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EnglishHow can I use the FCA Firm Checker to verify a financial services firm?
Updated
The FCA Firm Checker is a consumer tool on fca.org.uk that lets you check whether a financial services firm is authorised and has permission to sell you products and services. Use it before you hand over money or personal details to any firm, and cross-check the result against the FCA's Warning List of unauthorised and clone firms.
What the FCA Firm Checker does
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates financial services firms and markets in the UK, sets standards for firms, and holds them to account if they don't meet those standards. The Firm Checker is the consumer-facing entry point into that system: it tells you whether a firm appears in the FCA's records as authorised, and whether its permissions cover the activity you are considering.
It is not a rating, a recommendation, or a guarantee of how a firm will behave. It answers one question: is this firm authorised for this activity?
How to check a firm
- Go to fca.org.uk and open the For consumers section.
- Select FCA Firm Checker.
- Enter the firm's name or reference details as prompted, and review the result.
- If the firm is authorised, confirm that its permissions cover the specific product or service you are being offered — authorisation for one activity does not mean authorisation for all of them.
- Check the Warning List of unauthorised and clone firms for the same name or similar details.
The expected result is a clear indication of whether the firm is authorised and permitted for the activity in question. If it is not, or if the details do not match, treat that as a stop signal.
Why the Warning List matters as much as the checker
Clone firms are a specific risk: they use the name, address, or firm reference number of a legitimately authorised firm to appear genuine. This is why a positive result on the Firm Checker is not enough on its own. Compare the contact details you were given — phone number, website, email — against the details the FCA holds for the authorised firm. If they differ, you may be dealing with a clone.
The FCA publishes warnings about unauthorised and clone firms, and you can sign up for FCA newsletters and email alerts to be notified of new warnings.
What to do with the result
| Result | What it means | Suggested next step |
|---|---|---|
| Firm authorised, permissions match | The firm is regulated for this activity | Proceed, but keep records of what you were told |
| Firm authorised, permissions do not match | The firm is regulated, but not for this | Ask why it is offering the product; consider not proceeding |
| Firm not found or not authorised | No FCA authorisation for this activity | Do not proceed; check the Warning List |
| Details match a warning or a clone | Possible unauthorised or clone firm | Do not proceed; report it to the FCA |
Related FCA resources
Beyond the Firm Checker, the FCA site provides:
- Financial Services Register — the underlying record of authorised firms and individuals.
- Consumer information — guidance pages including current consumer issues such as car finance complaints.
- Fake FCA communications — guidance on messages pretending to come from the FCA itself.
- My FCA — a portal for firms, not consumers, covering Connect, Online Invoicing, and RegData tasks.
If you are checking on behalf of a firm rather than as a consumer, the For firms section and My FCA portal are the relevant starting points.