Currensea
The UK’s first direct debit travel card, helping travellers save on exchange rates.
Lead Product Designer - February 2019 to May 2022
Bank Linking Journey
+ Context
When ordering the Currensea card, the user must connect their bank account to their future card.
+ Issues
This bank linking journey is the main point of friction, accounting for 75% of drop-offs:
- Users have to link their bank account twice during the card application process
- This step is perceived as too complex and not reassuring
+ Goals
Increase the sign-up rate by simplifying and streamlining the bank linking journey.
+ Solutions
To optimize the user experience and achieve these goals, we:
- Added trust logos (Trustpilot, FCA, media) to reassure users
- Improved CTAs:
- Used the selected bank’s color to encourage clicks
- Fixed the CTA position at the bottom of the screen for better accessibility
The Open Banking logo, intended to reassure, had the opposite effect: user tests revealed it made the journey complex and intimidating.
+ A/B Testing
To identify the most effective design, we conducted an A/B test by varying:
- Layout and information hierarchy
- Text content
- Links to articles and FAQs
+ Results
- 23% increase in conversion rate over the first 18 months
- 13% decrease in drop-offs at this stage over the same period
- Improved ratings (4+ stars) on Trustpilot and an increase in positive reviews
Dashboard and Limits
+ Context
In the Currensea app dashboard, the user sees their bank account balance, but this amount does not match what they can actually spend with their card.
+ Issues
- High volume of declined transactions for users with low limits
- Users struggle to resolve bank linking issues on their own
- Declined transactions generate frustration and increase the volume of tickets for customer service and the compliance team
+ Goals
Empower users, improve their experience, and reduce the volume of customer service requests.
+ Research
Following 8 qualitative user interviews, we concluded that users did not want to see their bank account balance in the app and were concerned about the security of their banking data.
+ Solutions
- Display the amount available for spending with Currensea
- Offer the possibility to fix bank linking issues directly from the home screen
- Add shortcuts to the limits page for more intuitive management
+ Results
Over the first 3 months, we noted:
- 22% decrease in limit-related requests
- 7% decrease in declined transactions
Bonus: Users proactively contact customer service to request an increase in their limits, providing an opportunity for upselling and subscription upgrades.
