How to improve your business credit score

Credit reference agencies such as Experian, Equifax and Creditsafe each hold a business credit file on UK companies. They build it from several sources:

• Companies House filings, including accounts, confirmation statements, director changes and charges registered against the company.
• The Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines, which records county court judgments (CCJs).
• The Gazette, which publishes notices such as winding-up petitions.
• Payment data shared by suppliers and lenders, showing how promptly you pay.
• Public information such as how long the business has been trading.

Each agency uses its own scoring model, so your score and credit limit can differ between them. Lenders may use one or more agencies, often alongside their own data and, increasingly, open banking information.

Late filing at Companies House is one of the easiest ways to damage your score and one of the easiest to avoid. Missing deadlines can also lead to penalties and, in serious cases, the company being struck off.

• Set reminders for your deadlines. A private company normally has nine months after its financial year end to file accounts (first accounts are due 21 months after incorporation), and the confirmation statement can be filed up to 14 days after the end of each 12-month review period.
• Work with your accountant to file promptly, rather than at the last minute.
• File fuller accounts where appropriate. Micro-entity or abridged accounts reveal less, which can make it harder for agencies and lenders to assess you. Ask your accountant what is right for your business.

Many agencies track how quickly you pay your trade suppliers. Paying within terms, or earlier, builds a positive picture. Paying late, even when you have good reason, can drag your score down.

Keep existing loan, finance and credit card repayments up to date. Set up direct debits where possible so payments are not missed.

A county court judgment against your business is a serious negative mark. The rules below apply in England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own court systems and registers. How you respond makes a difference:

• If you pay the judgment in full within one month, you can apply to have it removed from the register.
• If you pay later, you can ask for it to be marked as satisfied. It stays on the register for six years from the judgment date, but a satisfied CCJ looks better to lenders than an unsatisfied one.
• If you believe a judgment was wrongly entered, for example because you never received the claim, take legal advice promptly about applying to have it set aside.

Never ignore court paperwork. Responding early often avoids a judgment altogether.

Make sure your registered office, trading address, company name and director details are consistent across Companies House, your bank, suppliers and lenders. Mismatches can confuse credit agencies and trigger fraud checks. Register at your trading address on relevant records where appropriate and keep details up to date after any move.

Since 18 November 2025, directors and people with significant control have had to verify their identity with Companies House, and existing directors provide their personal code with the company's next confirmation statement. Make sure this is done, so your filings are not held up.

Obtain your business credit report from the main agencies and check it carefully. Look for incorrect financial figures, judgments that have been paid or should not be there, wrong director details or businesses wrongly linked to yours. Contact the agency to raise a dispute, providing evidence.

Check your personal credit files too. For small businesses, lenders often put as much weight on directors' personal credit as on the company's own file. Make sure you are on the electoral roll at your home address.

• Open trade accounts with suppliers who report payment data, and pay them on time.
• Use credit responsibly: a small facility repaid reliably can help establish a track record.
• Avoid lots of credit applications in a short period, as hard searches can be visible.
• Keep business and personal finances separate.
• Keep your bank account well managed, as lenders increasingly review statements directly.

Some changes, such as correcting errors or filing overdue accounts, can show up relatively quickly once the agency's data is refreshed. Building a strong payment history takes longer. If you are planning significant borrowing, start working on your credit profile several months in advance.

Be cautious of anyone offering to "fix" or "clean" a credit file for a fee. Accurate negative information, such as a valid CCJ, cannot be removed early; only genuine errors can be corrected, and you can dispute those with the agencies yourself for free.

Welcome Finance is a commercial finance broker for limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of four or more partners. If your credit is not perfect, we look for lenders whose criteria fit your current position rather than applying blind. Check your eligibility in 60 seconds; our check does not run a credit search, so it will not affect your score.