PayOnce App

Design Process

PayOnce: Simplifying Bill Payments and Empowering Financial Stability

Project Overview (Capstone Project)

Imagine you missed a payment deadline and now have to pay extra fees. How would that make you feel?

Missed payments and overdrafts cost Americans millions each year. Managing bills across multiple platforms is frustrating, leading to late fees and financial stress.

PayOnce consolidates bill management into a single secure app, helping users avoid missed payments and gain better control over their finances, improving financial stability and reducing stress.

Problem Statement

"How might we create an app that simplifies bill management, reduces late fees, and helps users regain control over their finances?”

Challenges

1. Missed Payments & Late Fees – Users forget due dates, leading to financial penalties.
2. Multiple Logins – Managing several accounts frustrates users and wastes time.
3. Lack of Expense Tracking – Users struggle to understand spending patterns, often resulting in overspending.

Solution

1. Unified Bill Dashboard- A clear overview of upcoming and past payments, reducing confusion and missed due dates.

2. Secure & Easy Login – Biometric authentication and streamlined sign-ins to eliminate forgotten credentials.

3. Visual Expense Tracking – Intuitive graphs and expense categorization, providing immediate insights into spending behavior.

Final Result

After 3 months, 80% of users regularly used key features like reminders and expense tracking, demonstrating strong engagement and the app’s effectiveness in improving financial management.

1. Discover

I used qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (surveys, secondary research) methods to gather insights:

Secondary research

31% of Americans don’t pay all their bills on time (National Foundation for Credit Counseling, 2024).

Only 42% of Americans actively track their spending.

https://www.nfcc.org/harrispoll/

Key Insight: Users need automated, centralized financial management solutions.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

I interviewed 10 participants (ages 18-30) who shared their experiences with bill management via Zoom

Objectives: Understand behaviors, frustrations, and payment habits.

Key Insights:

• Users struggle to manage multiple logins.
• Autopay leads to overdrafts due to poor tracking.
• A consolidated platform would simplify financial management.

User Quotes:

“I forget passwords constantly—one secure login would change everything.”

“Autopay dates surprise me, causing overdrafts.”

"I don't realize how much I'm spending until it's too late."

Affinity Map

Survey

I conducted surveys using Google Surveys with 20 participants to gather quantitative data to identify trends and patterns in user behavior.

70% missed at least one bill in the last 3 months.

80% pay bills online but use multiple platforms.

Only 35% actively track their expenses.

45% over drafted due to missed payments.

Conclusion: There was a clear need for a streamlined, secure, and organized solution to simplify payments and enhance financial awareness.

2. Define

I created user personas define the target user, pain points, and their needs

User Persona: Alex Martinez

• Busy professional
• Struggles with due dates, multiple accounts, and expense tracking.
• Seeks simplicity, security, and visual insights to improve financial control.

Pain Points: Missed due dates, login struggles, lack of spending visibility.

Needs: A centralized system with auto-reminders, secure login, and visual spending insights.

User Journey Map

Based on the define phase, here are some key findings:

• Users utilize various payment methods, facing challenges like billing inconsistencies and unreliable payment systems
• Lack of tracking autopayments results in overdrafts and late fees,
• The time-consuming process of logging into multiple websites or apps for payments.
• Forgetfulness of login credentials leads to frustration and security risks.

How might we…

“Create an app that simplifies bill management, reduces late fees, and helps users regain control over their finances?”

3. Develop

Brainstorming and Sketching

I created sketches, wireframes, and a prototype reflecting research-driven solutions:

Mid-fi Wireframes:

• Unified Homepage: All bills and accounts accessible from a single interface.
• Biometric Login: Fingerprint and facial recognition for secure access.
• Expense Visuals: Graphs and categories for easy tracking of spending habits.

User Flow

I create a user flow to visualize the entire pathway a user would potentially experience when interacting with the interface.

Prototyping

Using Figma, I created a clickable prototype and validated it through usability testing.

4. Deliver

Usability Testing

I tested the prototype with 8 participants via Optimal Workshop, measuring task success and gathering feedback.

Tasks included navigating the homepage, setting up a payment reminder, and categorizing an expense.

• Task success rate
• 60% of participants successfully completed a homepage navigation task within 3 minutes.
• 75% categorized an expense correctly within 3 minutes.
• 80% set up a payment reminder within 5 minutes.

Pain Points

• Homepage clutter and unclear navigation.
• Confusion with login process.
• Difficulty categorizing and tracking expenses.

Visual Design

• Color Palette: Green means financial stability, trust, and positivity.
• Typography: Sans-serif fonts for clarity and readability, ensuring easy navigation.
• Icons: Consistent icons for expense tracking and services.

Iteration

1. Clear Homepage: Implemented a clear and intuitive homepage displaying essential features such as expense monitoring and all billing services.

2. Simplified Login:

Added clear instructions, biometric authentication, and easy password recovery options.

3. Enhanced Expense Tracking:

Implemented clear categories, spending insights, and filtering by dates or expense types.

Final Product

Conclusion

5. After 3 months

After 3 months, we used surveys and user feedback to measure user engagement.

80% of users regularly used features like reminders and expense tracking,

This led to a 20% reduction in missed payments within three months, as reported by surveyed users

The app made it easier for users to manage bills, avoid missed payments, and track spending, helping them stay organized and reduce financial stress.

High engagement indicates users find the app useful and are relying on it to manage their finances.

User Feedback:

"I finally feel in control of my finances!"

"I don’t stress about late fees anymore—PayOnce keeps me on track."

What could I’ve done differently

• Implement an onboarding tutorial to help new users understand the app’s features faster
• Incorporate alerts for unusual spending trends for proactive budgeting
• Keep up with competitor analysis for better industry insights

What I learned

• Prioritize objectivity in decision-making
• Be adaptable and open to change.
• Simplicity is key. Users want clear navigation & automation.

Next steps

• Add budget alert for unusual spending patterns.
• Expand bank & bill integrations for a seamless experience
• Conduct A/B testing for ongoing UI improvements.

Constraints

Time Constraints

• Deadlines were tight, limiting the time available for thorough testing.

User Scheduling Challenges

• Coordinating interviews was tough due to users' busy schedules.

User Privacy Concerns

• Addressing users' fears about sharing sensitive financial information.

Conclusion

PayOnce successfully simplified bill management by reducing missed payments by 20% in three months.

• Users felt more in control of their finances.
• Fewer late fees and easier payment tracking.
• Higher engagement with a streamlined, secure experience.

By focusing on simplicity, security, and automation, PayOnce helped users manage bills with less stress and more confidence.