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Most brands in our corner of finance either shout about rates or lean on fear. We have never wanted to do either. So when we made our first TV ad, we started with something true instead of something loud.
Debt rarely turns up in one big dramatic moment. It creeps in. A coffee here. A car repair. A trip to the dentist. One tap at a time, until the balance is bigger than you expected and the interest is doing the talking. We called the campaign Falling Into Debt: One Tap at a Time, and the whole point was to make that quiet, everyday slide visible. No judgement. No scare tactics.
But the part the judges picked up on was not the ad itself. It was a decision we made about who we would talk to, and who we would not.
We launched over Christmas and used credit information to choose our audience. Not to reach as many people as possible. To do the opposite. We deliberately stepped away from people who were already in real financial difficulty, because borrowing is not the right answer for everyone, and the responsible thing is to say so before anyone taps anything. We only wanted to reach people we were confident we could help. People noticed. Searches for Updraft by name went up 72% on the year, and around 1.4 million people came to find out more across January and February.
Which brings us to Micha. She joined Updraft just under five years ago, as one of the first 15 people here and the very first hire focused on data and credit. She came from a different industry, built our credit and analytics function from nothing, and now runs it as VP. She has been here for almost the entire climb, from a startup of 15 to a company with more than a million members. The team she has built has twice won our internal award for the biggest impact on the business.
The campaign won for choosing who to reach, and who to step away from. Micha and her team do the work that makes choices like that possible. They build the thinking behind every yes and every no, and getting it right is what stops people taking on debt they cannot handle. It is quiet, unglamorous work that almost nobody outside the company ever sees.
When she is not doing that, she is teaching the next generation, with talks at the London School of Economics and Warwick Business School on credit and the role of AI in managing financial risk.
Two trophies, then, and one belief underneath both. Credit should lift you, not hold you back. And the most respectful thing a company like ours can do is be honest about who it can help, and careful with the people it can. Thanks to the judges, and to the team who did the work behind both. We are proud of these. Now, back to it.
Looking to pay off credit card debt? If you’re looking to consolidate credit card debt and cut down on high interest, check your eligibility for Updraft, or download our app today.
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25.9% APR Representative based on a £10,000 loan over 60 months at 20.40% fixed interest p.a. Monthly repayment: £283.20. Total repayable: £16,992 (inc. £600 fee). Subject to status and affordability. Consolidating debt may increase the term and total amount repaid. All figures are representative and based upon an assessment of credit and affordability. Terms and conditions apply.
From 15.3% to 41.2% APR, £1,000–£25,000, over 2–5 years available.
Updraft helps people pay off credit card debt. Using open banking and credit data, it shows people what they owe across their cards and overdrafts and helps them build a plan to clear it. More than a million people have used Updraft to pay off over £750 million in credit card and overdraft debt. Updraft is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and operates under Fairscore Ltd.
What is Updraft?
Updraft helps people pay off credit card debt. It uses open banking and credit data to show people everything they owe across their cards and overdrafts, then helps them build a plan to clear it. More than a million people have used Updraft to pay off over £750 million in credit card and overdraft debt.
Is Updraft just a loan?
No. Updraft is a service for paying off credit card debt. A consolidation loan can be part of how it helps, but it starts by using open banking to show people their full picture and build a plan to pay down what they owe. The goal is getting on top of the debt, not taking on more of it.
How does Updraft help people pay off credit card debt?
Updraft connects to a person's accounts through open banking and reads their credit data to show what they owe and what it is costing them in interest. From there it helps them build a plan to pay it down, which can include bringing higher-interest balances together so more of each payment goes towards clearing the debt rather than servicing interest.
What did Updraft win at the 2026 Credit Awards?
Updraft won in two categories at the 2026 Credit Awards, held at Celtic Manor in Wales on 24 June 2026: Best Marketing Campaign of the Year, for its first television campaign, and Rising Star of the Year, awarded to Micha Panagiotidi, Updraft's VP of Credit and Analytics. The Credit Awards are run by Credit Strategy and judged by an industry panel, so the wins reflect recognition from within the credit and finance sector. Earlier in 2026 Updraft was also named best personal finance app at the British Bank Awards, which is voted for by customers.
Is Updraft FCA authorised?
Yes. Updraft is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. It operates under Fairscore Ltd.
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Updraft is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 810923.
Fairscore Ltd (trading as “Updraft”) is registered in England. Our registered company number is 10868865 and our registered office is at 20-22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU. Updraft is acting as an agent of TrueLayer, who is providing the regulated Account Information Service and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 and Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (firm reference number 901096).
© 2026 Fairscore Ltd