8,301 Total Sign Ups since launch
Prepaid Card User Journey Optimization
The Skrill prepaid card project, a significant initiative undertaken by Skrill, aimed at revolutionizing its digital financial services' user experience and market reach. With a strategic focus on the Italian market, this endeavour sought to expand Skrill’s presence by increasing accessibility and simplifying user entry points. A key aspect of this project was removing the initial deposit requirement, a move designed to attract a broader user base and streamline the process of acquiring a prepaid card. This decision was a tactical change and a pivotal step towards making digital financial services more inclusive and user-friendly.
Faced with a challenging timeline of just 30 days, during a period marked by holidays and a company-wide code freeze, the project demanded exceptional coordination and agility. Teams across different regions, including Italy, Canada, the UK, USA, and Bulgaria, collaborated to ensure the project's success, overcoming significant logistical and operational hurdles. The goal was clear: to launch a revamped prepaid card service by January 6th, achieving 25,000 new card applications and 16,000 activations to reach a break-even point of 400K euros. This ambitious project was not just about meeting financial targets; it was a testament to Skrill's commitment to innovating user experience and expanding its digital footprint in a competitive market.
Strategy
User-centred design focuses on the rapid iteration of prototypes with users and stakeholders.
Methodology
Product development using value proposition canvas.
Tools
- Jira
- Illustrator
- Photoshop
- Figma
Propossed Value
Increased Market Penetration in Italy
Skrill's prepaid card initiative was primed to expand its user base in Italy successfully. By removing the initial deposit requirement, the service became more accessible, leading to broader market penetration. This change made the card more appealing and convenient, especially for those new to digital financial services. The initiative reflected Skrill's commitment to making financial management easier and more inclusive in the Italian market.
Simplified Access for New Users
Skrill simplified the entry process for new users by eliminating the first deposit requirement for its prepaid card. This adjustment attracted over 25,000 new card applications, indicating a positive response from users seeking accessible financial solutions. The change was aimed at reducing barriers to entry, making it easier for more people to start using Skrill's services.
Achievement of Growth and User Adoption Goals
The Skrill prepaid card project achieved significant milestones, with 16,000 new card activations contributing to the project breaking even at 400K euros. This performance demonstrated solid growth and strong user adoption of the prepaid card. The project's success underscored the card's appeal as a reliable and convenient option for everyday financial transactions.
The Skrill prepaid card offers a flexible and secure way for users to manage their finances without the need for a traditional bank account.
Functioning as an extension of Skrill's digital wallet, this prepaid card allows users to make online purchases, withdraw cash at ATMs, and pay for services worldwide, directly using the funds in their Skrill account. It stands out for its convenience, especially for those who engage in international transactions, travel frequently, or prefer a cashless lifestyle. The card's ease of use, coupled with Skrill's commitment to security and efficient transaction processing, makes it a popular choice among users seeking a reliable and hassle-free financial tool.
Data & Analytics
The context behind the prepaid card campaign
This section offers the context to understand the opportunity to address a user segment that had clear opportunities for growth in loyalty, lifespan and adoption by increasing its usage of prepaid cards.
Skrill user segmentation
User segmentation for Skrill's prepaid card was conducted by analyzing customer behaviors, preferences, and transaction patterns, categorizing users into distinct groups based on their usage frequency, financial needs, and specific activities such as online shopping, travel, or sports gambling.
Auxiliary
Users might use Skrill's services to support other primary activities or services, like sport gambling. It represents low value & low loyalty.
Remittance
Users in this segment are likely focused on low-value transactions but vary in loyalty. This group may primarily use Skrill for remittance purposes, sending money to others, often in different geographic locations.
Tradicional
This segment is characterized by low value and varies in loyalty. These users might represent a more conventional user base, possibly using Skrill for routine financial transactions.
Controller
Consumers in this segment are characterized by high value and high loyalty. They will likely consistently use and engage deeply with Skrill's services.
High Roller
High Rollers are also marked by high value and loyalty. This group might include individuals who engage in significant financial transactions, indicating a strong trust and reliance on Skrill's platform.
Limited
They are characterized by specific constraints or particular preferences that shape their interaction with a product or service.
Annual Revenue - 12 Month Revenue Split
Users might use Skrill's services to support other primary activities or services, like sport gambling. It represents low value & low loyalty.
Average Lifespan
Users might use Skrill's services to support other primary activities or services, like sport gambling. It represents low value & low loyalty.
Loyalty - % to reach addoption
Users might use Skrill's services to support other primary activities or services, like sport gambling. It represents low value & low loyalty.
Loyalty -% Not to login after the first week
Users might use Skrill's services to support other primary activities or services, like sport gambling. It represents low value & low loyalty.
Areas where Auxiliary User have more potential
Most of these users are transactions with Sport Betting merchants in Greece, Spain, Italy, and Montenegro. Sport Betting represented 58.5% of source of revenue.
Showing a similar well-reception of prepaid card in Spain and Italy.
A significant segment of prepaid card users include individuals who prefer not to use traditional banking products due to accessibility issues or a desire for greater control over their spending.
In Italy, where sports gambling is a popular activity, these auxiliary users often turn to Skrill's prepaid card as a convenient and secure method to engage in sports betting.
"Auxiliary" users in the context of Skrill's prepaid card service in Italy can be characterized as individuals who utilize the card as a supplementary tool to their primary financial management methods.
Business goals
- Increase Market penetration in Italy
- Remove first deposit requirements
- 400K euros to break even
- 25,000 new card applications
- 16,000 new card activations
UX goals
- Reduce unnecessary steps
- Fix first deposit issues
- Improve end-to-end experience
- Increase NPS score (52 - Sep 2019)
Solution statement
Hey Italian user, your first prepaid card is free!
Removing first deposit requirement
Considering the cost of acquiring new customers, Skrill's decision to remove the first deposit requirement for its prepaid card service in Italy made financial sense. Typically, the cost of acquiring a new customer, especially in the competitive digital financial services market, can be quite high, encompassing marketing, advertising, and operational expenses. In contrast, Skrill found that the cost of shipping a new prepaid card to users in Italy was comparatively lower.
By eliminating this initial deposit, Skrill not only made its prepaid card more accessible and attractive to potential customers but also optimized its customer acquisition strategy from a cost perspective. This move likely resulted in attracting a larger number of new users, offsetting the shipping costs through the increased volume of new sign-ups and card activations. In essence, the reduction in barriers to entry, coupled with the relatively lower cost of fulfilling new card orders, presented a more economically viable approach to expanding Skrill's user base in Italy.
Supporting the most common scenarios to get a prepaid card
- Convenience and Speed
Sports gambling often requires quick and easy transactions. Skrill's prepaid card offers a swift and hassle-free way to deposit and withdraw funds, which is crucial for timely bets in the fast-paced world of sports gambling.
- Budget Management
Auxiliary users who engage in sports gambling appreciate the budgeting control that a prepaid card provides. They can load a specific amount onto the card, which helps manage their gambling spending, thus promoting responsible gaming.
- Anonymity:
Some auxiliary users prefer anonymity in their gambling activities. Using Skrill’s prepaid card allows them to maintain privacy, as it separates these transactions from their main bank accounts.
- Accessibility:
For those who do not have access to traditional banking services or credit cards, or choose not to use them for gambling, Skrill’s prepaid card provides an accessible alternative to participate in sports betting.
Internal Challenges
Mobilizing siloed teams in record time
Campaign and UX improvements launch in Italy was further complicated by the geographical dispersion of teams across various global offices in London, Sofia, Miami, Calgary, and Milan, each operating in different time zones. This added layer of complexity made effective collaboration more challenging. The marketing, product development, legal, and UX teams were not only working within their individual silos but were also contending with the logistical difficulties posed by different geographical locations and time zones. Coordinating meetings, aligning strategies, and ensuring consistent communication across these diverse locations required meticulous planning and flexibility.
UX Design
UX processes as method to align teams
The UX team played an even more pivotal role in bringing everyone together. Adopting a user-centric approach provided a universal focus that transcended geographical boundaries. The UX team became the nexus of collaboration, leveraging collaboration tools like Figma and flexible scheduling to bridge the team gaps. By Illustration the user journey facilitated a continuous exchange of ideas and feedback, ensuring that despite the physical distance, every team was aligned and working cohesively towards the unified goal of a successful product launch.
Visualizing the process
Our first realization was that multiple teams owned different sections of the journeys to apply for a card and activate it as a new user, therefore nobody in the organization had done an end-to-end journey trying to optimize this flow.
We used an easy-to-understand graphic that efficiently guides users through each step, ensuring a smooth and user-friendly experience.
Removing first deposit screen
Conducting a task analysis after removing the first deposit screen led us to identify redundant areas in the application process. This analysis involved meticulously tracing user steps, revealing unnecessary navigational complexities and repetitive actions. By streamlining these aspects, we significantly simplified the user journey, enhancing efficiency and user satisfaction while maintaining the integrity and security of the card application and activation process.
Taks analysis
Areas in red were dimmed unnecessarily, optimizing the flow by 30%
Original Flow
Proposed Flow
Interface Design for Web Responsive
Integrating the marketing campaign
At this stage, we worked on improving UX copywriting and integrating marketing requirements like graphics, banners, and persuasive copy resulting in a seamless flow, enhancing user engagement and coherence between visual appeal and textual clarity, thus aligning the user experience with Skrill's brand identity.
At this stage, we worked on improving UX copywriting and integrating marketing requirements like graphics, banners, and persuasive copy. This resulted in a seamless flow, enhancing user engagement and coherence between visual appeal and textual clarity, thus aligning the user experience with Skrill's brand identity.
This part was especially challenging since the team did not finalize the graphics, video and assets until a few days before the launch of the Tv add, so we had to work with placeholders and adjust as we received more updates.
Flow directs the user from the initial sign-up page to the Strong Customer Authentification (SCA). The secure your account section was moved from First Deposit so the user can enter shipping address and generate a Security Pin.
After SCA and KYC where done (which remained untouched), the user was expected to be redirected to the Skrill Card page to continue the flow. Because of time limitations, this redirection happened as an improvement leading the user to the dashboard and including a marketing banner inviting the user to continue with the card application.
For a physical card, once the application is sent, it will have a 7-10-day waiting period while the card is approved and shipped to the user. In the meantime, the user could create virtual prepaid cards.
By the time the card arrived, the user needed to activate the physical card by following the instructions with the physical card.
Mobile Interface Design
Translating the flow into Mobile
Adapting user flows for mobile phones requires more than just resizing screens for responsiveness; it involves rethinking the user experience to suit the unique constraints and capabilities of mobile devices. This means designing for touch interactions, considering smaller screen sizes, and simplifying navigation to ensure a smooth, intuitive mobile experience that aligns with users' on-the-go needs, rather than merely replicating desktop designs.
The mobile app assumed that the user downloaded the app after watching the TV add.
Once the card was received, the user could activate its physical card.
See final result
New User Registration & Card Application
New User Registration & Card Application for Mobile
Marketing Campaign
The campaign promoting the removal of the first deposit requirement
Most carriers do not have a specific idea of their coverage blind spots and rely on users’ complaints to detect them, considering investigating an area only after several complaints have been filed.
The TV add
Skrill planned to launch a new TV advertisement in Italy, featuring football icon Alessandro Del Piero, to promote Skrill’s prepaid Mastercard®.
It will be aired on Sky Sport, the advert leveraged Del Piero's association with the number ten, his shirt number at Juventus, highlighting the removal of the 10€ application fee for the card for a limited time.
This campaign aligned with Skrill's strategy to enhance its digital wallet's international profile. Del Piero emphasized Skrill’s convenience and efficiency, including benefits like online fund access and loyalty points through Skrill Knect. Lorenzo Pellegrino, CEO of Skrill, underscored the advertisement's importance in their 2020 marketing strategy and the partnership with Del Piero in elevating Skrill's global presence.
Results
Tracking the results
Tracking the success of Skrill's prepaid card launch was crucial, as it provided valuable insights into user behaviour and the efficacy of changes made and guided future enhancements and marketing strategies.
It was expected to provide an ROI of 369K to 738K euros, with an ARPU ranging between 25 to 50 euros. Requiring 400K euros to break even, 25K card applications and 16K activations to achieve our goals.
Overall results - YoY Uplift - January 24th to 30th, 2020.
Prepaid card page KPIs on Skrill Wallet
Trends over time
The campaign helped to attract and maintain interest in the Prepaid Card Products over the months. It was increasing unique sessions and keeping a reasonably healthy consumer base until COVID shot-downs started to impact consumer trends, cancelling sports events and economic downturns.
The removal of the first deposit requirement was successful it was implemented in more low-risk countries.
Design Thinking in Action
Lessons learned underpressure
The Skrill prepaid cards project highlighted the critical importance of user-centric design in guiding project priorities and decisions. Regular user testing and data-driven UX insights were pivotal for efficient decision-making and focusing development efforts on critical user journey touchpoints. This approach was instrumental in streamlining user flows, enhancing user satisfaction, and reducing unnecessary complexities in the product interface. Additionally, the project demonstrated the effectiveness of clear, data-informed user journey mapping in enhancing development efficiency and ensuring that each project component directly addressed user needs.
Cross-functional and international collaboration was another key takeaway, emphasizing the value of diverse perspectives and unified team efforts across different markets. The project's success under tight deadlines, including a holiday period and a code freeze, underscored the importance of strategic planning, adaptability, and maintaining a balance between speed and quality. It also highlighted the need for resilience in UX projects, especially when facing changing circumstances and feedback. This case study stands as a testament to the power of integrating user experience insights into broader business strategies and the essential role of UX in achieving cohesive product and market development.
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I created three portfolios highlighting UX design versatility, tech leadership, and innovation across industries.
UX Design for Internet of Things
UX Design for Fintech
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