PayU's
PayU's
PayU's
Super App
Super App
Super App
Merging PayU Payments and PayU Finance into a unified Super App — liftingPlay Store rating from 1.4 to 3.2 and crossing 2 lakh+ downloads.
Merging PayU Payments and PayU Finance into a unified Super App — liftingPlay Store rating from 1.4 to 3.2 and crossing 2 lakh+ downloads.
Platform
Android & iOS — B2C Mobile App
Year | Timeframe
2021 | 8-10 Weeks
Sagar Kumar
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Problem & Context
Problem & Context
PayU operated two separate consumer apps — PayU Payments and PayU Finance — with overlapping users, fragmented experiences, and a combined reputation problem: the Payments app sat at a 1.4 Play Store rating. Users who needed both payments and credit had to juggle two apps with different patterns, logins, and support paths.
PayU operated two separate consumer apps — PayU Payments and PayU Finance — with overlapping users, fragmented experiences, and a combined reputation problem: the Payments app sat at a 1.4 Play Store rating. Users who needed both payments and credit had to juggle two apps with different patterns, logins, and support paths.
Key problems:
Key problems:
1.4 Play Store rating — deep user distrust, review sentiment dominated by complaints
Two apps, two codebases, two design languages for one brand and overlapping users
Credit users forced to switch apps mid-journey for payments and vice versa
Duplicated KYC, login, and support flows across both apps
Fragmented analytics — no unified view of the consumer relationship
1.4 Play Store rating — deep user distrust, review sentiment dominated by complaints
Two apps, two codebases, two design languages for one brand and overlapping users
Credit users forced to switch apps mid-journey for payments and vice versa
Duplicated KYC, login, and support flows across both apps
Fragmented analytics — no unified view of the consumer relationship
Research & Discovery
Research & Discovery
Play Store review mining — categorized complaints across both apps to find rating drivers
User journey mapping — where users crossed between payments and finance needs
Feature inventory + overlap analysis across both apps
Competitive analysis — Paytm, PhonePe, and other Indian super appsStakeholder alignment across Payments and Finance business units
Play Store review mining — categorized complaints across both apps to find rating drivers
User journey mapping — where users crossed between payments and finance needs
Feature inventory + overlap analysis across both apps
Competitive analysis — Paytm, PhonePe, and other Indian super appsStakeholder alignment across Payments and Finance business units
Key Insights
Key Insights
The rating problem was a trust problem:
The rating problem was a trust problem:
Top complaint categories were failed transactions with no status visibility, and support dead-ends — not missing features. Fixing feedback loops mattered more than adding capability.
Top complaint categories were failed transactions with no status visibility, and support dead-ends — not missing features. Fixing feedback loops mattered more than adding capability.
Users didn’t know two apps existed:
Users didn’t know two apps existed:
Many Finance users discovered payment features existed only in the other app through support calls. The split was invisible until it hurt.
Many Finance users discovered payment features existed only in the other app through support calls. The split was invisible until it hurt.
A merger is a migration problem:
A merger is a migration problem:
The design challenge wasn’t the unified app — it was moving two existing user bases without breaking their habits or their active credit lines.
The design challenge wasn’t the unified app — it was moving two existing user bases without breaking their habits or their active credit lines.
Navigation must serve two mental models:
Navigation must serve two mental models:
“I’m here to pay” and “I’m here to manage my loan” are different modes. The IA had to serve both without forcing either through the other’s funnel.
“I’m here to pay” and “I’m here to manage my loan” are different modes. The IA had to serve both without forcing either through the other’s funnel.
Design Decisions
Unified home with mode-aware modules
Unified home with mode-aware modules
What: A single home surface with payments and finance modules, prioritized by the user’s actual usage pattern.
What: A single home surface with payments and finance modules, prioritized by the user’s actual usage pattern.
Why: Rather than forcing a single hierarchy, the home adapts — heavy credit users see loan status first, payments users see pay actions first. Both mental models served.
Why: Rather than forcing a single hierarchy, the home adapts — heavy credit users see loan status first, payments users see pay actions first. Both mental models served.
Transaction status transparency end-to-end
Transaction status transparency end-to-end
What: Every transaction shows a live status timeline — initiated, processing, completed/failed — with failure reasons and next steps.
What: Every transaction shows a live status timeline — initiated, processing, completed/failed — with failure reasons and next steps.
Why: Failed transactions with no visibility were the #1 rating killer. Transparent status with actionable failure states directly attacked the trust deficit.
Why: Failed transactions with no visibility were the #1 rating killer. Transparent status with actionable failure states directly attacked the trust deficit.
Single KYC, single login, migrated accounts
Single KYC, single login, migrated accounts
What: One identity across payments and finance, with a guided migration flow for existing users of both apps.
What: One identity across payments and finance, with a guided migration flow for existing users of both apps.
Why: Duplicate KYC was both a user burden and a compliance risk. The migration flow preserved active credit lines — the highest-stakes constraint of the merger.
Why: Duplicate KYC was both a user burden and a compliance risk. The migration flow preserved active credit lines — the highest-stakes constraint of the merger.
Final Designs
Login & Onboarding
Login & Onboarding
Streamlined login with 2FA built in, followed by onboarding that leads with trust — “Join the 5 lakhs+ businesses,” security assurance, and value framing before a single form field. Merchants know why they’re here before they’re asked for anything.
Streamlined login with 2FA built in, followed by onboarding that leads with trust — “Join the 5 lakhs+ businesses,” security assurance, and value framing before a single form field. Merchants know why they’re here before they’re asked for anything.
The All New Homescreen
The All New Homescreen
Welcome to the redesigned PayU Mobile App, where simplicity meets power in the palm of your hand. Our new Home Screen is designed to provide you with a seamless and intuitive experience, empowering you to manage your payments effortlessly.
Welcome to the redesigned PayU Mobile App, where simplicity meets power in the palm of your hand. Our new Home Screen is designed to provide you with a seamless and intuitive experience, empowering you to manage your payments effortlessly.
Product Suite — New Feature
Product Suite — New Feature
Every way to collect, one home. A unified payments hub bringing QR codes, payment links, handles, invoices, and in-person payments into a single surface — with a live summary dashboard, mode-wise transaction splits, and drill-down to settlement-level detail with refunds one tap away.
Every way to collect, one home. A unified payments hub bringing QR codes, payment links, handles, invoices, and in-person payments into a single surface — with a live summary dashboard, mode-wise transaction splits, and drill-down to settlement-level detail with refunds one tap away.
QR Code Payments
QR Code Payments
Experience the future of seamless transactions with PayU’s QR Code Payments feature. Say goodbye to lengthy account details and hello to instant, secure payments. Simply scan or share your personalized QR code to make or receive payments effortlessly.
It’s the fastest, safest way to transact – putting the power of PayU in the palm of your hand. Try QR Code Payments today for a smarter, swifter payment experience. Pay and get paid with just a scan!
Experience the future of seamless transactions with PayU’s QR Code Payments feature. Say goodbye to lengthy account details and hello to instant, secure payments. Simply scan or share your personalized QR code to make or receive payments effortlessly.
It’s the fastest, safest way to transact – putting the power of PayU in the palm of your hand. Try QR Code Payments today for a smarter, swifter payment experience. Pay and get paid with just a scan!
User Testing
Testing the application by rolling out to 30% of the merchants.
Testing the application by rolling out to 30% of the merchants.
Research Goals:
Research Goals:
Determine how design change in the application is affecting users
Determine if app is hard to use
How Invoice and Links update are helping people
Determine how design change in the application is affecting users
Determine if app is hard to use
How Invoice and Links update are helping people
Research Questions:
Research Questions:
Are users to use the application?
Are there any parts of the flow that users struggle with?
Can users easily navigate to different parts and products of the application ?
How users are reacting to the UI / UX Changes in the application ?
Are users to use the application?
Are there any parts of the flow that users struggle with?
Can users easily navigate to different parts and products of the application ?
How users are reacting to the UI / UX Changes in the application ?
KPIs:
KPIs:
TAT : To compare the TAT to use the PayU products in comparison to older version
User Error Rates : How users are struggling to perform a task
Conversion Rates : How many customers are able to complete the task
App Engagement : How avg. time users are spending on the application.
TAT : To compare the TAT to use the PayU products in comparison to older version
User Error Rates : How users are struggling to perform a task
Conversion Rates : How many customers are able to complete the task
App Engagement : How avg. time users are spending on the application.
Methodology and Participants:
Methodology and Participants:
Unmoderated usability study
Participants are existing PayU merchants.
Merchants are categorised in Only App users,
Only Dashboard users and who uses both the platforms
Unmoderated usability study
Participants are existing PayU merchants.
Merchants are categorised in Only App users,
Only Dashboard users and who uses both the platforms
Outcomes & Impact
Outcomes & Impact
Based on rollout to 30% users in Apr - May’23 ~ 38k Users
Based on rollout to 30% users in Apr - May’23 ~ 38k Users
On the numbers
On the numbers
Based on rollout to 30% users in Apr - May’23 ~ 38k Users
Increase in MAU from Apr’23 to June’23
Increase in MAU from Apr’23 to June’23
75%
Increase in Product Engagement
Increase in Product Engagement
60%
Users came to App Homepage
Users came to App Homepage
30k
Visited Reports and Product Section
Visited Reports and Product Section
28k
Users tried using products in app
Users tried using products in app
32k
Are using the product monthly basis
Are using the product monthly basis
28k
On the numbers
On the numbers
Based on rollout to 100% users in August 2023 ~ 125k Users
Increase in MAU from August’23 after rolling out
Increase in MAU from August’23 after rolling out
70%
Increase in Product Engagement
Increase in Product Engagement
65%
Are using the product monthly basis
Are using the product monthly basis
81k
Reflections
Reflections
What worked
Review mining as the prioritization engine — the roadmap wrote itself from complaint data
Treating migration as the core design problem, not an afterthought
Attacking trust (status transparency) before adding features
Review mining as the prioritization engine — the roadmap wrote itself from complaint data
Treating migration as the core design problem, not an afterthought
Attacking trust (status transparency) before adding features
What I'd do differently
Phase the migration more gradually — support volume spiked in the first weeks
Invest in offline/poor-network states earlier — a large slice of failed-transaction complaints traced to connectivity
Phase the migration more gradually — support volume spiked in the first weeks
Invest in offline/poor-network states earlier — a large slice of failed-transaction complaints traced to connectivity
Appendix
Appendix
Supporting research, explorations and design evidence
Supporting research, explorations and design evidence
Research artifacts
01
Research notes, audits and synthesis that shaped the conversational experience.
Research artifacts
01
Research notes, audits and synthesis that shaped the conversational experience.
Personas & behavioural patterns
02
Key user needs, behaviours and intent patterns identified across Jio products.
Personas & behavioural patterns
02
Key user needs, behaviours and intent patterns identified across Jio products.
Conversational benchmarking
03
Benchmarking of chat, assistant and support experiences to understand different interaction models.
Conversational benchmarking
03
Benchmarking of chat, assistant and support experiences to understand different interaction models.
Visual Designs
04
The complete set of components, states, screens and behaviours explored while building the reusable chat framework.
Visual Designs
04
The complete set of components, states, screens and behaviours explored while building the reusable chat framework.
Sagar Kumar
UX/UI Designer
Contact me
Available for work
Get in touch and let’s turn concepts into stunning websites
Transforming ideas into reality
© Sagar 2026 | All Rights Reserved
Get in touch and let’s turn concepts into stunning websites
Transforming ideas into reality
Available for work
© Sagar 2026 | All Rights Reserved