Reserve Account
A dedicated account that holds a specific amount of a business's funds for future refunds
My Role
Solo UX/UI designer, Researcher
Team
Business owner, 3 Engineers
Timeline
6 weeks, 2023
Project Type & Scope
Freelance, Feature design
I led a cross-functional team to launch 'Reserve’ from scratch, aiming to address merchant refund failures to protect their reputation and customer satisfaction.
It offers diverse payment methods to small and medium-sized businesses (SMB). Using APay's mobile app, merchants can easily accept payments, send payouts, manage their transactions and payment methods.
This case study focuses on resolving refund challenges within APay's mobile app.
This problem could damage their business reputation and even threaten their survival. If left unresolved, it might lead to reduced merchant satisfaction and lower retention rates for APay.
Reserve is a dedicated account that holds a minimal required amount of a business's funds, ensuring refund availability and preventing refund failures.
Substantial improvements one month post-launch
-13%
Refund failure
+28%
Merchant retention
Multiple methods to identify root causes when direct access to end users is unavailable
Due to the tight time, direct conversations with real users weren't possible. To ensure we solved the right problem, I consulted with sales and customer service teams who interact closely with users, and audited the current app.
I found refunds often fail when merchant account balances are the lowest. Timely balance refills are the best solution, but they frequently face delays due to:
Merchants struggle with cash flow during off-seasons, which hinders their ability to refill balances for refunds.
Merchants must contact our accountant and wait for confirmation to refill their balance, leading to refill delays and impacting retention rates.
Cash flow issues are more prevalent for SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses), our target users.
With limited time, I conducted research, analyzing 5 key global competitors to understand industry practices. Then, I proposed 3 options and evaluated them with the cross-functional team.
Considering that our merchants often face cash flow challenges, we created a 'Reserve' account to hold minimum fund balance for future refunds. Alerts notify merchants when the balance falls below the threshold, prompting them to refill it digitally, while an 'Auto-Refill' automatically transfers funds from a linked bank account.
After finalizing the solution, I immediately moved on to design.
To help merchants quickly onboard this feature, I highlighted the Reserve Account entry point on homepage, introduced educational content, and provided essential account info with a clear hierarchy on the 'Reserve' homepage.
The onboarding flow
How to display the refill process？
The business owner proposed 'Step-by-step,' while I advocated for 'Consolidation on a single page.'
Given that merchants are busy, they need a process that allows easy resumption if interrupted. Usability tests validated that the single-page approach aligned better with user needs, and required less dev effort as it uses an existing design pattern.
Considering development effort, tight timeline, and refill efficiency, we chose the single-page approach.
Auto-refill entry point
Auto-refill helps merchants maintain their minimal required balance effortlessly. A clear and appealing entry point is key to increasing its adoption. I began by analyzing indirect competitors with similar experiences for inspiration.
Competitors combine the setup and editing under a single 'Add Funds' entry, leading to confusion, especially for merchants who have already enabled auto-refill and wanted to make changes.
To enhance clarity, I proposed separate entry points for initial setup and subsequent adjustments.
Addressing edge cases beyond flow optimization
For scenarios not addressed by flow optimization, I introduced alerts. Using a 5-step mapping process, I identified 20 potential alerts across 2 tasks, 3 states, 2 communication methods, and 2 urgency levels.
5-step alert mapping process
Detailed hand-off files for on-time launch
To ensure on-time, high-quality design delivery, I prepared detailed hand-off files in advance, including specs, flow, content, and scenarios. I closely collaborated with engineers, synchronizing progress daily for 100% accuracy.
Design specifications + content for alerts
Ensuring Refund Availability
Access your reserve effortlessly from the homepage. The optional educational content explains how reserving a portion of your funds ensures refund availability and prevents failures.
Instant Refills, Zero Wait
Say goodbye to delays and accountant interactions. Complete all refill tasks on a single page with just a few clicks - efficient and swift!
Effortless Balance Maintenance
Auto-refill effortlessly maintains the required minimum reserve amount by automatically debiting shortfalls from linked your bank account when the balance falls below the minimum.
Stay Informed, Act Swiftly
Our SMS alerts keep you instantly updated on reserve issues, even when offline or not actively using the app. The direct action link and banner give you clear context, making rapid responses effortless.
Designing with the Big Picture in mind
In a fast-paced project environment, I realized the crucial role of holistic design thinking. It required me to anticipate user needs across environments, evaluate the long-term effects of our solutions on both users and the business, and identify potential challenges our team might face during implementation. Being preparing for these challenges in advance was key to improving the quality, effectiveness of our design and its implementation.
