What is a business trading address provider?

Many businesses do not need a full office, but they still need an address to show customers. A trading address provider fills that gap. This guide explains what they do, how they differ from other address services and what to look for.

What is a trading address?

Your trading address is the address you show the public: on your website, invoices, letterheads, Google Business Profile and social media. It is where customers and suppliers think of your business as being.

For a limited company, the trading address is optional. The registered office address is the one that is legally required.

What does a trading address provider do?

A provider lets you use their business address as your trading address. Services usually include:

• Permission to use the address on your website and stationery.
• Receiving post addressed to your business.
• Scanning, forwarding or holding letters for collection.
• Sometimes a phone answering service or meeting rooms.

This is often sold as a virtual office.

Trading address vs registered office vs service address

• Registered office - the company's official legal address on the public register. Companies House and HMRC send official letters here. It must be an appropriate address in the same UK nation as the company, and cannot be a PO box.
• Director's service address - the public address for each director, where official documents can be sent to them.
• Trading address - the address you choose to show customers. It has no formal legal role, but it must be honest. You should not suggest you have premises you do not.

One provider can supply all three, but they are separate services.

Who uses a trading address provider?

• Home-based businesses that do not want customers to know their home address.
• Online businesses that need an address for their website and terms.
• Overseas founders with a UK company who want a UK presence.
• Growing businesses that want an address in a particular city.
• Freelancers and consultants who move around.

Benefits

• Privacy. Your home address stays off your website and marketing.
• Professional image. A city business address can reassure customers.
• Flexibility. You can move home without changing your business address.
• Post handling. Letters are dealt with even when you travel.

What to check before you sign up

1. What you may use the address for. Some providers allow trading use but not registered office use, or charge extra.
2. How post is handled. Is it scanned, forwarded, or held? How fast? What does forwarding cost?
3. Parcels. Some providers do not accept parcels, or limit the size.
4. Anti-money laundering checks. A reputable UK provider must check your identity and business. This is a good sign.
5. Contract and notice period. Check what happens to your post if you leave.
6. Google listing rules. Some online maps and listings have rules about virtual addresses. Check before you rely on one for local search.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a trading address can also be used as a registered office without checking.
• Using a home address on a website and later finding it hard to remove from search results.
• Forgetting to update the address on invoices, bank records and HMRC when you change provider.

How Form My Company can help

We offer a business address in London or Edinburgh through our London Virtual Office and Edinburgh Virtual Office services, each £350 a year including VAT. Need your registered office covered too? See our Registered Office Address service. Our Privacy Package includes a registered office, a director service address and a virtual trading address for the first year.

Frequently asked questions