What does a charge on Companies House mean?

Updated 12 July 2026 · 6 min read · Kestrel Alert

A charge registered at Companies House means the company has given a lender security over its assets, like a mortgage on its business. For a supplier, a new charge matters twice over: it usually signals new borrowing, and it puts that lender ahead of you in the queue if the company fails. Unsecured trade creditors are paid last.

What is a charge?

When a company borrows and gives the lender security, that security (the "charge") must be registered at Companies House within 21 days; if it isn't registered in time, the security is void against a liquidator and other creditors, which is why lenders always register. The register therefore gives you a near-real-time view of who holds security over a company you trade with.

What's the difference between a fixed and a floating charge?

A fixed charge attaches to specific assets, property, plant, sometimes book debts. The company can't sell those assets without the lender's consent.
A floating charge hovers over a shifting pool of assets (stock, debtors, cash) and lets the company trade normally until something goes wrong, at which point it "crystallises" onto whatever is there.
A debenture is the document most bank lending uses, typically a fixed and floating charge over everything the company owns. The holder of a qualifying floating charge can usually appoint an administrator directly, without going to court.

Why should a supplier care about someone else's charge?

Because insolvency is a queue, and charges decide the order. If the company fails, fixed-charge holders are paid from their assets first; then the insolvency costs; then preferential creditors (employees, and HMRC for VAT and PAYE); then floating-charge holders. Unsecured trade creditors (you) share whatever is left, which is often pennies in the pound.

A new charge is also information about the company's direction:

A charge to a mainstream bank alongside visible growth can be perfectly healthy: companies borrow to expand.
A charge to an invoice-finance or asset-based lender means the company is borrowing against its unpaid invoices, a classic sign of cash-flow pressure.
A charge to a short-term or bridging lender, or several new charges in quick succession, suggests the company is running out of conventional options.
A satisfaction filing (a charge being released) is usually good news: debt repaid or refinanced.

What should I do when a customer registers a new charge?

Look at who the lender is and what the charge covers; the filing names both.
Put it in context: is it one-off bank funding, or the latest in a pattern of late accounts and departures?
If the picture is worsening, act while you still can: chase outstanding invoices, shorten terms, take deposits, or pause supply. Once an insolvency starts, your options shrink dramatically.

Kestrel Alert emails you when a company you watch registers or satisfies a charge, in plain English, with a link to the filing itself, so the "check the register" step happens automatically.