How to check if a lending company is registered with the SEC

To check if a lending company is registered with the SEC, search its corporate name or SEC number on Check with SEC and confirm it holds a certificate of authority to operate as a lending or financing company, not only a registration as a corporation ^[4]. If you're dealing with a loan app, find the company behind the app first, because the SEC registers apps under the company that runs them ^[3].

The rule comes from Section 4 of the Lending Company Regulation Act of 2007 (Republic Act No. 9474): "No lending company shall conduct business unless granted an authority to operate by the SEC." ^[1] Section 2 of SEC Memorandum Circular No. 20, Series of 2026, names the two documents. A company's certificate of incorporation is its "primary license". The certificate of authority is its "secondary license", and it's the one that allows it to lend ^[3].

What do you need before you check?

The company's corporate name, its SEC registration number and its certificate of authority number. Under Section 4.1 of Memorandum Circular No. 20, lending and financing companies must "clearly disclose their corporate name, SEC registration number, and CA number" through their apps and other channels borrowers use ^[3]. Look on the app's information page, the website footer or the loan screen.

If an app doesn't show all three, treat that as your first warning sign. It doesn't prove the company is unlicensed, but a licensed one is required to show them.

How do I check if a lending company is registered with the SEC?

1. Write down the corporate name and both numbers from the app or website. You'll search with these, not with the app's name.
2. If it's a loan app, look it up on the SEC's List of Recorded Online Lending Platforms. Search the page for the app's name (Ctrl+F) and note the company it's listed under. Check that this matches the company the app names ^[5].
3. Search the company on Check with SEC. You can enter either the company name or the SEC number. The SEC describes the service as showing "whether or not a company has the necessary secondary licenses to engage in ... lending, financing, and other regulated activities." ^[4] If the result shows no secondary license for lending or financing, the company isn't authorized to lend.
4. Check the List of Revoked and Suspended Lending Companies. A certificate of authority can be suspended or revoked after it's granted, so a company that once had one may not have one now ^[6].

Is a loan app the same as the lending company?

No. Under Section 4 of Memorandum Circular No. 20, every app name a lending or financing company uses must be registered as a business name or trade name of that company. Each app name may belong to one company only, and it may not be used in a way that misleads you about which company is responsible for it. Section 3 adds that no separate certificate of authority is issued for an app. The company's certificate covers the apps it runs ^[3].

The List of Recorded Online Lending Platforms connects the two. It's where you go from "the app on my phone" to "the corporation that will lend to me", and then you check that corporation.

Is a lending company the same as a financing company?

No, but you check both the same way. Lending companies are governed by Republic Act No. 9474 ^[1] and financing companies by Republic Act No. 8556, the Financing Company Act of 1998 ^[2]. The SEC regulates both, both need a certificate of authority, and Check with SEC covers both kinds.

What if I can't find the company?

Not finding a company isn't final proof, though. Check with SEC says its information "may not be complete" ^[4]. If you're unsure, call the SEC's headquarters at (02) 5322-7696 ^[7].

To report a company, open a ticket on the SEC's iMessage portal, where the SEC takes complaints ^[7]. Attach a copy of a government-issued ID and your loan documents, such as the disclosure statement, amortization schedule and receipts. File one complaint per company ^[8].

Does SEC registration mean a loan is a good deal?

No. A certificate of authority means the company may lend, and it says nothing about what the loan costs. Under Section 20 of Memorandum Circular No. 20, a licensed app has to show you these before you confirm the loan:

• the amount you'll actually receive
• the interest rate per month
• every other fee
• the payment schedule
• the exact term ^[3]

Read that screen before you accept.

Can a loan app send me money I didn't confirm?

No. Section 24 of Memorandum Circular No. 20 bars a lending or financing company from releasing loan money, automatically or otherwise, unless you've first given explicit and informed confirmation of the final loan terms. A disbursement without that confirmation counts as unauthorized ^[3].

Can a lender contact the people in my phone about my loan?

Not as guarantors. Under Section 25 of Memorandum Circular No. 20, nobody in your contact list or your character references can be treated or contacted as a guarantor, co-maker or person liable for your loan unless they separately agreed to it in writing. Collection messages also have to name the company or the app they're from. If one doesn't, the circular says you may disregard it ^[3].

What happens to a company that lends without SEC authority?

Section 12 of Republic Act No. 9474 sets a fine of ₱10,000 to ₱50,000, imprisonment of six months to ten years, or both, for anyone who runs a lending business without a valid authority to operate. The same penalties apply to officers who knowingly do it ^[1].

Can a person or a partnership be a lending company?

No. Under Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9474, a lending company can only be set up as a corporation. An individual offering loans to the public as a business isn't a licensed lending company ^[1].

This guide explains SEC rules. It isn't legal advice.