Cerved Fido Certificato: what it is and how to use it to decide how much credit to extend
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In short: the Fido Certificato is the value Cerved puts in its reports to indicate the “maximum limit” of exposure to a company. It is in the Standard Report and the Entry Report on Credit Direct, and in the Full plan on Powerbiz. It helps you decide how much credit to grant, but it must be compared with your actual exposure: it is not a payment guarantee.
Veryfy is not affiliated with Cerved Group S.p.A. and does not sell Cerved reports: this guide describes Cerved's services as presented on their public pages, consulted on 01/11/2026.
What the Fido Certificato is, according to Cerved
On the Credit Direct page dedicated to company reliability, Cerved presents together the Cerved Group Score and the Fido Certificato “to know the reliability of customers and suppliers”. It explains that with the reports you can “identify the companies best suited to your business and know the maximum limit of their financial exposure”.
In practice, therefore, the two figures answer different questions:
- the Cerved Group Score says how risky the company is in general, with a risk class (we explain it in Cerved Group Score: what it is and how to read it);
- the Fido Certificato is expressed as an amount: how much, according to Cerved, you can be exposed to that company.
In the public pages we consulted, Cerved does not publish the formula it uses to calculate the Fido Certificato, nor does it describe it as a commitment to cover the credit in case of non-payment. For this reason this guide treats it for what the sources say: an assessment of sustainable exposure, calculated by Cerved.
Where to find the Fido Certificato
| Cerved product | What the public page says |
|---|---|
| Standard Report (Credit Direct) | Reliability assessment “through the Cerved Group Score (CGS) and the Fido Certificato”; the Forward Looking version simulates two future scenarios |
| Entry Report (Credit Direct) | Summary reliability score, “an assessment of the Fido Certificato” and a check for namesakes |
| Basic Note (Credit Direct) | Official data and a summary score; the description does not mention the Fido Certificato |
| Powerbiz, Full plan | A specific “Fido Certificato”, together with current and 12-month forecast reliability |
| Powerbiz, Standard Report available separately | Report with “risk class and recommended credit line” |
Anyone searching for “Cerved recommended credit line” therefore finds the same idea under another name: in the Powerbiz guide to buying documents, the Standard Report Forward Looking is described as a report “with risk class and recommended credit line”. On how to buy reports and what they cost, see Cerved Credit Direct: how it works and how much a single Cerved report costs.
How to use it to decide how much credit to extend
A credit line calculated by a third party serves one precise purpose: to tell you whether the exposure you are about to take is proportionate to the company in front of you. The practical method has three steps.
- Calculate your real maximum exposure. Not the amount of a single invoice, but everything the client may owe together at the worst moment: open invoices, goods delivered and not yet invoiced, and any usual delays.
- Set it next to the credit line. If you remain well below it, the figure is reassuring. If you get close to it or exceed it, it is time to ask for guarantees, deposits or shorter payment terms.
- Remember that the credit line is one for all suppliers. The value concerns the company, not your relationship: other suppliers are also exposed to the same client, and you do not know how much.
An example, with invented figures
Example: a client asks you for supplies of 8,000€ a month with payment at 60 days. The report you consulted shows a credit line of 20,000€.
| Situation | Exposure | Compared with the 20,000€ credit line |
|---|---|---|
| On-time payments: two open invoices | 16,000€ | 80%: within, but close |
| One month of delay: three open invoices | 24,000€ | 120%: over the credit line |
| Payment at 30 days: one open invoice | 8,000€ | 40%: wide margin |
The credit line does not tell you “yes” or “no”: it tells you that at 60 days a single month of delay is enough to exceed it, and that shortening the terms changes the picture a great deal. The formulas for building your own internal credit line, starting from the accounts and turnover, are in the guide on how to calculate a client's trade credit line.
The limits of any credit line calculated by a third party
These limits apply to the Fido Certificato as well as to the credit line estimated by Veryfy or by anyone else, because they depend on the method, not on the provider:
- Look mainly at the past. Accounts and payment behaviour show how the company used to be. A recent event may not yet be in the data.
- It does not know your contract. It does not know whether you have a retention of title clause, a deposit, a surety or credit insurance.
- It does not know the other creditors. The value refers to the company: if other suppliers already have high exposures, your real margin is lower.
- It is not a cover. If the client does not pay, the credit remains yours. If you need real protection, the tools are guarantees, advance payments or trade credit insurance.
- It needs updating. A credit line read months ago is not valid for an order placed today. For recurring clients, monitoring is advisable.
If the client closed its latest accounts with a loss, read any credit line with even more care: how to reason in that case is explained in client with a loss in its accounts: should you extend credit?
Fido Certificato and Veryfy's estimated operating credit line
| Fido Certificato (Cerved) | Estimated operating credit line (Veryfy) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where to find it | Standard Report and Entry Report on Credit Direct; Full plan on Powerbiz | All reports (from 19€) and the Rating and operating credit line micro-product (9.90€) |
| Price visible before purchase | Credit Direct reports: price not shown on the public pages, visible on the platform after registration. Powerbiz: subscription plans, with prices excluding VAT on the Prices page | Yes, VAT included, on /prezzi and /verifica-veloce |
| How it is presented | “Maximum limit” of financial exposure | Estimate of sustainable exposure based on the available data, compared with the figure you declare |
| If it cannot be calculated | Not stated on the public pages | The report states “Operating credit line not available”, without inventing a figure |
| Payment guarantee | Not described as such on the public pages | No: it is an estimate, not a guarantee |
In the Veryfy report the credit line is not an isolated number: before purchase you declare how much you are about to expose yourself, and the report compares the two figures. If the exposure exceeds the credit line, the report says by how much and suggests tools such as a surety, personal guarantee, advance payment or credit insurance; if it is above 80% of the credit line, it flags it as at the limit and suggests a deposit or split deliveries. The decision remains yours.
The differences in content between Cerved and Veryfy reports, including the items that only one of the two offers, are set out in how much a single Cerved report costs. If you first want to understand what can be seen for free, start from free Cerved reports: what you can see without paying and free reliability reports: what is really free.
Veryfy is not affiliated with Cerved Group S.p.A.; Cerved, Cerved Group Score and Credit Direct are trademarks of their respective owners.
Sources
- Cerved Credit Direct, Credit reliability and financial statement analysis of companies (accessed 2026-11-01)
- Powerbiz (Cerved), Prices page (accessed 2026-11-01)
- Powerbiz (Cerved), Purchase of official documents and reports (accessed 2026-11-01)
- Cerved, “Credit risk: the Cerved score becomes forward looking” (accessed 2026-11-01)
Frequently asked questions
What is the Cerved Fido Certificato?
It is the value Cerved includes in its reports to indicate the maximum level of financial exposure to a company. It appears in the Standard Report and the Entry Report on Credit Direct, and in the Full plan on Powerbiz.
Are the Fido Certificato and the fido consigliato the same thing?
Cerved pages use both expressions: Credit Direct refers to the Fido Certificato in the Standard Report, while the Powerbiz guide describes the Standard Report Forward Looking as a report with a risk class and a recommended credit line (fido consigliato).
Does the Fido Certificato guarantee that the client will pay?
No. On the public pages we consulted, Cerved does not describe it as a commitment to cover the credit. Like any credit line calculated by a third party, it must be compared with your actual exposure; for protection you need guarantees, advance payments or credit insurance.
How do I use the Fido Certificato to decide how much credit to extend?
Calculate everything the client may owe together at the worst moment, including open invoices and usual delays, and compare it with the credit line. If you get close to it or exceed it, ask for guarantees, deposits or shorter payment terms.
Is there an alternative to the Fido Certificato without registration?
The Veryfy Rating and operating credit line micro-product costs 9.90€ VAT included and shows a credit rating and an estimated operating credit line. It is an estimate based on the available data, not a guarantee, and if it cannot be calculated the report says so.
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