Product review — policy first, product second

Employee card eligibility in the UK

Name: Capital on Tap — business credit card
Brand: Capital on Tap

The short answer

Eligibility is decided by your business structure before anything else. Debit and prepaid expense cards are generally available to sole traders and companies. Business credit cards, including Capital on Tap, currently require a UK limited company, LLP or PLC, an active director or 25%+ shareholder resident in the UK, active Companies House status, no unsatisfied CCJs in the last 12 months, and a business that is not in an excluded industry. Sole traders are not currently eligible for Capital on Tap.

Key facts at a glance

Provider: Capital on Tap
Product type: Business credit card
Availability: United Kingdom only, subject to Capital on Tap's status and eligibility checks.
Terms last verified: 26 August 2026 by Kayley Hart

Who this is for

Founders who want to know what is actually available to them before reading product pages.

Before you read on

Write your spending rules first. A card enforces a decision; it does not make one. Build your spending policy.

Reviewed by a qualified professional

James Whitfield — FCCA, Chartered Certified Accountant — 18 years advising UK SMEs on employment costs, payroll and business finance. Reviewed 5 August 2026.

What the product actually is

Eligibility is a hard gate, not a preference. There is no point comparing features on a product you cannot obtain.

For credit products, meeting the criteria is necessary but not sufficient: approval, limit and rate remain subject to assessment.

Criteria change. Every criterion on this site is stored centrally so it can be updated in one place.

Capabilities

Features that matter for a small team

Sole trader

Debit expense cards and prepaid cards. Not currently eligible for Capital on Tap.

Limited company / LLP / PLC

Debit, prepaid and, subject to assessment, business credit cards.

Recently incorporated

Eligible in principle, but credit assessment may be harder without trading history.

Costs, risks and limitations

• Applying and being declined leaves a record of the search; do not apply speculatively.
• Meeting the criteria does not guarantee a useful credit limit.
• Excluded industries vary by provider and are not always published in full.

Who benefits

• Anyone about to apply, who should check the gate before the marketing.

Who should look elsewhere

• If ineligible for credit, use debit expense cards and revisit after incorporation or trading history builds.
• If under financial pressure, do not apply for credit; speak to Business Debtline.

Alternatives

How this compares

Option	Strength	Trade-off
Sole trader	Debit cards available immediately.	No Capital on Tap eligibility currently.
Limited company	Full range available subject to assessment.	Personal guarantee usually required for credit.

How to apply, in order

Confirm your structure and Companies House status.
Check director or 25%+ shareholder status and UK residence.
Check for unsatisfied CCJs in the last 12 months.
Check industry exclusions with the provider.
Only then apply, through the approved route.

Eligibility gate

This product has hard eligibility criteria. Applying involves a soft search of your personal credit file, which Capital on Tap says will not affect your personal credit score. A visible business-file search happens only if you accept and sign the credit agreement. We hide credit promotions from anyone whose answers suggest financial pressure. If cash is tight, a credit card is a cost, not a solution.

• UK private limited company, LLP or PLC, active on Companies House.
• Applicant is an active director, or a shareholder holding at least 25% of the business.
• Applicant resides in the UK.
• No unsatisfied County Court Judgments against the applicant or the business in the previous 12 months.
• The business is not in an excluded high-risk industry.
• Capital on Tap’s published eligibility information states annual turnover of at least £24,000; confirm this campaign’s current eligibility terms before applying.
• A business bank account is required.
• Sole traders are not currently eligible.
• Approval, credit limit and rate remain subject to assessment.
• A personal guarantee is currently required according to official materials.

Current offer and disclosure

This is an editorial product review. The current code, qualifying conditions, disclosure and partner destination are maintained in one canonical offer record to avoid duplicate promotional content.

Read the current offer record and disclosure

Frequently asked questions

Why are sole traders excluded from business credit cards?

Providers set their own criteria, and many limit business credit cards to incorporated businesses. Capital on Tap currently requires a UK limited company, LLP or PLC.

Does a CCJ permanently exclude me?

The current criterion refers to unsatisfied CCJs in the previous 12 months. Criteria change, and satisfied judgments are treated differently — check the provider's current position.

What if I am not eligible?

Use debit expense cards with individual limits. They deliver most of the control benefit without borrowing, and they are available to any structure.

Sources & Citation

Cite this page

Hart, K. (2026) "Employee card eligibility in the UK". The Small Team Builder. Available at: https://www.kayleyhart.co.uk/employee-card-eligibility

2 August 2026 — Eligibility framework page created from public criteria. All criteria stored centrally and editable.

Affiliate and partner disclosure: this site earns money from a small number of authorised partner campaigns, currently Tide and Capital on Tap. Partner links are tracked. We do not accept payment for a positive verdict, and we publish who should not use a product as prominently as who should.