Credit Application Form Template
A credit application is the single most useful document in your credit file — it captures who you are dealing with, secures the legal entity's details, and binds the customer to your terms before you ship a thing.
What's included
- A complete field-by-field credit application you can copy into your own form
- The legal-entity details that make a debt recoverable later
- A terms-acceptance and signature block
- Guidance on what to verify before you approve
7 min read
Why the application form matters
The credit application is where you establish exactly who is liable for the debt. Getting the legal entity right — the correct company, partnership or sole trader, with its ABN/ACN — is what lets you chase the right party if the account goes bad. A vague 'trading name' with no entity behind it is a recovery nightmare.
It is also your first and cheapest credit check. The references, bank details and trading history a customer volunteers tell you a lot before you have spent a cent verifying anything. Make the form thorough but not so long that customers abandon it.
The application form template
Copy the fields below into your branded form. Mark the entity and signature sections as mandatory.
CREDIT APPLICATION Applicant (legal entity) Full legal name: __________________________ Trading name(s): __________________________ Entity type: [ ] Company [ ] Sole trader [ ] Partnership [ ] Trust ABN: __________ ACN (if company): __________ Registered/principal address: ______________ Postal address: ___________________________ Years trading: ______ Contacts Accounts payable contact: _________________ Phone: __________ Email: _________________ Purchasing/authorised orderer(s): _________ Credit requested Credit limit sought: $ ____________ Estimated monthly purchases: $ ____________ Bank Bank / branch: ____________________________ Trade references (minimum two current suppliers) 1. Business: ______ Contact: ______ Phone: ______ 2. Business: ______ Contact: ______ Phone: ______ Directors / proprietors (for guarantee if required) Name: ______ Position: ______ DOB: ______ Residential address: ______________________ Terms acceptance I/we apply for credit and agree to be bound by the supplier's Terms of Trade (attached/provided), including payment terms, interest on overdue amounts and recovery costs. Signed: ______________ Name: ______________ Position: ____________ Date: ______________
How to use it
Make completing this form a precondition of opening any credit account — no signed application, no terms, cash up front. Pair it with your terms of trade so the signature on the form binds the customer to those terms.
Before approving, verify the ABN/ACN on the ABN Lookup and ASIC registers, call both trade references, and run your credit check checklist. Keep the signed original on file for the life of the account.
This is general business information, not legal advice. Have your application form and terms reviewed by a lawyer before you rely on them, especially the terms-acceptance and guarantee wording.
Tips
- Capture the exact legal entity and ABN/ACN — that is who you recover from.
- Always collect at least two current trade references and call them.
- Bind the signature to your terms of trade on the same form.
- Add a director details block if you will ever want a personal guarantee.
FAQ
Can I open an account without a signed application?
You can, but you lose the entity confirmation and terms acceptance that make a debt straightforward to recover. Insist on the form.
How many trade references should I ask for?
Two current suppliers is the practical minimum; three is better for larger limits. Make sure they are genuine arm's-length suppliers, not related parties.
Should the form include a personal guarantee?
For companies and trusts, yes — at least a directors' details block so you can request a guarantee. Have the guarantee wording drafted by a lawyer.
Templates are a head start — not legal advice
Customise to your business and have important documents reviewed. Need to recover a debt? We can help.