Pay Companies House filing fees

Companies House fees were raised from 1 February 2026 to fund its new powers under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. According to the fee schedule on GOV.UK, registering a private limited company online now costs £100 (£124 on paper), and filing the confirmation statement online costs £50 (£110 on paper). A change of company name is £20 online, and a voluntary application to strike a company off is £13 online. Filing online is consistently cheaper than filing on paper, and it is also the route where a card is the natural way to pay. Always check the current fee on the GOV.UK fee page before you file, because the schedule is revised from time to time.

Payments on the Companies House online services are processed by GOV.UK Pay, the government’s payment platform, and GOV.UK tells applicants that the registration fee can be paid by debit or credit card. Businesses that file often can instead apply for a Companies House payment account, but that is aimed at accountants and formation agents, and some newer services — including the online confirmation statement service — do not accept it and take cards only. For a founder filing for their own company, the card is the practical route.

The fees are in pounds sterling. A Mehbit card is funded in US dollars, so the amount that leaves the card is the sterling fee converted at the rate on the day. Top the card up with a little more than the fee to cover the conversion, and fund it before you start the filing: some Companies House services time out if you leave them idle, and you do not want to find an empty card at the final step.

Paying the fee is only one part of the process, and GOV.UK is clear about the other requirements. A UK company needs a registered office that is a physical address in the UK — in the same UK country the company is registered in — where post will come to the attention of someone acting for the company; a Royal Mail PO Box, or a similar service, can no longer be used. The company also has to give Companies House a registered email address. Founders abroad commonly use a third-party agent’s address, which GOV.UK allows as long as it meets the same conditions.

Identity verification is now part of the picture too. From 18 November 2025, directors and people with significant control have to verify their identity with Companies House and provide a personal code; existing directors give theirs with the company’s next confirmation statement. Verification is free through GOV.UK One Login, and GOV.UK says it can also be done from any country through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, who may charge for it. This page describes the payment step only — for questions about your own company’s obligations, rely on GOV.UK guidance or a qualified adviser.