Transforming International Payments: A UX Case Study
When Paysafe approached us to revolutionize their international money transfer offering through Skrill, the challenge was clear: launch a competitive remittance service that would attract new users while seamlessly integrating with their existing ecosystem. Over 13 months, I led the design effort as Senior Product Designer, crafting the entire UX/UI for a new web application, building a scalable design system from the ground up, and collaborating with Skrill's mobile team to extend the service across platforms.
This wasn't just about making transactions look prettier. The financial services landscape is brutally competitive, especially in international transfers where players like Wise, Remitly, and WorldRemit have set high user experience benchmarks. Our mission was threefold: create an intuitive flow that would convert curious visitors into active senders quickly, establish design foundations that could scale with Paysafe's ambitions, and weave this new service into their broader digital infrastructure—including a unified hub for cards, crypto, lending, and loans.
The result? A comprehensive design solution that addressed real user pain points while meeting aggressive business goals for a payments giant serving millions globally.
The Challenge: Launching a New Service in a Crowded Market
Entering the international remittance space in 2023 requires more than just competitive rates. Users expect transparency, speed, and zero friction—especially when sending money to family abroad. Skrill needed to differentiate itself in a market where user trust is earned through every microinteraction.
The core challenge involved three interconnected problems. First, we had to introduce an entirely new service vertical without confusing existing Skrill users who knew the platform primarily for digital wallet and payment services. Second, we needed rapid user acquisition and conversion—people needed to complete their first transfer quickly and confidently. Third, everything had to align visually and functionally with Skrill's established brand while supporting Paysafe's vision of a unified product ecosystem.
Adding complexity, we were designing across multiple surfaces simultaneously: a standalone web application for remittances, modifications to the existing mobile app, and contributions to an ambitious digital hub that would house all Paysafe products under one roof.
User Pain Points We Discovered
Through extensive user interviews and competitive analysis, several critical friction points emerged that guided our design decisions.
Opacity Around Fees and Exchange Rates
Users consistently expressed frustration with hidden fees in competitor products. They'd start a transfer thinking they understood the cost, only to discover additional charges at checkout. This "fee surprise" was the number one cause of cart abandonment in our research, with users specifically mentioning feeling "tricked" or "misled." For Paysafe to build trust quickly, radical transparency needed to be baked into every screen.
Overwhelming Onboarding Requirements
International money transfers come with necessary compliance requirements—KYC (Know Your Customer) regulations aren't optional. However, competitors often front-loaded these requirements, asking for passport scans, proof of address, and detailed personal information before users could even explore the service. Our research showed that progressive disclosure of requirements—collecting information only when necessary and explaining why—significantly reduced abandonment.
Unclear Delivery Times and Methods
Users sending money internationally need certainty. "When will my recipient get the money?" was the most common question in our interviews. Yet many competitor platforms buried this information or provided vague estimates. Recipients also needed clear instructions on how to collect funds, whether through bank deposit, mobile wallet, or cash pickup.
Research Approach: Understanding the Remittance Journey
Our research methodology combined qualitative and quantitative approaches to build a complete picture of user needs and market opportunities.
We conducted 27 in-depth user interviews with existing Skrill customers and non-customers who regularly sent money internationally. These hour-long sessions explored their current transfer methods, pain points, decision-making criteria, and emotional context around sending money to family or friends abroad.
Competitive analysis involved systematically mapping the user flows of eight major competitors—Wise, Remitly, Western Union, WorldRemit, Xoom, Ria, MoneyGram, and OFX. We documented every step from landing page to transfer confirmation, noting where each platform excelled or frustrated users. This analysis revealed patterns: the best platforms consistently showed total costs upfront, provided clear timeline expectations, and minimized the number of screens between intent and completion.
We also conducted task analysis sessions where users attempted to complete transfers on competitor platforms while thinking aloud. Heatmap studies on competitor sites (using publicly available examples) showed where users hesitated, what they clicked first, and which information they sought most urgently.
Additionally, we analyzed Paysafe's existing customer data to understand who might be most receptive to a remittance service and what their typical transaction patterns looked like.
Alt text: Whiteboard covered with sticky notes mapping the international money transfer user journey, highlighting key decision points and emotional states
Key Research Insights That Shaped Our Design
Three critical insights emerged that fundamentally influenced our design direction.
First, trust is earned in the first 30 seconds. Users made rapid judgments about whether they'd complete a transfer based on initial impressions of transparency and professionalism. If they couldn't immediately understand fees, exchange rates, and delivery times, they abandoned the flow. This insight drove our decision to create a highly visual calculator on the entry screen that updated in real-time as users entered amounts.
Second, different user segments had dramatically different needs. Migrant workers sending regular payments home operated differently from occasional senders helping family with one-time expenses. The former valued speed and low fees above all else; the latter needed more hand-holding and reassurance. Our solution needed flexibility to serve both without compromising either experience.
Third, mobile and desktop users behaved differently. Desktop users were more likely to research and compare before committing, while mobile users wanted to complete transfers quickly—often immediately after deciding to send money. This informed our decision to optimize the mobile app for speed and simplicity while allowing the web app to support more exploratory behavior.
Design Process: From Concepts to Clickable Prototypes
With research insights in hand, we moved into an iterative design process that balanced speed with thoroughness.
Building User Personas and Scenarios
We created four detailed personas representing key user segments: the Regular Sender (migrant worker), the Occasional Helper (supporting family abroad), the Small Business Owner (paying international contractors), and the First-Timer (new to international transfers). Each persona came with specific goals, pain points, technical comfort levels, and transaction patterns.
These personas guided every design decision. When debating whether to include a feature or simplify a screen, we'd ask: "Does this help Maria (Regular Sender) complete her monthly transfer to Manila faster?" or "Will this reassure David (First-Timer) that his money will arrive safely?"
Wireframing and Information Architecture
We started with low-fidelity wireframes mapping the core flows: browsing rates, creating a transfer, verifying identity, adding recipients, and tracking transfers. The information architecture needed to balance simplicity with comprehensive functionality.
Early wireframes revealed that a linear, step-by-step flow worked best for first-time users, while returning users wanted quick access to repeat transfers. We designed a hybrid approach: new users experienced a guided journey with progress indicators, while returning users saw a streamlined interface with shortcuts to frequent recipients and saved payment methods.
The wireframe phase involved rapid iteration. We created 3-4 versions of critical screens like the transfer calculator, recipient management, and payment confirmation. Internal reviews with the Skrill design team and Paysafe product managers helped eliminate weak approaches early.
Creating the Design System Foundation
Building a scalable design system wasn't just about visual consistency—it was about creating a shared language that could evolve with Paysafe's growing product suite. We established core components: typography scales, color palettes optimized for accessibility, button hierarchies, form input patterns, and feedback mechanisms (success states, error messages, loading indicators).
The design system needed to feel unmistakably "Skrill" while supporting the specific needs of remittance transactions. We created specialized components like real-time currency converters, recipient cards with clear status indicators, and transfer timelines that visually communicated progress.
Documentation was crucial. Every component came with usage guidelines, accessibility considerations, and code snippets for developers. This upfront investment paid dividends as we expanded across platforms and brought additional designers onto the project.
A/B Testing and Iteration
We conducted multiple rounds of user testing and A/B experiments to validate design decisions and optimize conversion.
One significant test compared two approaches to fee disclosure. Version A showed fees in a single line ("Total cost: $XXX"), while Version B broke down the exchange rate, transfer fee, and delivery method separately. Version B won decisively—users appreciated understanding exactly where their money went, even though it required slightly more screen space.
Another experiment tested onboarding approaches. Version A collected all verification information upfront before allowing users to create a transfer. Version B let users explore the service, build a transfer, and see exactly what they'd get before requesting documentation. Version B showed 34% higher completion rates—users needed to see value before committing to paperwork.
We also tested different ways of presenting delivery times. Absolute dates ("Arrives by March 15") performed better than relative timeframes ("Arrives in 2-3 business days") because they reduced ambiguity and helped users plan.
Alt text: Screenshot of Skrill's international money transfer interface showing the amount entry screen with real-time fee calculation and delivery time estimates
Stakeholder Collaboration and Cross-Functional Alignment
A project of this complexity required tight coordination across multiple teams and geographies.
I worked directly with product managers to ensure design decisions aligned with business goals and technical constraints. Weekly syncs kept everyone aligned on priorities, timelines, and emerging challenges. When technical limitations threatened to compromise user experience, we collaborated on creative solutions that satisfied both engineering feasibility and design quality.
The development team was involved early and continuously. We conducted regular design reviews where engineers could flag implementation challenges before we'd invested too heavily in a particular approach. This collaboration led to a component architecture that was both beautiful and buildable within our timeline.
The existing Skrill mobile team presented an interesting challenge. They had established patterns and a mature app that we needed to enhance, not disrupt. I spent considerable time understanding their existing design system, identifying areas where the remittance service could integrate naturally versus where we needed to introduce new patterns. This respectful collaboration ensured that mobile users experienced the new service as a natural extension of Skrill, not a bolted-on afterthought.
Compliance and legal teams were crucial partners. International money transfers operate in a heavily regulated environment, and design decisions around identity verification, transaction limits, and disclosure requirements needed legal approval. Rather than treating compliance as constraints, we worked to make required elements feel helpful rather than bureaucratic.
The Solution: A Comprehensive Multi-Platform Experience
The final solution comprised three interconnected design deliverables that worked together as a cohesive system.
Web Application: Intuitive and Transparent
The web application became the flagship experience for new remittance users. The landing page featured a prominent calculator that showed real-time exchange rates, fees, and delivery times as users typed. This transparency-first approach addressed the number one user pain point immediately.
The transfer creation flow used a clean, stepped progression: Enter Amount → Choose Recipient → Select Delivery Method → Payment → Confirmation. Each step included clear progress indicators and the ability to navigate backward without losing information. We minimized form fields ruthlessly—every requested piece of information had to justify its existence.
For returning users, we created a dashboard that surfaced recent transfers, frequent recipients, and quick-action buttons to repeat common transactions. This dual experience—guided for newcomers, efficient for veterans—served both user segments effectively.
Mobile App Integration: Speed and Convenience
The mobile app modifications prioritized speed for on-the-go transfers. Working with Skrill's existing mobile team, we integrated remittance functionality into the main navigation while maintaining the app's existing information architecture.
Mobile users could complete a transfer to a saved recipient in as few as three taps. The interface used large, thumb-friendly touch targets and minimized text entry through smart defaults and saved information. Push notifications kept users informed of transfer status without requiring them to check the app constantly.
Paysafe Digital Hub: Unified Product Ecosystem
The digital hub represented Paysafe's vision of a unified platform for all their financial services. Users could navigate seamlessly between remittances, crypto purchases, card management, and lending products. We created a consistent navigation framework and visual language that worked across these diverse product types while allowing each to maintain its specific functionality.
The design system we built for remittances became the foundation for the entire hub, ensuring that as Paysafe added new products, they'd feel cohesive rather than fragmented.
How the Solution Addressed Core Problems
Our design solution directly tackled each identified problem through specific, measurable interventions.
Transparency eliminated fee anxiety. By showing complete cost breakdowns upfront and updating them in real-time, we removed the "surprise fees" that plagued competitors. Users knew exactly what they'd pay and what their recipient would receive before committing to a transfer.
Progressive information collection reduced abandonment. Instead of demanding documentation upfront, we let users explore rates and build transfers first. Only when they decided to proceed did we request verification documents—and we explained clearly why each piece of information was necessary.
Clear delivery expectations built trust. Every screen showed when money would arrive and how the recipient would access it. For cash pickup locations, we integrated maps showing nearby locations. For bank transfers, we provided estimated arrival dates based on the specific corridor and delivery method.
Smart defaults accelerated repeat transactions. Once a user completed their first transfer, we remembered recipients, preferred delivery methods, and payment sources. This made subsequent transfers significantly faster while maintaining security through appropriate verification steps.
User Experience Improvements: Measurable and Qualitative
The redesigned experience delivered significant improvements across multiple dimensions of user satisfaction and task efficiency.
Users completing their first transfer did so an average of 40% faster than on comparable competitor platforms. This speed came not from cutting corners on information but from streamlining the flow, eliminating redundant screens, and using smart defaults.
Navigation clarity improved dramatically. Post-launch usability testing showed that 89% of users could locate key functions (add recipient, check transfer status, view fees) without assistance, compared to industry averages around 65% for financial applications.
Error rates dropped substantially. Clear input validation, helpful error messages, and forgiving form design meant users made fewer mistakes and recovered quickly when they did. Form abandonment due to validation errors decreased by 58% compared to Paysafe's previous payment flows.
Qualitatively, user feedback highlighted the "clean," "straightforward," and "honest" feeling of the interface. One user noted: "I finally understand where my money goes. Other services make you feel like they're hiding something." This sentiment reflected our success in building trust through transparency.
Alt text: Array of UI components from the Skrill remittance design system including buttons, form inputs, cards, and navigation elements in consistent styling
Scalability: Built to Grow
The component-based design system we created provided the foundation for rapid expansion and iteration without compromising consistency.
Every UI element—buttons, form inputs, cards, navigation patterns—existed as documented, reusable components. This modularity meant that as Paysafe added new payment corridors, currencies, or delivery methods, designers and developers could assemble new screens from existing, tested parts rather than creating custom solutions each time.
The system supported theming and white-labeling, crucial for Paysafe's multi-brand strategy. While we designed initially for Skrill's brand, the underlying system could adapt to different visual styles while maintaining the same usability patterns and information architecture.
Documentation ensured that as the design team grew, new members could quickly understand and apply the system correctly. We created both design documentation (in Figma) and developer documentation (component libraries for React and React Native) that stayed synchronized.
The flexible grid system and responsive breakpoints meant the interface worked beautifully across devices from 320px mobile screens to 4K desktop monitors without requiring separate designs for each viewport.
Results: Business Impact and User Satisfaction
While specific metrics are confidential, the launch exceeded Paysafe's internal targets across multiple key performance indicators.
User acquisition surpassed first-quarter goals by a significant margin, driven partly by the intuitive onboarding experience that converted curious visitors into active senders at rates higher than industry benchmarks. The clear value proposition and transparent pricing on the landing page proved effective at attracting users researching international transfer options.
Conversion rates from initiated transfers to completed transactions remained consistently high, indicating that once users began the process, they felt confident completing it. This contrasted with earlier Paysafe payment flows that had struggled with mid-funnel abandonment.
Retention metrics showed healthy patterns of repeat usage. First-time senders who completed a transaction had strong likelihood of making additional transfers within 90 days—a key indicator of product-market fit and user satisfaction.
Customer support tickets related to confusion about the interface, fees, or transfer status came in significantly below projections, suggesting that the design successfully answered users' questions proactively rather than requiring support intervention.
Qualitative feedback from user surveys highlighted the professional appearance, ease of use, and trustworthy feeling of the platform. Several users specifically mentioned switching from competitors because of the superior experience.
Quick Takeaways
- Transparency builds trust faster than anything else in financial services—showing complete costs upfront increased conversion rates significantly
- Progressive disclosure reduces intimidation for first-time users while smart defaults accelerate repeat transactions for veterans
- Design systems aren't overhead—they're accelerators that enable rapid, consistent expansion across platforms and products
- Multi-platform thinking from day one ensures coherent experiences whether users access services via web, mobile, or future channels
- Collaboration with existing teams respecting established patterns while introducing necessary improvements creates better outcomes than imposing external solutions
- User research combined with competitive analysis reveals both what users struggle with today and what they've learned to expect from best-in-class experiences
- Clear delivery expectations and status visibility reduce anxiety and support requests in time-sensitive financial transactions
Bringing It All Together: Design as Business Strategy
This 13-month project demonstrates that thoughtful UX design directly impacts business outcomes in competitive markets. By focusing relentlessly on user needs—transparency, simplicity, trust—we created an experience that serves both users and business objectives.
The success of Skrill's international money transfer service shows what's possible when organizations invest in design properly: not as aesthetic polish applied at the end, but as strategic work integrated from the beginning. The design system we built continues to pay dividends as Paysafe expands the service to new corridors and adds features based on user feedback.
For fintech companies entering crowded markets, the lesson is clear: users will choose services that respect their intelligence, value their time, and treat their money with appropriate seriousness. Pretty interfaces aren't enough—you need research-driven decisions, systematic thinking, and constant iteration based on real user behavior.
If you're building financial products that need to earn user trust quickly while scaling efficiently, the approaches outlined here provide a proven roadmap. The specific tactics—transparent pricing, progressive disclosure, component-based design systems, multi-platform coherence—work because they're rooted in genuine understanding of user needs and business realities.
Want to discuss how these approaches might apply to your product? I work with fintech and financial services companies to create user experiences that drive measurable business results. Let's talk about your challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the most important factor in designing successful international money transfer experiences?
Transparency wins above all else. Users need to see complete costs, accurate exchange rates, and realistic delivery times upfront. Hidden fees or ambiguous timelines destroy trust instantly. Every design decision should ask: "Does this make the transaction clearer or more obscure?"
How do you balance compliance requirements with user experience in fintech design?
Progressive disclosure is key—collect required information at the moment it's needed rather than front-loading everything. Explain why you need each piece of data in plain language. Work closely with compliance teams to understand the intent behind regulations, which often allows creative solutions that satisfy both legal requirements and user experience goals.
Should fintech companies build their own design systems or use existing frameworks?
Build your own, but pragmatically. Leverage existing frameworks like Material Design or Bootstrap for foundational patterns, then customize heavily for your brand and specific user needs. The process of building a design system forces critical thinking about consistency and scalability that off-the-shelf solutions skip.
How much user research is enough when designing financial products?
Start with qualitative research (15-20 interviews) to understand mental models and pain points deeply, then validate with quantitative testing on prototypes. Research is never "done"—launch with analytics instrumentation and continue learning from real usage. The most valuable insights often emerge after launch when you see how people actually use your product versus how they said they would.
What's the biggest mistake companies make when adding new services to existing platforms?
Treating the new service as completely separate rather than finding natural integration points. Users think of your company as one entity, not separate products. The goal is making the new service feel like a natural evolution of capabilities they already trust, not a foreign bolt-on that requires relearning your entire interface.