Transparency at Capitalise

Capitalise is a funding marketplace for small businesses. We help you find the right funding, understand your credit profile, and make better financial decisions, with a dedicated funding specialist supporting you at every stage. Business finance has a reputation for small print and hidden costs. We'd rather just tell you how everything works with clear, upfront information about fees, loan terms, and how decisions are made.

In this guide, we cover how Capitalise makes money, our fees and pricing, and how we decide which lenders to recommend. We also explain how business credit scores work, where your credit data comes from and what support you can expect from the moment you sign up.

How does Capitalise make money?

A lot of what we offer to small businesses is free, but there are two ways that we generate revenue:

1. Paid subscriptions

2. Lender commissions

Let’s take a look at what that means in practice.

When is the Capitalise platform free to use?

You can sign up for a free Capitalise for Business account to make a start on understanding your business credit score, find funding and reduce the risk of late payments. You’ll have access to the following features and insights at no charge.

Understand your business credit score:

• Basic Experian business credit score

• Basic business credit risk factors

• Your business payment performance

• Legal notices against your business

• Tips on how to improve your credit score

Find funding:

• Access to 130+ lenders on our marketplace

• Expert support from our funding specialists

Reduce the risk of late payments:

• Import and sync contacts from cloud accounting

• Track the status of customer and supplier invoices

You can check your eligibility, use our business loan calculator and apply for funding for free directly from your Capitalise account. Even on a free plan, you can fill in a single form to apply for funding from multiple lenders with a dedicated funding specialist to help match your business to the most suitable options.

When is there a charge to use the Capitalise platform?

In addition to our free plan, we have three paid plans to choose from. These include everything available on our free plan plus a broad range of extra features that enable you to:

• See your full Experian business credit profile

• Get alerts to protect your business

• Improve your business credit score

• Risk check other companies

• Find funding for your business

You’ll pay a monthly subscription as detailed below and you won’t be charged any additional fees to apply for funding through your Capitalise account. 

• Startup: £19.95 (excl VAT)

• Pro: £24.95 per (excl VAT)

• Enterprise: £59.95 (excl VAT)

All paid plans have a one month minimum term and you can cancel at any time.

Does Capitalise earn a commission from the lenders on its marketplace?

Yes. When you accept an offer and receive funding that you found through our platform, we earn a commission from the lender that provides it. To be clear, any commission Capitalise earns is always directly from the lender. We will never charge you a commission or broker fee for helping you find funding for your business. We don’t believe in hidden fees, which is why we will always talk you through every cost associated with a funding offer or agreement upfront.

How much commission does Capitalise receive from lenders?

The commission that we earn varies depending on several factors including the type of funding you secure. When we present you with a funding offer, we’ll talk you through all the terms of that offer, including exactly how much commission we’ll earn if you accept it.

Is lender commission an incentive for Capitalise to match a business with funding, even if it’s not the right fit?

No. Our goal is always to match you with the lender and type of funding that best fits your business and needs. We go beyond telling you what’s available to showing you what’s smart, and what the trade-offs are for every option, so you can be confident that the funding offer you choose to accept is the right fit. That commitment to transparency shapes how we work with lenders too. We've built long-term relationships with more than 130 lenders, from high street banks to specialist providers, and they know that transparency is fundamental to how we operate.

A good example of that is our stance on loan stacking. It's an unfortunate practice in the industry where a broker arranges multiple loans for a business simultaneously without informing the lenders involved. The motivation is simple: more loans means more commission. The problem is that it leaves businesses with overlapping repayments they can't sustain, often pushing them into serious financial difficulty. We don't do it. We always keep lenders fully informed, because the right outcome for your business and a trustworthy relationship with our lender network both depend on it.

What fees will I pay when I secure a business loan through Capitalise?

When it comes to fees, we want you to know exactly where you stand before you make any decisions. Here's a look at what it costs to use Capitalise, the fees you might encounter on a business loan, and what you'll see upfront before accepting any offer.

Are there any fees to use Capitalise?

Finding funding through Capitalise is free. Signing up costs nothing, and there's no charge to access basic Experian credit insights, search for funding or speak to a funding specialist. We earn a commission from lenders when you accept a funding offer, but we never pass that on to you as a fee.

We offer paid plans if you want full access to your full Experian credit profile, real-time alerts, and the ability to credit check other companies.

Here’s a full breakdown of each of our paid plans, including the monthly subscription fee and features included:

Business loan fees explained

When you receive a funding offer through Capitalise, your funding specialist will explain every cost associated with it. Here are the main fees you're likely to encounter when you receive an offer for a business loan:

• Interest rate: The basic cost of borrowing. It's expressed as a percentage of the amount borrowed and quoted as an annual rate.

• APR (Annual Percentage Rate): The true annual cost of borrowing, including interest and all compulsory fees and charges. APR is the most reliable figure for comparing offers, because it puts everything on a like-for-like basis. Two loans with the same headline interest rate can have very different APRs if the fees differ.

• Arrangement fee: A one-off charge for setting up the loan, sometimes deducted by the lender from the amount you receive rather than added to your repayments. Always factor this into your comparison of offers.

• Early repayment fee: Some loan products charge a fee if you repay ahead of schedule. Your funding specialist will flag this before you accept any offer.

• Broker fees: We don't charge you a broker fee. Our commission comes from the lender, not from you.

What will I see upfront before accepting a funding offer?

Before you accept any funding offer, your Capitalise funding specialist will clearly explain all of the terms, including:

• The loan amount

• Interest rate and APR

• Total amount repayable

• Monthly repayments

• Any arrangement or other fees

• The commission Capitalise will earn from the lender

• Early repayment terms and any associated fees

• Whether collateral or a personal guarantee is required

There are no hidden costs. Every detail is explained before you commit to anything.

How does Capitalise work?

Capitalise is a funding marketplace, not a bank or a lender. Let’s take a look at what that means and how our process works.

Is Capitalise a lender?

No. Capitalise is a funding marketplace and credit intelligence platform, not a lender. We don't provide loans directly. We connect you with suitable lenders from a panel of more than 130 traditional and alternative providers, and support you through the application process with a dedicated funding specialist.

How does Capitalise match businesses to lenders?

Capitalise is a funding marketplace, not a lender. We connect small businesses with more than 130 lenders, from high street banks and challenger banks to alternative lenders and specialists in products such as invoice finance and VAT bill lending. When you apply for funding through Capitalise, you fill in a single application form. We use the information you provide, combined with your Experian credit profile, to identify the lenders and products most likely to be a good fit for your business.

Your funding specialist then works with you to refine that shortlist, taking into account things the data alone can't tell you. Things like whether your business is in a growth phase that isn't yet reflected in your accounts, whether a recent dip in revenue was a one-off or a trend, or whether the purpose of the funding strengthens or complicates your case with a particular lender. That kind of judgement comes from experience, and it's often the difference between an application that succeeds and one that doesn't.

Getting the match right is why we pair technology with human expertise rather than relying on one alone. Our platform processes your credit profile and application quickly and accurately, but data has its limits. A funding specialist who knows the lending market can read between the lines of your numbers, understand the story behind them, and put your case to the right lender in a way that gives it the best possible chance of a yes.

How does Capitalise decide which funding offers to present to a business?

Our goal isn't simply to find options that match what you've asked for. It's to find the options that are genuinely best suited to your business, and those aren't always the same thing. If a different product would serve you better, your funding specialist will tell you. Let’s say, for example, you come to us looking for a business loan to manage a cash flow gap. They might suggest a revolving credit facility instead: you draw down what you need, repay it, and draw again, paying interest only on what you use. For a business managing uneven income, that could be a significantly more cost-effective solution than a fixed loan. We only submit applications to lenders we consider a genuine fit, which protects your credit profile from unnecessary searches and keeps the process focused on options worth pursuing.

Where does the data on my Capitalise account come from?

The credit data on your Capitalise account comes from Experian and a number of other established sources. Here's exactly where it comes from, how lenders use it, and what you need to know about its accuracy and your rights.

What data sources does Capitalise use?

The credit data on your Capitalise account comes from Experian, the UK's leading credit reference agency. It's the same data that banks and lenders use when they assess your business for funding, which means you can see your profile from a lender's perspective. In addition to Experian, lenders and credit reference agencies draw on data from several other sources when assessing a funding application. Together, these sources give lenders a comprehensive picture of your financial track record, covering both formal credit history and day-to-day commercial relationships.

Companies House

Companies House holds publicly available information about your business, including its filing history, director records, share structure, and any charges registered against it. Lenders use this data to verify that your business is legitimate, check that filings are up to date, and assess the stability of your ownership and management structure. Late or missing filings are visible here and can negatively affect how lenders view your application.

CAIS

CAIS (Credit Account Information Sharing) is a database operated by Experian that allows lenders and credit providers to share information about how businesses manage their credit accounts, including payment history and outstanding balances. When you apply for credit, lenders typically report your repayment behaviour back to CAIS, which is then used to inform your credit profile over time.

CAITO

CAITO (Credit Account Information Trade Orders) is a data-sharing system focused on trade credit: the credit extended between businesses in the course of their commercial relationships. CAITO data helps build a picture of how reliably your business pays its suppliers and trade creditors, which gives lenders a broader view of your financial behaviour beyond formal borrowing.

How frequently is the data on the Capitalise platform updated?

Your business credit score is updated regularly based on the latest information available from our data partner, Experian. While updates are not made in real time, the data shown on the Capitalise platform reflects the most recently reported information from a range of trusted sources.

Monthly updates to your business credit score

Credit reference agencies such as Experian typically refresh business credit data every 30 - 45 days, depending on when lenders, banks, and suppliers submit new information. This can include:

• Payment history with suppliers and lenders

• Credit utilisation and outstanding balances

• Bank account activity

• New borrowing or credit applications

Event driven updates

Some information is updated shortly after a public record changes. This includes events such as:

• Annual accounts filed with Companies House

• Changes to directors or company details

• County Court Judgments (CCJs) or other legal actions

How often your Capitalise profile refreshes

Your Capitalise profile refreshes automatically approximately every 30 days. Any updates reported during that period from our data sources will be reflected in your profile at the next refresh cycle.

What are the known accuracy limitations of the data sources that Capitalise uses?

Credit data is generally reliable, but no data source is perfect. Errors can occur, such as a payment recorded as late when it wasn't, or outdated information that hasn't been updated, such as an old address. It's worth checking your profile regularly so you can identify any inaccuracies early.

It’s also important to understand that the accuracy of your business credit profile depends on the quality and completeness of the information available to credit reference agencies like Experian. For example, your filed accounts are a key data source used to assess your business’s financial health. If your company files abbreviated or simplified accounts, credit agencies have less financial information to work with. In these cases, they may rely on assumptions, estimates, or limited historical data when calculating your business credit profile and score.

Similarly, business credit data can lag behind your current performance. If your latest filed accounts are over a year old, your score may not yet reflect more recent improvements, such as strong revenue growth, increased profitability, or improved cash flow. This means your business may be performing better in reality than your current credit profile suggests.

Other limitations can include:

• Delays in lenders or suppliers reporting new information

• Public records not yet updated across all systems

• Differences in how data providers interpret or categorise information

• Missing trade payment data if suppliers do not report payment performance

Your Capitalise profile updates automatically as new information becomes available, helping ensure your data becomes more accurate over time.

Who is responsible if data held about a business is incorrect: Experian, Companies House, or Capitalise?

The data on your Capitalise account comes from third-party sources: Experian, Companies House, and other credit data providers. Each of those organisations is responsible for the accuracy of the data they hold. If an error originates with Experian, for example, it needs to be corrected there rather than with us. The same applies to information held at Companies House. That said, if something on your Capitalise account doesn't look right, come to us first. We'll help you work out where the error has come from and point you in the right direction to get it resolved.

What steps can a business take to dispute incorrect information on their business credit profile?

If you find an error on your business credit profile, the right route depends on where the information comes from. For data held by Experian, you can raise a dispute directly through Experian's business credit dispute process. You can raise a dispute with Experian if you believe any of the following are inaccurate:

• Payment performance records

• Credit accounts (e.g. loans, credit cards, trade credit)

• County Court Judgments (CCJs)

• Other publicly recorded business credit information

Only a registered company director can raise a dispute due to the sensitive nature of business credit data. To challenge or correct your business credit information, call Experian’s Business Support Team on 0345 045 8081 and select option 2. You should be ready to provide your company registration number and details of the information you believe is incorrect.

For information held at Companies House, such as incorrect filing history or director records, corrections are made by submitting an updated or amended record through the Companies House service. If you're not sure where an error has originated, come to us first. We'll help you identify the source and point you in the right direction.

If you want to go further, we offer a Credit Review Service in partnership with Experian. A specialist team reviews your full credit profile, checks its accuracy, and works directly with Experian to correct any errors or anomalies that may be holding your score back. The process typically takes five to ten working days and  96% of applications result in a positive change.

How do business loans work?

Understanding the basics of business lending puts you in a stronger position when it comes to applying for funding and evaluating the offers you receive. Here, we’ll explain what lenders look for, what a loan offer actually contains, and the key differences between types of borrowing.

What do lenders assess when they review a funding application?

Lenders typically assess a combination of the following when reviewing your application:

• Your business credit score and credit history

• Trading history and time in business

• Revenue and profitability

• Recent bank statements (usually the last three to six months)

• The purpose of the funding and how you plan to repay it

• Whether you can offer assets as security (for secured lending)

The stronger your credit profile and the clearer your application, the more options you're likely to have. Your Capitalise funding specialist will help you put your best case forward before any applications are submitted.

What information is included in a typical loan offer?

When you receive a loan offer through Capitalise, your funding specialist will walk you through every element of it. Here's what you can expect to see and what each part means.

1. Loan amount: The total sum being offered. This might be less than what you requested, so make sure you check before you accept.

2. Loan term: The length of time over which you repay the loan. Terms typically are from one to ten years for a standard business loan, though this varies by product and lender. A longer term means lower monthly repayments but more interest paid overall. A shorter term costs less in total but puts more pressure on monthly cashflow. Match the term to the purpose: short-term needs rarely warrant long-term debt.

3. Interest rate: The base cost of borrowing, expressed as an annual percentage of the amount borrowed.

4. APR (Annual Percentage Rate): The true annual cost of the loan, including interest and all compulsory fees. This is the most reliable figure for comparing offers on a like-for-like basis.

5. Monthly repayment: The fixed amount you'll pay each month.

6. Total amount repayable. The full cost of the loan over its entire term: the original sum plus all interest and fees. This is the most useful number for understanding what each offer actually costs.

7. Arrangement fee: A one-off charge for setting up the loan, sometimes deducted by the lender from the funds you receive rather than billed separately.

8. Early repayment terms: Whether you can repay the loan ahead of schedule and whether a fee applies. Some products are designed to be held to term, so repaying early won't always save money.

9. Security required: Whether the lender requires collateral or a personal guarantee and what that means if your business can't repay.

10. Commission: The amount Capitalise will earn from the lender if you accept the offer. This is always disclosed upfront.

What’s the difference between secured and unsecured business lending?

With secured lending, you offer an asset as collateral, such as property, equipment, or another valuable item in order to get a business loan. If your business fails to repay the loan, the lender can claim that asset. Because the risk to the lender is lower, secured loans often come with better rates and higher borrowing limits.

Unsecured lending doesn't require collateral, which makes it faster to arrange and more accessible if you don't have significant assets to offer. The trade-off is typically higher interest rates, and lenders may ask for a personal guarantee instead.

What is a personal guarantee on a business loan?

A personal guarantee is a commitment from you as a business owner or director to repay a loan personally if your business can’t. Lenders ask for personal guarantees most often on unsecured loans, where there’s no asset backing the borrowing. Your Capitalise funding specialist will always make clear whether a personal guarantee is required before you proceed with any application.

How business credit scores work

Your business credit score is one of the most important factors in whether you can access funding and on what terms. And yet it's one of the least understood parts of business finance. Let’s take a look at what a credit score is, what affects it, and how Capitalise uses yours to match you with the right lenders.

What is a business credit score?

A business credit score is a numerical rating that reflects how creditworthy your business appears to lenders and suppliers. In the UK, scores are calculated by credit reference agencies (CRAs) including Experian, Equifax and Dun & Bradstreet. Capitalise uses data from Experian, the UK's leading CRA, which rates businesses on a scale from 0 (maximum risk) to 100 (minimum risk). Essentially, a business credit score tells a lender how much of a risk it is to lend your business money. If your score is on the lower end of the spectrum, lenders may be concerned that your business won’t be able to repay a loan. Depending on how low your score is, they may reject your application, offer you a smaller loan than what you applied for, or less favourable rates. On the flip side, a higher score reassures a lender that your business is likely to repay any money it borrows. A higher score makes it easier to access more funding, more easily and at better rates.

Your business credit score is separate from your personal credit score and it changes over time as your business's financial behaviour changes. Because a business credit score is adjustable, there’s almost always a way to improve it over time.

What factors affect a business credit score?

Experian calculates your business credit score using a combination of publicly available data and information shared by lenders and suppliers. The key factors are:

• Financial performance: Your annual accounts filed at Companies House have a big impact on your score, providing a detailed view of your profitability, assets, and liabilities.

• Adverse events: County court judgements (CCJs), winding-up petitions, and similar events negatively impact your score.

• Public records: Changes to directors, shareholders, or company structure recorded at Companies House can affect how stable your business appears to lenders.

• Payment history: Your track record of paying suppliers and creditors on time. Consistent, on-time payment builds your score; late or missed payments damage it.

• Length of credit history: A longer track record of responsible credit use generally works in your favour.

• Credit utilisation: Consistently using a high proportion of your available credit can signal financial strain to lenders.

• Number of credit applications: Multiple applications in a short period can suggest financial difficulty.

Why do lenders use business credit scores?

Your business credit score gives lenders a quick, standardised way to assess how likely your business is to repay what it borrows. A strong score increases your chances of approval and can help you access better rates. A weaker score doesn't rule out funding, but it does affect which lenders will consider your application and on what terms. Some lenders specialise in businesses with limited or imperfect credit histories. Here's an overview of how your credit score and rating impacts your access to finance:

How does Capitalise use your credit score?

Capitalise uses your Experian credit profile to match your business with the lenders and products most suited to your situation. This happens before any formal applications are made, which means you can see how likely you are to be approved for different types of funding without affecting your credit score. We only trigger a formal credit search when we submit an application to a specific lender.

How does Capitalise support businesses throughout the funding process?

Getting the right funding is only part of what we do. From the moment you apply to long after the money lands in your account, you have a real person on your side. Here's what that looks like in practice.

What does a funding specialist do?

When you apply for funding through Capitalise, you're assigned a dedicated funding specialist who stays with you from first enquiry to funds in your account. For most small businesses, the days of having a dedicated bank manager to turn to for financial guidance are long gone. Capitalise was built to bring that kind of support back.

Your funding specialist acts as a single point of contact throughout the process. You're never passed between teams or left to navigate the process alone. Your funding specialist will: 

• Get to know you and your business.

• Explain what lenders are looking for.

• Help you prepare the strongest possible application.

• Make sure you understand every offer you receive before deciding whether to accept it.

• Manage the process, from answering lender questions to sourcing any additional documents.

• Flag any possible delays to funds landing in your account and make sure payments go smoothly.

Alongside that, your Capitalise account gives you visibility of what's happening at every stage. You can log in to see which lenders are involved and track the status of your applications, so you always know where things stand.

To be clear: your funding specialist will give you the information you need to make a good decision, but the decision is always yours. The support we provide is not regulated financial advice. Your funding specialist will make sure you understand how a funding offer works, what the terms are, and every associated cost. They’ll guide you on how to compare offers and funding products, so you can confidently make the choice yourself.

What happens after the funding is in place?

Once funding lands in your account, your funding specialist hands you over to a dedicated account manager, so the support continues without any gap. Your account manager is available at no extra cost and you can book a call with them to:

• Get a detailed view of your financial position post-funding

• Identify steps that could strengthen your credit profile going forward

• Understand the credit tools available to you on the platform

• Get answers to business finance questions as your situation evolves

As your business grows and your funding needs change, your account manager is there to help you think through your next steps.