Enter password to view case study
← All SELECTED WORK
ClearScore Open Banking
Rebuilding car finance for ClearScore's new marketplace
Pricing — 1440
Marketing site
The 30-second version
Role
Product Designer
Team
1 product designer, 1 product manager, 4 engineers, 1 EM
Timeline
3 months
Platform
Web & Mobile
Problem
Visitors compared plans in a table they had to scroll sideways, and many left without starting a trial.
+18%
trial starts
−22%
pricing bounce
0
new support tickets
SCOPE OF WORK
We were seeing drop offs during registration, low Open Banking connection rates, and lower marketplace activation than expected. Qualitative signals pointed to confusion, trust gaps, and unclear value communication.
I designed product experience to drive engagement and marketplace performance through Open Banking at ClearScore.
WHAT ARE WE AIMING FOR?
ClearScore helps people in the UK check their credit score and compare credit offers. Open Banking lets people securely share their bank data with ClearScore by connecting their bank account. I worked on two ways of putting that to use: helping people prove who they are when they sign up, and turning their bank data into something useful once they're in.
"I want to own the car and keep it for years."
CLEARSCORE USER
PART 1: VERIFYING IDENTITY AT REGISTRATION
How I designed registration to balance compliance, trust and conversion
ClearScore was losing a large share of new users during registration, before they experienced any value. The flow forced everyone through a single verification route: upload ID documents, then wait while the team reviewed them. Multiple retries were common, and people without a document to hand dropped off.
That cost everyone. People missed out on better rates and more suitable credit. Lenders struggled to get real-time, reliable data, leading to slow approvals, higher costs and potential fraud. And ClearScore's lender matching and commercial value suffered.
At the same time, customer support was seeing people try to verify with fake or generated ID cards. Any new route had to be harder to fake while staying easy for genuine people.
RESEARCH
Usability tests and Amplitude analytics on the old flow showed where people dropped off. They were confused about data-sharing consent, and unclear why certain information was required.
I also analysed how comparable fintech and high-engagement apps handle identity verification, looking for patterns that reduce friction while staying compliant.
"How do we move from a single verification process?"
FRAMING THE SOLUTION
Before designing screens, I defined the user flow. Frame value before consent, simplify identity steps, and progressively reassure users. I worked closely with compliance to clarify what was non-negotiable versus flexible.
Product picker screen
1600 × 1000
DESIGN DECISIONS
A flexible verification step
Usability tests and Amplitude data on the old flow showed people were confused about what data they were agreeing to share, and didn't understand why certain information was needed. I looked at how other fintech apps handle identity checks, then mapped the new flow with the team in a Miro workshop before designing any screens. I worked closely with compliance to separate what was non-negotiable from what we could change.
Product picker screen
1600 × 1000
Knowledge-based questions
People can verify by answering security questions drawn from their own credit report. It has a lower cognitive load than capturing a document and needs no camera. I styled the questions like a quiz, and an interactive landscape loader keeps people engaged while their report loads, its arc forming a half-circle as it progresses.
Hire Purchase (HP)
1600 × 1000
Consent people can read
The disclosure screen shows exactly what will be shared (account details, transactions, account features and products) and how ClearScore will use it, meeting legal requirements for consent.
Hire Purchase (HP)
1600 × 1000
Open Banking identity
People can verify by linking their bank account, and their financial data is shared with lenders. Because Open Banking was still new to many, the screen sets out the benefits clearly before asking: it won't affect your credit score, there's no need for a selfie with your ID, you can see how you look to lenders, and you could get more exclusive offers. A short in-app video explains Open Banking, and people can continue without linking.
Review screen with design components
1600 × 1000
Guardrails and managing accounts
If answering questions isn't available, people are told and offered the other ways to verify. After verifying, a linked accounts screen lets people manage their banks and cards, link suggested accounts, and unlink at any time, with a reminder that linking won't affect their credit score.
Car finance offers page
1600 × 1000
IMPACT AND OUTCOME
With rollout and comparing with the old journeys at every step, no significant change in revenue per visitor against the old journeys, the bar for success.
PART 2: UPCOMING BILLS
Creating actionable insights for bills
Once people connect a bank account, ClearScore can see the regular bills going out of it. Missing some of those payments can hurt a credit score, but many people don't know which ones. The goal was a feature that made it easy to stay informed about bills that could affect a credit score, with actionable insights so people could manage their finances more proactively.
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM USERS
We ran 9 semi-structured, moderated interviews on Dscout with ClearScore users from a range of backgrounds and financial situations. Many also used other credit apps: 6 used Experian, 4 Credit Karma and 1 CheckMyFile.
Most people guessed which bills affect their score, and often guessed wrong:
"I never understood the difference between a subscription and direct debit."
CLEARSCORE USER
IMPACT AND OUTCOME
With rollout and comparing with the old journeys at every step, no significant change in revenue per visitor against the old journeys, the bar for success.
TAKEAWAYS
Keeping the logic fixed made the design measurable. Because the journeys worked exactly as before, the gains in offer clicks and revenue per offer viewer came from the new experience alone.
Rolling out in stages is how you catch problems early. The drop in people reaching their offers showed up partway through the rollout and was recovered before everyone was moved over.
Next