If you let customers spread the cost \u2014 retail finance, payment plans, or introducing them to a lender \u2014 you generally need FCA authorisation. We prepare your complete limited permission application pack — fixed price, ready in three business days* once we have your details.
Usually, yes. If you introduce customers to finance to buy your products — retail finance over more than 12 months or with interest, such as Klarna Financing, or a finance provider at the till — you're carrying out credit broking, a regulated activity. Interest-free "buy now, pay later" at the checkout, such as Klarna Pay in 3, is the exception: from 15 July 2026 the lender is regulated for it and the shop is not. It's been required since 2014, and offering finance without authorisation is a criminal offence that can also make agreements unenforceable.
The good news: because selling goods is your main business and finance simply helps customers pay, you almost certainly qualify for limited permission — the simpler, cheaper route. Our guide for retailers covers the detail — including the 2026 buy-now-pay-later rules — and our step-by-step guide walks through the full process; if you already know you need it, we'll prepare the pack.
Preparation is in our hands and takes days. Once filed, we handle all correspondence with the FCA on your behalf.
A short form to get started. A member of our team will then call you to discuss your requirements and the application process.
We prepare every document the FCA expects for a retailer's limited permission application — secondary credit broking for point-of-sale and online finance — tailored to your business.
We submit your application through the FCA’s Connect portal and deal with the caseworker’s questions until your decision. You just review and sign the declarations.
Every document the FCA expects of a limited permission applicant, prepared for retailers and filed through Connect on your behalf.
A retailer offering finance typically needs limited permission for secondary credit broking — introducing customers to a lender to help them buy your goods, in store or online. We build your pack around exactly that.
If finance becomes a main activity in its own right, or you lend your own money, you may need full permission — and we'll tell you honestly before you pay a penny.
One fixed fee, paid in two parts. The FCA's own application fee is separate and is itemised on your invoice.
It depends on the product. Interest-free ‘buy now, pay later’ offered purely as a checkout payment method is generally exempt — and stays exempt under the FCA's rules taking effect 15 July 2026, which regulate the BNPL lenders instead. But classic retail finance — interest-bearing or longer-term agreements — is credit broking and needs authorisation, and offering a mix puts you in scope. It's wise to confirm your position rather than assume.
Some interest-free agreements repayable in a small number of instalments can be exempt — but the detail is nuanced, and introducing customers to a regulated lender is usually still credit broking. Confirm before assuming.
For most retailers, yes — selling goods is your main business, so finance is secondary. You'd only need full permission if finance became a main activity or you lent your own money. See our guide to limited vs full permission.
No. Our £995 covers your complete document pack; the FCA charges a separate fee (currently £560 for limited permission), which we collect with your final payment and pay to the FCA on your behalf. See our cost guide for the full breakdown.
No — the decision rests entirely with the FCA. What we can do is give you a complete, accurate and well-evidenced application that reflects what the FCA expects, which gives it the strongest possible chance.
A short form to begin. A member of our team will call the same business day to discuss your firm's activities and the application.
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