Consumer Credit Licensing

If a business offers credit or lends money to consumers, or allows customers time to pay for goods and services, it must be licensed with the Consumer credit Licensing Bureau of the Office of Fair Trading under the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

The following types of businesses must be licensed with the Office of Fair Trading.

• Consumer Credit Category A
• Consumer Hire Category B
• Credit Brokerage Category C
• Debt Adjusting Category D
• Non-commercial Debt Adjusting Category D2
• Debt Counselling Category E
• Non-commercial Debt Counselling Category E2
• Debt Collecting Category F
• Debt Administration Category G
• Provision of Credit Information Services Category H1
• Provision of Credit information Services (excluding credit repair) Category H
• Provision of Non-commercial Credit Information Services Category H3
• Credit reference Agency Category I
• Canvassing Off Trade Premises Category Z
  

The Office of Fair Trading holds a public record of all licensed traders and of all those who have applied for a licence. They can provide details to the public about its licensed businesses, such as the types of activities they cover, their authorised trading names and main business activities.

To obtain an application form for a Consumer Credit licence, see the Office of Fair Trading

If you wish to vary the terms of your licence or make any changes to your licence then you need to complete a separate form, see OFT www.oft.gov.uk