GOV.UK One Login vs an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP): Which Should You Choose?

Every director, PSC and LLP member now has a choice to make: verify your identity yourself, for free, through GOV.UK One Login, or pay a firm — an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) — to do it for you. Both routes are equally valid and equally recognised by Companies House. This article sets out exactly how they differ, so you can pick the one that suits you.

Both routes meet the same legal standard

It's worth being clear from the outset: neither option is "more official" than the other. Per GOV.UK's own guidance on meeting the Companies House identity verification standard, both the self-service GOV.UK One Login route and the ACSP route must meet the same six-step verification standard and the same GPG45 medium level of assurance. The only material differences are practical: cost, convenience, and how much handholding you get.

Option 1: GOV.UK One Login (free, self-service)

GOV.UK One Login is the government's own free identity verification route. You complete the entire process yourself: creating an account, uploading your documents, and completing the checks online, without any third party involved.

Best for: directors who are comfortable navigating a government digital service unassisted, have UK-standard documents that are straightforward to verify, and don't need anyone to check their paperwork before submission.

Trade-offs: if something goes wrong — a document is rejected, a scan doesn't pass quality checks, or you're unsure which document category applies to you — you're troubleshooting alone, without a person to call. There's also no separate compliance review of your submission before it's sent.

Option 2: An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (paid, guided)

An ACSP — typically an accountant, solicitor, or company formation agent authorised by Companies House — manages the process on your behalf. You provide your documents and details to the firm; they run the check (often through a commercial identity service provider), review the outcome against their own compliance checklist, and submit to Companies House as your authorised agent.

Best for: overseas directors managing time-zone differences, anyone unfamiliar with the exact document categories Companies House accepts, directors who want a second pair of eyes before anything is submitted, or anyone who would simply rather not deal with a government portal directly.

Trade-offs: you pay a fee. Market pricing for ACSP services varies widely — from around £15 at the very basic end up to £150+ for a fuller concierge-style service, particularly for overseas directors, according to published comparisons from VerifyDirectors and Fundsure.

Side-by-side comparison

Factor	GOV.UK One Login	Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)
Cost	Free	Typically £15–£175+ depending on firm and service level
Who does the work	You, entirely self-service	The firm manages documents, review and submission
Support if something goes wrong	Government help pages/contact only	A named firm you can call or email
Compliance review before submission	Not provided as a separate step	Yes — reviewed against the firm's own checklist
Best suited to	Confident, UK-based, straightforward documents	Overseas directors, complex cases, or anyone wanting guidance
Legal standing	Fully valid	Fully valid — identical legal standard

A simple way to decide

If you're UK-based, hold a standard biometric passport or driving licence, and you're happy managing a government website unassisted, GOV.UK One Login will get you verified at no cost. If you're an overseas director juggling time zones, unsure which of your documents qualifies, or you'd simply rather have a professional firm handle the whole thing and confirm everything is correct before it reaches Companies House, an ACSP is usually the better fit — see our dedicated guide for overseas directors verifying from anywhere in the world.

How TAH's ACSP service compares

We deliberately kept our pricing simple rather than tiered: £125, all-inclusive, for UK-based directors, and £175, all-inclusive, for overseas directors — covering the identity check itself, our own 29-point compliance review, and submission to Companies House as your authorised agent. No add-ons, no surprises later. See the full breakdown on our ACSP service page.

Key takeaways

• GOV.UK One Login and an ACSP meet the identical legal verification standard.
• GOV.UK One Login is free but entirely self-service, with no dedicated support if something goes wrong.
• An ACSP costs a fee but adds document guidance, a compliance review, and a named firm to contact.
• Overseas directors and complex cases often benefit most from using an ACSP.
• TAH's ACSP fee is a flat £125 (UK-based) or £175 (overseas), all-inclusive.