Users could earn 5% cash back by selecting a category each month, but selection rates were low and downstream engagement was even lower. The category selection screen gave users a generic list with no sense of the real-world value waiting on the other side of a pick.
My approach: listen first. Be the user, flag pain points, survey the competitive landscape, identify what's testable.
I partnered with UX research to run content tests across the flow. The recommendation: add more definition to category tiles, show merchant logos to make the value concrete, display categories in a more scannable format, and clarify what the CTA does.
Worked closely with visual design to solve the merchant logo problem—which required rethinking how the tiles were structured, not just what the copy said.
The release drove meaningful lifts in selection rates, category transactions, and payouts—including a new record month for the program. A new Rideshare & Public Transit category launched as part of the same release and immediately drove strong transaction activity.
