American Express
American Express
Higher Engagement: Users showed increased interaction with the new feature, with noticeable reductions in drop-offs.
More Conversions: The flexibility of installment payments encouraged more users to complete their transactions.
Better User Experience: Simplified flows, faster processing, and clear navigation improved overall satisfaction and retention.
Project type
App Design
Client
American Express
Place
KSA (Saudi Arabia)
Overview
This case study explores the design and implementation of the Bill Payment via Plan It feature in the American Express Mobile App. The feature was developed to give users greater financial flexibility by allowing them to convert eligible bill payments (above 500 SAR) into 3, 6, 9, or 12-month installments.
Through a streamlined process from selecting a bill category (telecom, utilities, government services, etc.) to choosing an installment plan and authenticating via OTP, the feature ensures that users can manage large payments more conveniently. Alongside installment setup, users can also calculate costs beforehand, review plans, and track payments seamlessly.
The project aimed to solve pain points around high-value upfront payments, reduce reliance on external services, and improve overall engagement within the app. By focusing on clarity, security, and ease of use, the Plan It feature ultimately enhanced both the user experience and customer satisfaction.
Challenges
Complex Payment Behavior: Users often relied on external services or manual methods for splitting large payments, creating friction within the app.
Security Concerns: Ensuring trust in handling sensitive financial data and installment conversions required robust authentication (OTP, encryption).
User Clarity: Many users found financial terms like “installments” confusing, leading to hesitation in adopting the feature.
Seamless Integration: The feature had to be introduced without disrupting existing bill payment flows.
Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to financial regulations across different bill categories (utilities, telecom, government) posed additional constraints.
Design Process
Design Process
User Discovery: Identified gaps in the existing bill payment functionality through user feedback.
Design & Prototyping: Created wireframes and user flows to test various interaction models.
Development & Implementation: Built the installment planning feature with automated validations for payment amounts and card limits.
Testing & Optimization: Performed usability testing and made adjustments based on user feedback.
Deployment: Released the feature incrementally to ensure a smooth transition.
Results
Results
The Bill Payment via Plan It Feature successfully enhanced financial flexibility for American Express users by enabling installment-based bill payments. With a seamless user flow, real-time eligibility checks, and secure authentication, the feature significantly reduced payment-related stress and improved user engagement.
Increased Efficiency: Users report significant time savings and improved productivity through optimized scheduling recommendations.
Positive User Feedback: High user satisfaction ratings and positive reviews highlight the app’s intuitive interface and powerful AI capabilities.
Growing User Base: The app quickly gained traction among individuals and businesses worldwide, with a steady increase in user adoption and engagement.
Explore All Payment Options
The Plan It™ feature gives users flexibility by allowing them to convert large purchases of SAR 1,000 or more into simple monthly installments. Similarly, Bill Payments makes it easier to manage recurring expenses like telecom, internet, and utilities. Any bill of SAR 500 or more can be split into installments, helping users reduce the burden of paying everything upfront.
For larger obligations, the Government Payments option enables users to settle official fees and services—such as traffic violations, resident services, or passport renewals through structured payment plans starting at SAR 500. Additionally, the Balance Transfer feature offers financial convenience by allowing users to consolidate outstanding loans or credit card balances of SAR 1,000 or more from other banks into American Express, repaying them over time with ease.