How to verify a UK supplier before you pay them
Five checks you can do in minutes using free public registers.
Before a new supplier goes on your system — and again whenever bank details change — a few checks on public registers cut most of the risk.
1. Companies House status
Search the company name or number on Companies House. Confirm it is active, not dissolved, in liquidation or proposed for strike-off. Check the registered address matches what the supplier gave you.
2. Officers
Look at the current directors. Do the names match the people you are dealing with? A very recent change of all directors deserves a question.
3. The Gazette
Search The Gazette for insolvency notices, winding-up petitions and strike-off notices. These often appear before the Companies House status changes.
4. UK sanctions list
Screen the company and its directors against the UK sanctions list published by the government. A name match is not a confirmed match — it is a prompt to look closer.
5. Bank detail changes
Never accept a bank change by email alone. Call the supplier on a number you already hold, not one in the email.
Payables Shield runs the first four checks automatically every day on the suppliers you choose, and alerts you when anything changes.