A company authentication code is one thing that business needs. It is composed of 6 characters that are alphanumeric given by Companies House when the business is created. It serves as an e-signature (also known as an electronic signature). One should use this each time there are documents that are filed electronically. If a business needs to make changes to its details online, this code should also be provided. People should be very careful with their company authentication code because it is a very important piece of information. It will be used as an authentication code when filing for changes or updates online. That is why business owners who have this code should keep it as safe as possible. In fact, it can be compared to the PIN that one uses for ATM cards or bank cards.
How do you get the company authentication code?
There are many business owners who may be clueless about how they would be able to get this very important code. As per the website of the UK government, the owner of a new business should follow four important steps.
- Go to the Companies House website where they would need to register their email address and put in a secure password.
- Once that is done, they should choose the option that says “Request an authentication code”.
- They should then provide the registration number for the new company.
- When that is complete, they should choose the “Request code” option. Business owners should also keep in mind that the company authentication code that they requested will not be given to them right then and there. Companies House will be sending them the code via registered post to the registered office address of the company. It should take up to a maximum of five days for it to be delivered to the company owner. In case the company owner already has a company authentication code and maybe forgot that they had one, Companies House will instead send them a reminder via registered post. The UK government has also stated that the company authentication code would be sent via registered post for security purposes. They would not provide business owners the code via phone or via email since these channels can be insecure.
Is it possible to change my company authentication code?
Once a business owner has registered with the WebFiling service on the Companies House website, changing the company authentication code is possible. Here are the steps to do that.
- The business owner should first login to the portal for WebFiling.
- Choose the country that business is registered in.
- Fill in the company number as well as the company authentication code currently assigned to the company.
- Choose the option for “Company authentication”.
- Input the new company authentication code that you prefer. It should be a 6-character alphanumeric combination. The business owner will be asked to input the new company authentication code two times.
- Once that is done, confirm by choosing “Change code”. A letter will be sent to the business owner by Companies House to confirm that the code has been changed. This will be sent to the registered office address of the business.
Considered as a PIN for bank transactions, the company authentication code is a very important piece of data that should be kept safe by business owners. It will serve as a code in doing transactions online in behalf of the business and should be disclosed only to authorized personnel.
published under Business Address Guides
