Does Credicorp lend to individuals or sole traders?

Who Credicorp lends to

Credicorp is a commercial lender. The borrower is a UK limited company — a separate legal person registered at Companies House with its own number, accounts and directors. The finance is short-term working capital that sits on the company's balance sheet, used to fund stock, payroll, invoices or growth.

Because we lend to the company and not to a person, Credicorp does not offer personal loans, consumer credit, or finance to private individuals borrowing for personal reasons. That distinction is deliberate: it is what lets us lend to the business on the strength of the business.

Why sole traders fall outside this

A sole trader is not a separate legal entity — legally, the individual is the business, so a loan to the trade is a loan to the person. That falls under consumer-credit territory, which is a different regulatory world and not what Credicorp does. The same is true of ordinary partnerships, where the partners are personally the borrowers.

This is not a judgement on sole traders — many run excellent businesses. It simply means the legal structure does not match how Credicorp lends, which is to a company as its own borrower.

What this means if you trade as an individual

If you currently trade as a sole trader and want company-style finance, the usual route is to incorporate — form a limited company and run the business through it. Once the company is registered, trading and building its own track record, it can apply to Credicorp in its own right.

Incorporating has wider benefits too: limited liability, a clearer separation between your money and the business's, and access to the kind of business finance that is structured around the company rather than around you. Speak to an accountant about whether incorporating suits your situation.

If you already run a limited company

If your business is already a UK limited company, you are exactly who Credicorp is built for. The application is made in the company's name, the decision is based on the company's trading, and — because we lend to the company — Credicorp does not require a personal guarantee from you as director.

That structure is the whole point of lending to a company rather than a person: the borrowing stays with the business, and your personal finances stay separate. You can check the wider eligibility criteria or start an application at any time.

Why the limited-company line matters

The reason Credicorp draws this line is not bureaucracy — it is what makes the lending work. A limited company can borrow in its own name, owe the debt itself, and be assessed on its own trading. That is exactly what allows Credicorp to lend without a personal guarantee and to keep the decision focused on the business.

An individual or sole trader has no such separation, so the same structure simply cannot apply. If you want finance built around the company rather than around you personally, operating through a limited company is the route in — and once you are, Credicorp lends to that company on its own merits.