Short answer. Identify the exact legal entity, record its status and filing behaviour with the date you checked, then gather what the register cannot show, such as insurance, references and financial information, directly from the supplier.
Step 1: pin down the legal entity
Get the registered company name and number from the supplier's invoice, contract or website footer, then confirm it on the register. Brand names, trading names and group companies frequently differ from the entity that will invoice you.
Step 2: record the register facts
Note status, company type, incorporation date, registered office, recorded activities and the dates of the last and next filings. Save the date and time you checked; our profiles show this and a print-friendly research summary you can keep with your file.
Step 3: read the filing history
Consistent, on-time filings suggest a company that keeps its administration in order. Repeated late filings or a strike-off proposal are worth asking about. Neither is proof of anything on its own.
Step 4: ask for what the register cannot tell you
- Financial information beyond what has been filed.
- Insurance certificates and relevant licences or accreditations.
- Client references for work of a similar size.
- Written terms: scope, payment terms, liability and termination.
Step 5: keep your check proportionate
A small one-off order does not need the scrutiny of a long contract. Scale the effort to the money and the dependency involved.
What not to conclude
The public register does not score companies for risk, creditworthiness or honesty, and neither do we. An active status is not a recommendation. If you need a credit assessment, use a service that is licensed to provide one.
This guide is general information about public company records, not legal, tax or financial advice. Independent service. Not affiliated with Companies House or GOV.UK.