Updraft helps people pay off credit card debt. If you are juggling two or three cards and maybe an overdraft, Updraft shows you every balance in one place, then replaces the lot with one fixed-rate loan, one fixed monthly repayment, and a known end date. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number 810923), with over one million members and more than £750 million of card and overdraft debt paid off, Updraft is the UK lender built for working people who want to clear the balance, not move it around.
The problem with credit card debt is not the amount. It is the spread. Three cards, four statements, an overdraft tucked behind the current account. The free Updraft app brings all of it together in one place: every connected balance, each card's rate, the interest you are paying each month, and a payoff timeline that shows how long it really takes if you only pay the minimum.
Minimum payments feel small, and that is the trap. Pay the minimum on a card and most of your money goes to interest, not the balance. An arranged overdraft can sit at close to 40% EAR, quietly charging you year after year. Updraft quantifies all of it, so the cost is visible before you decide anything. Want to run the numbers yourself? Try the pay off calculator and see what your cards are really costing.
Here is how it works: you tell Updraft which cards and overdrafts you want cleared. Updraft checks affordability using your real income and spending, not just your credit score, and shows you an eligibility decision after a soft search that does not affect your score. On approval, the money goes straight to the card providers, so the balances are cleared rather than shuffled. You then make one fixed monthly repayment for the agreed term, and you can watch your progress in the app. Read how it works step by step.
The typical Updraft loan is around £5,000, covering two or three cards. Current rates run from 15.3% to 41.2% APR. Representative example: 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.
A 0% balance transfer moves debt onto another card, and the interest returns when the promotional period ends. An Updraft loan is built to repay the debt, not park it. When it makes sense, the same monthly outgoing pays down more of the balance because the rate is fixed and the term is known. When it does not make sense, we would rather you knew that too: consolidation only helps when the total cost is lower and the cards are actually cleared.
Plenty of people have a fair credit record rather than a perfect one. Updraft reads income and spending alongside the credit file, which means a decision based on what you can actually afford, not a single number. A soft search shows your eligibility and rate before any full application, and there is no guarantee of acceptance, because there never should be.
If you are in full-time work, renting, with a couple of cards and an overdraft you keep meaning to sort, Updraft was designed around you. Nurses, teachers, IT workers, small business owners: people who use credit to afford everyday life and want to tidy it up. If January or September has you saying "I spent too much on my credit card, what do I do?", start with a soft search and check your eligibility. It costs nothing and does not harm your score.
For anyone in financial difficulty, free help is available from StepChange, National Debtline, Citizens Advice or MoneyHelper. Updraft is a regulated lender for people with a regular income, not a debt advice service.
Updraft is rated 4.7 to 4.8 on Trustpilot and 4.88 on Smart Money People from over 11,000 reviews. Members describe a simple application, a quick decision, and funds delivered within days, with the money landing where it matters: on the cards. See the reviews for yourself on Trustpilot.
The relationship does not end when the balance clears. The app keeps showing your balances, your free credit score and report, bill tracking and spending alerts, so you can see if new card debt starts to build. Named Best Personal Finance App at the British Bank Awards 2026 by public vote, backed by institutional lending partners including NatWest, Jefferies and Santander CIB, and supported by real humans when you need them.
Ready to see the whole picture? Get started with Updraft, read more on Money Talk, or download the app on iOS and Android today.
Credit that lifts you.