Offering credit to consumers: the law
You must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to offer credit to consumers.
Authorisation and rules you must follow
You must show you meet FCA鈥檚 minimum standards to be authorised. This includes ensuring your firm has a suitable business model and is well run by 鈥榝it and proper鈥� people.
Find out how to
You must follow rules for running your business and treating customers, including:
-
rules in the , including the
- rules about terms in sales contracts
What you need consumer credit authorisation for
You must check if your firm鈥檚 proposed business means you need FCA authorisation to carry out regulated consumer credit activities such as:
- selling goods or services on credit (including hire purchase)
- hiring or leasing out goods for more than 3 months
- lending money
- issuing credit cards
- arranging credit for other people
- collecting or purchasing 鈥╟onsumer credit debts
- helping people with debt problems or advising on people鈥檚 credit standing
Any business offering credit or financing to customer must be authorised by FCA, not just credit specialist companies. This includes non-profit organisations.
Business to business lending
You don鈥檛 need to be authorised if you only offer credit to another business, unless your customer is:
- a sole trader
- a partnership with fewer than 4 partners
- an unincorporated association
If you offer credit to these customers, you probably need to be authorised.