Do I need to use share certificate numbers?

Short answer

Optional. The share-issuance flow lets you record certificate numbers (e.g. ["001", "007"]) when you tick the field, but it's not required.

When to use them

Use share certificate numbers if:

• Your articles of association require the company to issue share certificates (the standard model articles do unless you've disapplied)
• You actually print and physically issue certificates to shareholders (some companies still do; many don't)
• You want to be able to identify specific blocks of shares — e.g. for partly-paid call notices, anti-dilution carve-outs, or pre-emption rights

When to skip them

Skip if:

• You've gone certificate-free (many modern UK companies have disapplied the model-articles requirement and use the cap table as the sole record)
• You're a single-shareholder Ltd with no real need to track named certificates

What Blankitt does with them

• Stores the certificate numbers (as a JSON array) on each share holding and each share transaction
• Surfaces them on the s113 register PDF so an inspector can see which certs back each holding
• Doesn't generate PDF certificates yet — that's a follow-up in Month 4 polish

Tip

Use the same certificate numbering convention as your articles. If your articles say "consecutively numbered from 001", honour that. Blankitt doesn't enforce a particular convention — you get to define your own.