideWhat is a director’s loan
What a DLA is, the 9-month Section 455 repayment clock, and when a Credicorp company loan is the cleaner, lower-risk answer.
Read the guideHow to improve your business credit score
Eight practical steps — payment history, CCJ satisfaction, filed accounts, credit utilisation and more — before applying for business finance.
Read the guideUnderstanding your options
The concepts behind short-term company finance — what the different forms are, how to choose, and when borrowing is (and isn’t) the right answer.
Short-term vs long-term business finance
Matching the term of borrowing to the life of the need — when a short bridge fits and when a longer SME term loan is the right shape.
Read the guideA loan or a facility
Fixed-sum advance versus revolving line of credit — what each shape of product is and which kind of need each fits.
Read the guideThe cash-flow gap, explained
Why a profitable company can still run short of cash, and where a short company bridge fits in the cash conversion cycle.
Read the guideWhen a short bridge makes sense
The situations where a bridging loan is the right tool — a defined gap, a known repayment source and a time-boxed need.
Read the guideIs short-term borrowing right for you?
An honest decision aid — the questions to ask before borrowing, when not to borrow, and cheaper alternatives to check first.
Read the guideBusiness finance jargon buster
Plain-English definitions of common UK business finance terms — body corporate, Article 60B, APR vs flat fee, drawdown, debenture and more.
Read the guideBusiness finance myths
Correcting common misconceptions about short-term company finance — personal guarantees, APR, who actually lends to companies, and more.
Read the guideThe 100% cost cap
The hard ceiling across all three Credicorp products — the total cost of credit never exceeds the amount borrowed, with worked examples.
Read the guideEarly repayment explained
What happens when a company repays before the term ends — any early-settlement charge, how daily interest rewards early repayment, and the Slice unused-fee refund.
Read the guideHow to choose the right business finance
A five-step decision framework for matching the right Credicorp product to your company’s need — Bridging Loan, Flex revolving facility, or Slice.
Read the guideCredicorp vs a business overdraft
A plain-English comparison — access speed, personal guarantee, revolving credit, cost structure — and a five-step decision guide on which to use.
Read the guideHow daily interest works
What a 0.25% daily rate means in pounds, how the total is capped at 100% of the principal, and why repaying early always saves money.
Read the guideThe process, step by step
What happens from first look to funds in the bank — what you need to prepare, what the lender checks, and what the contract looks like.
What you need to apply
A checklist of company details, a UK business bank account, roughly six months of statements, director details and ID that Credicorp asks for.
Read the guideThe application process, step by step
From the first form field to the decision — what Credicorp asks for, how the assessment works, and what happens on approval.
Read the guidePreparing your company to borrow
Practical steps to be ready before you apply — Companies House filings current, a dedicated business account, a clear need and a clear repayment.
Read the guideCan a newly incorporated company borrow?
What short-term lenders need to see, when a brand-new company can apply, and the practical steps to build eligibility in the first months of trading.
Read the guideCan a company with CCJs borrow?
What County Court Judgments mean for eligibility — satisfied vs unsatisfied, what business credit bureaux hold, and how to address CCJs before applying.
Read the guideHow a lending decision is made
From application to outcome, step by step — company checks, affordability, human review, and what happens if the answer is no.
Read the guideHow funds reach your account
Payment timelines and what happens after approval — signing, funds to your company bank account, and typical same-working-day timing.
Read the guideReading your own bank statements
What lenders look for in roughly six months of company statements — balance shape, income pattern, commitments and end-of-period pressure.
Read the guideWhat Open Banking shares
Read-only access to business bank statements — what is and isn’t visible to a lender, and how it speeds a decision without PDFs.
Read the guideWhat business credit bureaux see
What Experian, Equifax, Creditsafe and Dun & Bradstreet hold on a UK company file, and why it is separate from a director’s personal file.
Read the guideWhat a business loan agreement covers
The key clauses of a company loan contract — parties, amount, charges, term, repayment, default and the company as sole obligor.
Read the guideWhat no charge over your home means
Credicorp takes no security over personal or residential property — what this means in practice and how it differs from lenders who do.
Read the guideWhat happens if you miss a repayment
The process after a missed payment, the company credit bureau impact, why personal liability does not apply, and why contacting the lender early matters.
Read the guideWhat is a CCJ and how does it affect borrowing?
What a County Court Judgment is, how it appears on a company's credit file, the difference between satisfied and unsatisfied CCJs, and when a CCJ prevents borrowing.
Read the guideAPR vs daily rate: why it matters
Why APR is a misleading metric for short-term business credit — how annualisation distorts the figure and why total cost in pounds is the honest comparison.
Read the guideWhat is working capital finance?
What working capital is, why companies run short of it, and how short-term business credit fills the gap between outgoings and incoming cash.
Read the guideWhat is a debenture and does Credicorp take one?
What a debenture is, what it means to take a charge over company assets, and whether Credicorp takes a debenture on its business lending products.
Read the guideWhy sole traders can’t borrow from Credicorp
The Article 60B body corporate requirement explained — why Credicorp lends only to limited companies and LLPs, and how to incorporate to become eligible.
Read the guideSame-day decision: how it works
What Credicorp checks in a same-working-day assessment — the three data sources, what causes delays, and five steps to maximise application speed.
Read the guideCan a company borrow again after repaying?
How repeat borrowing works at Credicorp — what happens to eligibility after repayment, how quickly a second facility can be arranged, and what the lender looks for on a second application.
Read the guideBridge vs Flex vs Slice: which product?
Comparing the three Credicorp products — when to use a lump-sum bridge, when to use the revolving Flex facility, and when invoice-backed Slice is the right fit.
Read the guideWhat is invoice finance?
How invoice finance and factoring work — and how Credicorp Slice differs from traditional invoice finance products in structure, cost and who controls the customer relationship.
Read the guideWhat is a facility limit?
What sets the maximum amount a company can borrow, how a revolving limit replenishes after repayment, and what to do if the offer is lower than expected.
Read the guideBusiness lending for seasonal businesses
How to use a short-term business bridge for a seasonal company — timing the draw, sizing it to the pre-peak spend, and repaying from peak revenue.
Read the guideWhat happens at the end of a facility term?
What occurs when a business loan or revolving facility reaches its end date — repayment, renewal options, what happens if the company cannot repay, and how to plan ahead.
Read the guideHow to increase borrowing capacity
Five practical steps for a UK limited company to improve how much it can borrow — bank account behaviour, bureau entries, Companies House maintenance and building a repayment track record.
Read the guideBusiness credit score explained
What a business credit score is, who calculates it, why scores differ between bureaux, what factors affect it, and how lenders use it alongside bank statement and Companies House data.
Read the guideWhat is Open Banking and is it safe?
Open Banking explained — what read-only consent means, how FCA regulation protects your data, what information a lender receives, and how to disconnect at any time.
Read the guideCan a holding company borrow?
Whether a UK holding company can get a business loan — the body corporate eligibility test, why income data matters, group structures and which entity should apply.
Read the guidePersonal CCJ vs company CCJ: what is the difference?
How a CCJ on the director personally differs from a CCJ on the company — which affects a company loan application, how satisfied vs unsatisfied status matters, and what to do.
Read the guideWhat lenders look for in bank statements
How a business lender reads bank statements for affordability — income lines, balance trends, recurring outgoings, month-end behaviour and the signals that help or hurt a loan application.
Read the guidePreparing your accounts for a business loan application
What a lender looks for in filed and management accounts — revenue trends, profit margins, working capital ratios, and what to address before applying for business finance.
Read the guideFixed charge vs floating charge: what is the difference?
What a fixed charge and floating charge mean in business lending, why they matter, and why Credicorp products are unsecured with no charge over the company's assets or the director's home.
Read the guideHow to read a business loan term sheet
A practical guide to reading a credit offer — what principal, interest rate, cost cap, ERC, security and covenants mean, and the five things to check before accepting.
Read the guideWhat is the CCJ register and how do I search it?
The Register of Judgments explained — how to search it, what lenders see, satisfied vs unsatisfied CCJs, how long entries stay on, and the steps to address them before applying.
Read the guideDoes Credicorp check personal credit?
Whether Credicorp runs a personal credit check on the director — what data the assessment uses, why the company is the borrower, and what personal credit history means for a business loan application.
Read the guideWhat is trade finance?
An overview of trade finance for UK companies — the main product types (letters of credit, trade loans, supply chain finance), and how it compares to short-term working capital credit.
Read the guideWhat is a letter of credit?
What a letter of credit is, how it works in international trade, who issues it, and when a company needs one versus when working capital finance is sufficient.
Read the guideCan a company with a winding-up petition borrow?
Whether a company facing a winding-up petition can still borrow — what a winding-up petition is, how it affects a company's legal and financial status, and what to do.
Read the guideHow long does a business loan take to approve?
How long approval takes for different types of business lending — same-day decisions, what delays an application, and how to apply at the right time to minimise waiting.
Read the guideWhat happens if the company goes into liquidation?
What liquidation means for a company and its directors — types of liquidation, what happens to assets and debts, director responsibilities, and what the process looks like.
Read the guideCan a dormant company borrow?
Whether a dormant company can access business finance — what makes a company dormant, what lenders need to see before lending, and how to reactivate trading status.
Read the guideDirector's guarantee vs personal guarantee: what is the difference?
The terms are often used interchangeably — but there are meaningful distinctions. What each means, what exposure it creates, and why Credicorp does not require either.
Read the guideWhat is trade credit and how does it affect borrowing?
What trade credit is, how it appears on a business credit report, and whether trade credit history (including defaults) affects a company's ability to get a business loan.
Read the guideHow to manage a slow-paying customer
What to do when a business customer consistently pays late — how to escalate professionally, when to use a collections process, and how to use finance to bridge the gap.
Read the guideWhat is a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA)?
What a CVA is, how it works, what it means for directors, creditors and trading, and whether a company in a CVA can borrow.
Read the guideHow business credit affects loan pricing
How your company's credit standing affects the cost of business borrowing — what lenders look at, how credit score and history feed into pricing, and what you can do about it.
Read the guideKeep exploring
The guides sit alongside the rest of the site. These are the places worth knowing about.
The products
The Business Bridging Loan, Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice, with the full published terms for each and a side-by-side table.
See the productsFunding by industry
How short-term finance fits thirty-eight UK sectors, from retail and construction to childcare and veterinary practices.
Browse industriesTools
Plain calculators and quick references to help you picture the cost and the fit before you go to the lender to apply.
Open the toolsCompare
Bridging loan vs overdraft, Flex vs credit card, short-term vs long-term — even-handed comparisons with further reading.
See the compare pagesWhere to go next
If a guide has answered your question, the next step is the lender's own site. Applying, drawing down and managing an account all happen on credicorp.co.uk; this site never takes applications. To understand why this lending sits outside the consumer-credit regime, see lending and regulation. The deeper group, company and trade-mark story lives on the group site, creditcorpgroup.co.uk.
Guide questions
What topics do the Creditcorp learning guides cover?
The guides cover how Credicorp short-term business finance works in practice: how a lending decision is made, what Open Banking shares, how daily interest is calculated, how to prepare your company to borrow, what happens if you miss a repayment, the difference between a bridging loan and a revolving facility, and much more.
Who are the guides written for?
The guides are written for directors of UK limited companies and LLPs who are considering short-term working-capital finance for the first time or want to understand the product more thoroughly before applying. They assume no prior finance knowledge.
Is the guide content financial advice?
No. The guides are educational resources designed to help you understand how Credicorp products and business lending work. They are not regulated financial advice. For tailored advice, speak to an independent financial adviser, your accountant, or a free business finance support service.
Can I find out if my company is eligible before reading all the guides?
The quickest check is: is your company a UK limited company or LLP registered at Companies House, trading for at least three months? If yes, you are likely eligible to apply. See the "What you need to apply" guide for a full pre-application checklist, or head directly to credicorp.co.uk to apply.
Ready when you are
Whatever you have come to understand, applying, drawing down and managing your account all happen on the lender's site, credicorp.co.uk.