Offering credit to consumers: the law
Business: Sale Goods Services Data
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 FCAÂs minimum standards to be authorised. This includes ensuring your firm has a suitable business model and is well run by ‘fit and proper’ people.
Find out how to prepare for FCA authorisation.
You must follow rules for running your business and treating customers, including:
- rules in the FCA Handbook, including the ‘Perimeter guidance’
- rules about terms in sales contracts
- Consumer Credit Act (CCA)
- Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations
What you need consumer credit authorisation for
You must check if your firm’s 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 ?consumer credit debts
- helping people with debt problems or advising on peopleÂs 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’t 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.
To offer credit to consumers you must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and join the Financial Services Register