Redesigning the UPI QR service to boost adoption
Redesigning the UPI QR service to boost adoption
Led a self-initiated redesign of Pay Nearby's UPI QR flow to address usability barriers hindering retailer adoption. The project focused on simplifying the interface by eliminating cognitive overload and poor error handling. The new design streamlined critical tasks, directly supporting business growth by reducing key points of friction.
ROLE
Product Designer
Visual Designer
SKILLS
UX Research
Product Thinking
Stakeholder Management
Interaction Design
ROLE
Product Designer
Visual Designer
TIMELINE
4 Months
TEAM
Product Manager
Frontend Developer
Backend Developer
INDUSTRY
Fintech
TIMELINE
4 Months
TEAM
Product Manager
Frontend Developer
Backend Developer
SKILLS
UX Research
Product Thinking
Stakeholder Management
Interaction Design
The Context
The Context
Pay Nearby enables retailers in India's tier 2-3 cities to offer financial services and earn commissions. Its UPI QR code service is a vital revenue driver with over 5,00,000+ users.
Research (at a glance)
Research (at a glance)
The goal was to uncover where retailers struggled most
Core Problem
Core Problem
Based on our findings, we defined our problem statement:
Lack of visual hierarchy and discovery of benefits in UPI QR
Lack of visual hierarchy and discovery of benefits in UPI QR
Pain Points Identified
Pain Points Identified
Action overload
Action overload
EXCESSIVE OPTIONS
EXCESSIVE OPTIONS
NO CLEAR HIERARCHY
NO CLEAR HIERARCHY
The UPI QR main screen presents too many competing actions, creating unnecessary cognitive load.
The UPI QR main screen presents too many competing actions, creating unnecessary cognitive load.
EXCESSIVE OPTIONS
NO CLEAR HIERARCHY
Dead-end. No direction
NO CONTACT DETAILS
LACK OF GUIDANCE
For user trying to increase their limit, absence of context causes confusion and disrupts user flow.
Arbitary infodump
VISUAL NOISE
IRRELEVANT CONTENT
The flow is cluttered with non-essential details that creates visual noise and distracts from the core action.
Poor error handling
BROKEN RECOVERY
SYSTEM FRAGILITY
The system fails to anticipate and gracefully handle common failures resulting in generic failure messages.
Dead-end. No direction
For user trying to increase their limit, absence of context causes confusion and disrupts user flow.
NO CONTACT DETAILS
LACK OF GUIDANCE
Arbitrary infodump
The flow is cluttered with non-essential details that creates visual noise and distracts from the core action.
VISUAL NOISE
IRRELEVANT CONTENT
Poor error handling
The system fails to anticipate and gracefully handle common failures. Errors like session expiration result in generic failure messages.
Broken Recovery
SYSTEM FRAGILITY
Design Principle
Design Principle
Based on pain points we derived the design principle
Progressive Disclosure
Content is revealed as the user progress in their journey
Progressive Disclosure
Content is revealed as the user progress in their journey
Information hierarchy
Focusing on one piece of information at a time
Information hierarchy
Focusing on one piece of information at a time
Relevant Information
Contextual nudges based on users past activities
Relevant Information
Contextual nudges based on users past activities
Solution
Solution
After thorough research and iteration, we landed on a solution that would address our pain points
Solution breakdown
Solution breakdown
Task focused QR screen
Task focused QR screen
The QR screen was redesigned around the retailer’s primary task that is receiving payments. Grouping core actions like share, download, and amount-specific QR reduced cognitive load and sped up decision-making during transactions.
The QR screen was redesigned around the retailer’s primary task that is receiving payments. Grouping core actions like share, download, and amount-specific QR reduced cognitive load and sped up decision-making during transactions.
OLD QR CODE SCREEN
OLD QR CODE SCREEN
NEW QR CODE SCREEN
NEW QR CODE SCREEN
Actionable stacked cards
Actionable stacked cards
Secondary actions like increasing limits are reorganized into stacked, auto-rotating card. This consolidates previously scattered cards into one unit, keeping them visible yet unobstructive allowing the payment task to remain the retailer’s main focus.
Secondary actions like increasing limits are reorganized into stacked, auto-rotating card. This consolidates previously scattered cards into one unit, keeping them visible yet unobstructive allowing the payment task to remain the retailer’s main focus.
Multiple iterations were explored to fine-tune prominence versus distraction.
Multiple iterations were explored to fine-tune prominence versus distraction.
OTHER EXPLORATIONS
OTHER EXPLORATIONS
Driving action through relevant timing
Driving action through relevant timing
Banners and notifications appear at key moments. For instance "Increase Limit" at 75% usage. This is done using smart triggers and auto-dismissal to stay relevant.
Banners and notifications appear at key moments. For instance "Increase Limit" at 75% usage. This is done using smart triggers and auto-dismissal to stay relevant.
Creating urgency for time sensitive action
Creating urgency for time sensitive action
Amount-specific QR codes last 3 minutes with a color-changing timer to show urgency. All user path like completion, mid-exit, or expiry—are clearly supported.
Amount-specific QR codes last 3 minutes with a color-changing timer to show urgency. All user path like completion, mid-exit, or expiry—are clearly supported.
Clear transaction details
Clear transaction details
Key details like date, time, and receipt download were added to the termination screen. This provides users with clear proof of transaction and equips support teams with necessary details for faster issue resolution.
Key details like date, time, and receipt download were added to the termination screen. This provides users with clear proof of transaction and equips support teams with necessary details for faster issue resolution.
OLD TERMINATION SCREEN
OLD TERMINATION SCREEN
NEW TERMINATION SCREEN
NEW TERMINATION SCREEN
Assistive experience
Assistive experience
QR Sticker activation was redesigned with clear visual cues and step-by-step guidance, ensuring retailers could easily link stickers to their account without confusion or errors.
QR Sticker activation was redesigned with clear visual cues and step-by-step guidance, ensuring retailers could easily link stickers to their account without confusion or errors.
Simplifying limit upgrades
Simplifying limit upgrades
Increasing transaction limits is critical for both retailer capacity and business growth. The redesign added a usage tracker, clear communication of new limits and in-app access to associate to simplify the process and motivate action.
Increasing transaction limits is critical for both retailer capacity and business growth. The redesign added a usage tracker, clear communication of new limits and in-app access to associate to simplify the process and motivate action.
LIMIT USAGE OVERVIEW
LIMIT USAGE OVERVIEW
DETAILED INSTRUCTION TO INCREASE LIMIT
DETAILED INSTRUCTION TO INCREASE LIMIT
NOTIFYING THE USER ON INCREASED LIMITS
NOTIFYING THE USER ON INCREASED LIMITS
Strategic messaging for Soundbox
Strategic messaging for Soundbox
Soundbox gives instant voice confirmations, helping retailers build trust and avoid disputes. Clear highlights make its everyday value easy to understand and encourage adoption.
Soundbox gives instant voice confirmations, helping retailers build trust and avoid disputes. Clear highlights make its everyday value easy to understand and encourage adoption.
Thoughtful design details
Thoughtful design details
Small design details that work in harmony to reduce friction and create a more intuitive, efficient onboarding journey
Small design details that work in harmony to reduce friction and create a more intuitive, efficient onboarding journey
Reducing input effort
Reducing input effort
Anticipating mistakes
Anticipating mistakes
Notifying about features
Notifying about features
Challenges faced
Challenges faced
Below are the broad challenges faced throughout the redesign
Driving stakeholder buy-in
Driving stakeholder buy-in
This was a self-initiated project requiring significant engineering resources. Success depended on building a strong case to secure stakeholder buy-in.
This was a self-initiated project requiring significant engineering resources. Success depended on building a strong case to secure stakeholder buy-in.
Balancing creativity with fixed brand visuals
Balancing creativity with fixed brand visuals
Custom illustrations were created to bring delight while staying consistent with existing visual language, despite limited flexibility.
Custom illustrations were created to bring delight while staying consistent with existing visual language, despite limited flexibility.
Navigating technical constraints in banner logic
Navigating technical constraints in banner logic
Implementing dynamic banner prioritization proved infeasible due to backend limitations. We moved to an auto-rotating stack solution, ensuring key messages received visibility despite fixed hierarchy constraints.
Implementing dynamic banner prioritization proved infeasible due to backend limitations. We moved to an auto-rotating stack solution, ensuring key messages received visibility despite fixed hierarchy constraints.
Projected Outcomes
Projected Outcomes
While the redesigned UPI QR flow is still in development, the expected outcomes focus on enhancing both user experience and business efficiency. Key outcomes include higher active users, more limit upgrades, fewer support tickets, and increased purchases of stickers and soundboxes.
While the redesigned UPI QR flow is still in development, the expected outcomes focus on enhancing both user experience and business efficiency. Key outcomes include higher active users, more limit upgrades, fewer support tickets, and increased purchases of stickers and soundboxes.
Ending Note
Ending Note
Curious to know more about the project? If you'd like me to walk you through our process more in depth, feel free to reach out to me
Curious to know more about the project? If you'd like me to walk you through our process more in depth, feel free to reach out to me
Other Works
Other Works
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
© 2026
Let’s build something
meaningful together
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
© 2026
Let’s build something
meaningful together
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
© 2026