White-label Certificates of Good Standing for accountants

Published 21 September 2026 · Last updated 4 October 2026 · Official fees checked on GOV.UK 4 October 2026 (Companies House, FCDO)

Accountants can offer UK Certificates of Good Standing to clients under their own name by using a specialist agent to order from Companies House, provided the roles and fees are clear. The certificate itself is always issued by Companies House. Your firm owns the client relationship, the intake and the invoice; the agent handles ordering, checking and dispatch.

Short answer

“White-label” here means your client deals with you, not with us. You collect the request, we order the official Certificate of Good Standing from Companies House, and you pass it on with your own covering note. Nothing about the certificate changes: it still carries the Companies House seal and wording, and it still depends on the company’s filings being up to date. Done well, it turns an occasional, time-consuming request into a five-minute task with a predictable cost.

UKCOGS is operated by Pasecom Group Ltd, a private document agent. We are not Companies House or the FCDO, and white-label presentation does not change that.

When it makes sense for a practice

White-label ordering suits practices that:

• receive certificate requests a few times a year but do not have a set process for them;
• have clients trading overseas whose banks, suppliers or distributors ask for proof of good standing;
• act as company secretary or registered office provider and are already the client’s first point of contact;
• want one predictable price to pass on, rather than a partner’s time spent working out Companies House ordering.

If a client needs only one certificate, once, sending them direct to the order page may be simpler. The benefit grows with repeat requests.

Setting up the workflow

1. Agree an intake form. Collect the company number, exact registered name, the recipient’s checklist, the deadline, delivery address and whether an apostille is needed. Our which document tool helps match the recipient’s wording to the right product.
2. Check filings before you order. You probably already know if accounts are late, but confirm with our filings checker. Companies House will not include the good standing statement if accounts or the confirmation statement are overdue, and that is the most common reason a certificate is rejected.
3. Order with your reference. Use the client’s company number plus your own job reference so repeat orders are easy to trace.
4. Decide delivery. We can send the certificate to your office for onward dispatch or directly to the client or the overseas recipient.
5. Invoice transparently. Show the official Companies House fee separately from your handling charge.

Pricing and fee transparency

UKCOGS prices are ex VAT and include the Companies House fee:

• Certificate of Good Standing, standard: £79 (Companies House fee £22).
• Express (Companies House dispatch the same working day if ordered before 11am): £129 (Companies House fee £65).
• Certified Certificate of Incorporation or articles: £49 each.
• Filings check: £15.
• Company documents pack: £249, £279 or £299 depending on contents.

Apostilles are quote-only. The FCDO charges £45 per paper apostille plus courier, or £35 per e-Apostille (checked on GOV.UK, 4 October 2026). Itemising official fees on your invoice protects the client relationship: clients can see what went to government and what they paid your firm for.

Communicating with clients

Clients often assume a certificate proves more than it does. A short line in your covering email avoids confusion: “This certificate confirms the company is registered, has existed continuously since incorporation and is not being struck off. It does not show shareholders, solvency or tax status.” If the overseas recipient asks for ownership evidence, that needs a different document.

Also tell clients that no UK rule sets an expiry date on the certificate. The recipient decides how recent it must be, so ask the client to check before you order. Our document freshness tool can help them plan.

Data handling

You will be sharing client company details and, sometimes, overseas contact addresses. Pasecom Group Ltd is registered with the ICO (ZC117546). Share only what is needed to order and deliver, and keep the recipient’s checklist with the job file rather than in email threads.

Worked example

A small accountancy practice handles 40 limited company clients. Three times a year a client needs a Certificate of Good Standing for a foreign bank or supplier, and each time a partner loses an hour working out the order.

The practice sets up a simple intake: the client’s company number, the recipient’s checklist, the deadline and whether an apostille is needed. Before every order the practice runs the client through our free filings checker, because an overdue confirmation statement would stop the summary statement being issued. It orders through UKCOGS at £79 ex VAT standard, including the £22 Companies House fee, and invoices the client with the official fee shown separately. Apostille stages are quoted case by case. The partner’s time per order drops to a few minutes, and the client sees exactly what it paid for.

Common mistakes

• Ordering while a filing is overdue. File first, then order, or the certificate may lack the good standing statement.
• Bundling official fees into one line. Clients and auditors prefer to see the government fee separately.
• Promising acceptance. Only the overseas recipient decides whether a document meets its rules.
• Describing the service as official. Your firm and UKCOGS are both private businesses; the certificate is official, the service is not.

Frequently asked questions

Does white-label mean our firm issues the certificate?

No. Companies House issues every certificate. Your firm presents the service to the client and adds its own covering note.

Can we put our logo on the certificate?

No. The certificate must stay exactly as Companies House issued it. Branding belongs on your covering letter, index or invoice.

Should official fees be itemised?

Yes. Showing the £22 or £65 Companies House fee separately from your handling charge keeps the invoice transparent.

Can a certificate be issued if the client’s accounts are late?

Companies House can issue a certificate, but without the good standing statement. Most overseas recipients reject that version, so file the overdue documents first.

Can we describe the service as FCDO approved?

No. Neither UKCOGS nor your firm should use FCDO partner or approved wording. Apostilles are issued by the FCDO; we only coordinate them on a quote-only basis.

What is the best reference for repeat orders?

Use the company number with your own job reference. Names change; company numbers do not.

Can our firm add its own covering letter?

Yes. The Companies House certificate itself stays unchanged, but your firm can add its own covering note or index for the client. Keep the official fee and the service price clear on your invoice so the client can see what they paid for.

Ready to set up? See the accountants and agents page or order a certificate.