Guide

What is a credit reference agency?

A plain-English explanation of what a credit reference agency is, the role it plays in UK business credit, and how its information reaches a company credit report.

What a credit reference agency does

A credit reference agency (CRA) collects and organises information about how businesses and people manage credit, and turns it into reports and scores that lenders, suppliers and other businesses use to assess risk. For company credit, a CRA gathers the public record and commercial payment data on a business and combines it into a credit score, a risk band and a suggested credit limit.

Credit reference agencies and company credit reports

When you run a company credit report, you are drawing on the kind of data a credit reference agency holds, packaged for a single business decision. The score and limit are modelled from financial filings, the public record and payment behaviour; the report shows that evidence so you can judge it yourself. See what’s in a company credit report.

Where the data comes from

Business credit data is built from official sources, Companies House filings, insolvency notices in The Gazette and county court judgments from the Registry Trust, alongside commercial payment information. For the full picture see where UK credit data comes from.

Business credit, not your personal file

This site is about business credit information used to assess other UK companies for trade decisions. That is separate from your own personal or consumer credit file, and from checking your own company’s score, which is an owner-focused service through First Report. For trade decisions on another business, a company credit report is what you need.

Data you can rely on

Company credit reports are built from official and commercial sources, including Companies House filings, insolvency notices in The Gazette, and county court judgment data from the Registry Trust, combined with payment and risk information. Reports reflect the latest data held at the time of your search. creditreports.co.uk is a First Report service. See where our data comes from.

FAQs

Is a credit reference agency the same as a credit bureau?

The terms are used interchangeably. “Credit reference agency” is the usual UK term; “credit bureau” is more common elsewhere. Both describe an organisation that collects credit data and provides reports and scores.

Can I check a company through a credit reference agency?

You can get the same kind of business credit information by running a company credit report here: search a UK business and view its score, limit and the evidence behind them, pay as you go.

Does checking a company affect its credit score?

No. Viewing a business credit report on another company is a normal part of trade due diligence and does not change that company’s score.