Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132) Limited: FCA regulated?

On the register, but not FCA authorised

This firm is registered with the FCA for anti-money-laundering checks only, which is why it appears on the register. That is not authorisation: the FCA does not oversee how it treats customers, and FSCS protection does not apply.

Registered for 23 years
No FCA actions
Active company since 1994

What does this mean?

Some businesses are required by law to have an anti-money-laundering supervisor. For this kind of business that supervisor is the FCA, and the registration is the only reason the firm appears on the FCA register.
What the FCA checks is narrow: that the firm identifies its customers, keeps records, and reports suspicious activity. It is the anti-crime paperwork behind a bank asking you for ID.
It does not check anything about you as a customer. Not whether the firm treats you fairly, not whether it is financially sound, not whether what it sells is any good. The FCA describes firms registered this way as “not authorised or subject to wider FCA regulation”.
So if the firm fails or treats you badly, there is no FSCS compensation, and the Financial Ombudsman Service usually cannot look at a complaint about unregulated business.

Website, phone number and address

Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.

Website

barclays.com (opens in a new tab)
Phone number

020 7773 2778
Address

1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP, United Kingdom

In the full report: 3 background checks

When barclays.com first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
What kind of line 020 7773 2778 is
Who else gives the postcode E14 5HP

Past FCA permissions and consumer protection

Money-laundering registration only
This firm is registered for anti-money-laundering supervision only. It is not FCA-authorised. Money you hand over is not protected by the FSCS, and the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider a complaint about unregulated business.

FCA disciplinary action and complaints

No FCA disciplinary action.

The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.

Companies House record

The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.

Company number: 02895722 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
Company status: Active
Company type: Private limited company
Incorporated: 8 February 1994 (32 years old)
Registered office: Matches the FCA register address ✓
Nature of business: Financial leasing (SIC 64910)

Directors and company secretaries

Name	Role	Born	Appointed	Other companies
Mark Francis Beastall	Director	Jun 1978	15 Dec 2016	20 other companies
Christopher Simon White	Director	Apr 1978	19 Feb 2018	1 other company
Francis Daniel Macdonnell	Director	Sep 1978	5 Feb 2020	1 other company
BARCOSEC LIMITED	Corporate secretary	Not published	13 Sep 2001	–

Other companies run by these 3 directors

A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.

other companies: 20
closed down: 1
went insolvent: 2

In the full report: all 20 companies, named

What each company does, and whether it is still trading
Which of these 3 directors sit on each board, and since when
The 2 that went into liquidation or administration
The 3 on the FCA register
The 1 company these 3 directors run together
All 35 people who have ever been directors, with their dates

Key dates in its history

Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132)’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (3) All events (66)

2016

6 April 2016

Barclays Bank PLC took control (75–100% of shares)

Companies House

2003

21 July 2003

Registered with the FCA

FCA register

1994

8 February 1994

Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 66 events

All 66 events in its history (3 shown here)
Every director appointment and resignation: 63

Firms connected to Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132)

Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132). A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.

past links: 3

In the full report: all 0 connected firms, named

3 past links through former directors

Get the full report on Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132)

Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.

20 other companies its directors have run, named
3 background checks on its contact details
All 66 events in its history

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132) Limited FCA authorised?

Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132) Limited (FRN 226605) is registered with the FCA under the Money Laundering Regulations only. That is anti-money-laundering supervision, not FCA authorisation, and the FCA does not supervise the firm's conduct.

What is Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132)’s phone number and website?

The FCA register lists the phone number 020 7773 2778 and the website barclays.com for Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132). If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.

Is Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132) a scam or clone?

Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132) is genuinely on the FCA's money-laundering register, so it is not an outright fake, but registration is not authorisation, and scammers impersonate registered firms too. Verify contact details against the register before sending money.

Is my money safe with Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132)?

Money you hand to Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132) is not protected by the FSCS. Money-laundering registration carries no compensation scheme, and the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider a complaint about unregulated business.

Who owns Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132)?

Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132) is owned by Barclays Bank PLC, which holds 75–100% of shares, 75–100% of votes and can appoint and remove the board, since 6 April 2016.

Who runs Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132)?

Companies House lists 3 directors of Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132): Mark Francis Beastall, Christopher Simon White and Francis Daniel Macdonnell.

How long has Mercantile Leasing Company (No. 132) been in business?

The company was formed on 8 February 1994.