Central Credit Register company report: how to check yours

The CCR collects personal and credit information from more than 500 lenders. They include banks, credit unions, asset financeAn umbrella term for funding used to acquire vehicles, plant, machinery, equipment or technology, where the asset itself usually acts as security. houses, local authorities, high cost credit providers, firms that have bought loan books from Irish financial institutions, and NAMA. It holds factual information only and does not score or grade reports. Each lender makes its own decision using the report alongside your accounts, bank statements and its other business loan requirements. Our glossary entry on the CCR gives a short definition.

The register covers companies, sole traders, partnerships, clubs and associations, as well as consumers. A loan is included if the borrower was resident in the State when it applied, or if the agreement or application is governed by Irish law.

A credit report has four parts: identifying information about the borrower, a summary of credit agreements, details of each loan including repayment history, and a log of who has accessed the report. The main contents are:

• Loans of €500 or more, such as business loans, overdrafts, credit cards, hire purchaseA form of asset finance where the company pays for an asset in instalments, often after a deposit, and takes ownership once the final payment and any option-to-purchase fee are made. and asset finance agreements.
• Repayment history for each loan, including missed payments.
• Credit status where relevant, such as legal action, overdraft cancelled, write-off or repossession.
• Applications for loans of €2,000 or more, held for six months.
• Guarantees and indemnities on loans entered into on or after 1 February 2025, showing the role of each person as borrower, co-borrower or guarantor.
• FootprintsThe record left on a Central Credit Register report each time a lender accesses it, showing the date, the lender and the reason.: a record of each enquiry, showing the date, the lender and the reason.
• Any explanatory statement or notice of suspected impersonation you have added.

What it does not show

Not every non-bank lender reports to the CCRA database operated by the Central Bank of Ireland holding information on loans of €500 or more., so some finance your company uses may not appear. Loans under €500 are not recorded. The report is also not a full credit check on your company: it does not include trade credit with suppliers, your CROThe State body that registers Irish companies and business names and keeps their public filings, including constitutions, director details, annual returns, financial statements and registered charges. filing history or your Revenue position. Lenders check those separately, and they will expect you to disclose all borrowing, whether it appears on the CCR or not.

A company counts as a non-individual borrower. The CCR describes this as a company, legal entity or other entity that can provide a business registration number, CRO number or foreign equivalent.

1. Go to the Borrower Area on centralcreditregister.ie and choose Start your application, then the option for non-individuals.
2. Enter the company's CRO number, so that the correct report is matched to the correct company.
3. Enter your own personal details as the person applying on the company's behalf.
4. Upload identification documents for yourself and for the company. The CCR publishes a list of acceptable identification documents for non-individuals; check it before you start, because an application cannot be processed without valid ID.
5. Sign the application and submit it. You will receive an acknowledgement email with a reference number. Keep it safe.
6. When the report is ready, you access it using your reference number and a password, which is sent in a separate email. The link and password are valid for 30 days, so download and save the report.

The CCR only contacts you if documents are missing, out of date or illegible. If you cannot apply online, a postal application is available, though it may take longer. You can check progress through Manage your application on the CCR website.

What it costs

• First company request in a calendar year: free.
• Further requests in the same year: €6.35 each.
• A third party, such as an adviser, requesting a report with the company's consent: €12.70 per request.

When to check your report

• A month or two before your company applies for any finance.
• A few weeks after you settle or refinance a loan, to confirm it shows as closed.
• After a dispute with a lender over payments.
• If you receive an unexpected letter or call about a loan you do not recognise.
• Once a year as routine, using the free annual request.

A lender can access your company's report only when the company applies for a new loan, applies to restructure an existing loan, is in arrears, or breaches the limit on a credit card or overdraft. Nobody else can see it without your written consent. Lenders must check the register for loan applications of €2,000 or more.

Every access leaves a footprint. Footprints show on the report for five years, but lenders see only those from the last two years. A cluster of recent enquiries can suggest a company is shopping around under pressure, which is one reason to narrow down the right lender before you apply. Our page on why use a broker covers this in more detail.

• Active loans: held while the loan is active, for up to five years at any one time.
• Repaid, written-off or discharged loans: held for five years from the date the lender marks the loan as such. If a loan is in default and the lender has not closed it, the five-year period does not start.
• Loan applications: six months from the date they are entered.
• Footprints: shown for five years; lenders see the last two.
• Information linked to rights you exercise, such as an explanatory statement: five years.

Mistakes happen, often when a settled loan is not marked as closed or a payment was applied late. You have three routes:

1. Ask the lender that reported the information to correct it. Lenders must notify the Central Bank of errors, fix them as a priority and may have to write to you about the error.
2. Apply to the CCR for an amendment through the online application. The CCR responds within 20 days, or within 40 days if it needs to contact the lender or ask you for more information.
3. If the information is accurate but needs context, add an explanatory statement of up to 200 words. For example, you could explain that missed payments happened during a dispute that has since been resolved.

If you suspect someone has applied for credit in your company's name, you can place a notice of suspected impersonation on the report. If you are not satisfied with how your data has been handled, you can complain to the Data Protection Commission.

Illustrative example

• Company name and CRO number are correct.
• Every loan listed belongs to your company.
• Loans you have repaid are marked as closed, with a zero balance.
• Repayment history matches your bank statements. If there are arrears you cannot dispute, our guide to business loans with a poor credit history explains how lenders weigh them.
• No credit status flags you were not aware of.
• Footprints match applications you actually made.
• Directors' personal reports checked too, because many lenders also look at directors, especially where a personal guarantee is needed.

A director's personal report is separate from the company's. Each director requests their own as an individual. Since 1 February 2025, a guarantor's report shows limited information on loans they have guaranteed, as well as full information on loans in their own name. If you have given guarantees for company borrowing, check that they are shown correctly.

When you use our finance finder or ask us whether your company is likely to fit our lender panel, we do not carry out a credit search, and nothing is recorded on the Central Credit Register. A lender only accesses the CCR, leaving a footprint, if your company chooses to apply to it. Lenders often decide within 24 to 48 hours of a complete application, not guaranteed; the lender decides. See how it works for each step.

Once your company has checked its report, we can tell you which lenders on our panel may consider your company, before any lender searches the CCR. We do not give financial advice. Tell us what your company needs and we'll tell you honestly whether our panel can help, or where to apply instead. We do not charge your company a fee and never ask for payment upfront; lenders pay us commission when finance completes. Welcome Finance is a commercial finance broker, not a lender, and is not regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.