Nikita.

Created flexible payment system for Amtrak users by combining points and dollar

MAY 2023

my role

Product Designer — designed the User Experience, created mockups and High-Fidelity Prototype

Team

2 Design Interns, 2 Design Managers and 1 PM

duration

2.5 months — for complete design
*Recently Released

opportunity

How could we offer a more flexible payment option to Amtrak users through a combination of reward points and dollars?

Users often lack enough points to cover an entire ticket and are forced to pay fully in cash. They need a flexible payment option that allows them to combine points and cash, giving them more convenience and control over their purchases.

Goal 1

Provide more flexibility to the Amtrak Users by providing options to utilize points and dollar combination payment

Goal 2

Increase customer loyalty and encourage repeat business by better usage of points and dollar

process

We followed an iterative process to balance user feedback with technical feasibility

After the initial research, we narrowed it down to two designs and conducted usability tests. While users showed a clear preference, we had to balance their feedback with some technical constraints.

Usability test

87% users preferred the Second Flow as it helped them make informed decision.
“Make it clear from the beginning of the flow that I can use cash, points or a combo of cash and points”

87% users preferred the Second Flow as it helped them make informed decision.

“Make it clear from the beginning of the flow that I can use cash, points or a combo of cash and points”

87% users preferred the Second Flow as it helped them make informed decision.

“Make it clear from the beginning of the flow that I can use cash, points or a combo of cash and points”

Iteration 1

Introducing the points and dollar reward system, in the form of a slider, at the end, only at the payment screen

Iteration 2

Introducing the points and dollar reward system, at the beginning, at the Fare Finder screen

solution

We introduced a flexible Points and Cash system at the payment screen, allowing users to combine points with cash when purchasing tickets.

According to User Testing, users preferred the second iteration with the Points and Dollar system being introduced earlier in the user flow. However, after discussing with the engineering team and product owners, we recognized the technical difficulties the feature would lead to.

Key learnings

Bias can easily creep into user testing without careful moderation.

During Usability testing, I realized it is essential to make sure the prompt provided is not biased as it can sway the users opinion

Balancing technical feasibility with user requirements

I learnt that designing the right feature is not about easy of use, it has to be the right balance of business requirements, user needs, experience and technical feasibility in given time