MERCHANT ONBOARDING
Creating a unified, simplified, and global onboarding framework for all merchants
EXPERTISE
UX Research, Design, Strategy
PLATFORMS
Responsive web, iOS, Android
DELIVERABLES
UI, UX, Strategy
Merchant onboarding focuses on unifying all the onboarding experiences across PayPal products and simplifying them so merchants can quickly and easily get started with PayPal and start transacting.
The problem
Today, onboarding at PayPal can include up to 15 steps depending on the region and type of business. We ask for sensitive information before users are even confident that PayPal is the right solution for their business needs. It’s no surprise that account creation and activation rates are some the key metrics for this initiative.
Today, we collect EVERYTHING. Imagine a train that tops at EVERY station.
Tomorrow, we collect only what we need to help a merchant get their job done.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
When merchants sign in or signs up… they will feel the power of a single platform.
We will reduce friction and optimize the journey from discovery to activation.
While activation is a moment, onboarding is never done.
We will continue to evolve the platform through simplification, unification, and experimentation.
What is onboarding?
To start, we needed to align the team on the definition of onboarding. What does it mean? What does it include and how is each step distinctly different? How does each completed step add value for the user? We came to the conclusion that there were 2 main parts: sign up and progressive data capture
Sign up
The first step was sign up, simply creating an account. It was no easy feat. We started by auditing ALL of the sign up flows, in ALL of the regions, for ALL business types in ALL of PayPal’s products. Working cross-functionally, we were able to identify each fields and data set in order to create scalable and consistent components.
Progressive data collection
The next step, and arguably the most important, is data collection. After an account has been created, what information do we collect? How much of it do we collect? How do we make sure PayPal is compliant with the law? How do we enable users to transact without getting their money held? While we worked to answer these complex questions, our goal was simple: collect the APPROPRIATE data at the RIGHT time, making it RELEVANT and TIMELY for the user.
PayPal Assistant
One of the key metrics mentioned was activation. We wanted to help merchants discover products and get them setup quickly so they can start doing business and making sales. That journey starts as soon as they land in our dashboard and led us to the question of how do we help users get to the next best action? Our solution was to design a scalable framework called PayPal Assistant, which includes 3 main components: intent capture, account set up and product activation.
FTU PayPal Assistant
Throughout a merchant’s lifecycle
The PayPal Assistant’s goal was to be a partner to the merchant and guide them as their business grows and their needs shift. Still making sure we show them the next best action, we wanted to help them manage their day to day tasks and reminders so that we’re continuously adding value.
PayPal Assistant in ongoing state