# ID verification when you apply

*Source: https://credicorp.co.uk/support/id-verification-at-application/*

When you apply, we ask to verify your identity as a director. People sometimes worry this is a personal credit check that will leave a mark on their record. It is not. This is an identity and anti-money-laundering check, a different thing entirely, and it does not affect your personal consumer credit file. This article explains what the check is, why we have to do it, and how to get through it quickly.

## What the check is

It is a confirmation that you are who you say you are. We check the director’s identity against reliable sources, typically using a current photo ID such as a passport or UK driving licence. The purpose is to confirm identity, not to score your personal creditworthiness. We are establishing that the right person is borrowing on behalf of the company.

## Why we have to do it

As a lender, we are required to carry out anti-money-laundering (AML) and know-your-customer checks. Verifying the identity of the people behind a company is a core part of that, and it protects you too: it makes it far harder for someone to impersonate you or your company to obtain credit. So the check is both a legal obligation and a safeguard.

## Why it is not a personal credit search

This is the key point. An identity check confirms identity; a credit search assesses how you manage credit. They are separate. Our identity and AML check on you as a director is not a personal consumer credit search, and we do **not** record this loan, or the application, on your personal credit file. The credit check we run is on the **company**, through business credit reference agencies, not on you. For the fuller answer, see [will applying for a Credicorp loan affect my credit file](/support/will-applying-for-a-credicorp-loan-affect-my-credit-file/).

## What we ask for

- A current photo ID, such as a passport or UK driving licence.

- Sometimes a quick step to confirm the document belongs to you, for example a photo taken on the spot.

- Confirmation that you are authorised to borrow on the company’s behalf.

Having these ready means the check usually takes seconds. If a co-director needs to be involved, having them on hand helps too.

## How we protect what you share

We treat your identity information as sensitive and keep it secure, using it only for verification and the checks we are required to make, not for anything unrelated. To understand the safeguards in detail, see [how do you keep my information secure](/support/how-do-you-keep-my-information-secure/). We will never ask you to send your ID to a personal email address or pay a fee to “release” a loan; if anyone does, it is a scam and you should stop.

## If the check does not pass first time

Sometimes a check needs a second attempt, often for a simple reason such as a blurred photo, a glare on the document, or out-of-date details. We will tell you and let you try again. It does not count against your application, and it has no effect on your personal credit. A failed first attempt is almost always a photo problem, not a verdict on you.

## Where it fits in the application

Identity verification is one step alongside confirming your company and assessing the company’s affordability. Because we lend to the company and take no personal guarantee, none of this puts your personal assets on the line. When everything is confirmed and we can lend, you will see your **Key Information Sheet (KIS)** with the amount, term, total cost of credit and full repayment schedule before you sign the **Business Loan Agreement**. 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.

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Credicorp Limited — UK lender to limited companies (Company No. 16093826). credicorp.co.uk