The previous subscription existed as a single overloaded bundle. Users struggled to understand the value, categories, benefits or pricing. This limited conversion, upgrades and retention.
Introduced clear tiering (Basic / Smart / Only), redesigned the chooser, rebuilt spin mechanics, created a flow for extra spins, added a free month for salary transfers, improved cashback category logic, redesigned subscription management and value visualisation.
Conversion to premium tiers ENABLED, +22% upgrade rate from Basic to Smart. 20% increase in paid spins. Churn decreased 7% due to value visualisation and improved retention flows.
I identified the subscription as overloaded and non-differentiated by analysing user behaviour, complaints and drop-off patterns, which showed that unclear value was blocking conversions and increasing churn.
It suffered from:
As it mentioned above in the quote Alfa-Bank was already earning £33M a year from its premium segment and was targeting £62M. The existing subscription model had to be rebuilt into a true revenue locomotive for the business.
The bank needed:
Architected subscription onboarding and upgrade flows for a 42M-user online banking platform, supporting 2M new users after rollout.
The previous subscription existed as a single overloaded bundle. Users struggled to understand the value, categories, benefits or pricing. This limited conversion, upgrades and retention.
Drop-off on the subscription screen
Activation rate
Churn rate
Discovery → analytics → insights → prototyping → UX under BDUI/SDUI constraints → design system updates → delivery.
This was a transformation project under real-world pressure.
I owned the end-to-end design work for the subscription transformation:
1. Segmentation unlocks perceived value. 2. Reducing visible perks increases conversions
Introduced clear tiering (Basic / Smart / Only), redesigned the chooser, rebuilt spin mechanics, created a flow for extra spins, added a free month for salary transfers, improved cashback category logic, redesigned subscription management and value visualisation.
Upgrade path created from zero
Conversion to paid tariff
Decrease in churn rate
This work reinforced that account management is part of the pricing experience. When customers can clearly see, manage, and revisit their plan value over time, trust increases and churn drops. Good account management doesn’t upsell — it sustains confidence.
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SUBSCRIPTION PAYMENT FLOW
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+---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+
| Debit from wallet | | Debit from third-party |
| | | subscription |
+---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+
| |
| |
v v
/---------------------------\ /----------------------------------\ Yes +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+
┌────────────────< Balance available? >────── No ──>| Exit to wallet |─────────────>| Paid? |───── Yes ────>| Credit to balance |───────┐
| \---------------------------/ \----------------------------------/ +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
| | | | |
| | Yes | No | |
| | | | |
| v v v |
┌───────────┐ | /---------------------------\ +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
| Payment |───────┘ < Balance available? > | [Flow ends] | | Change user subscription |───────┤
| start | \---------------------------/ +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
└───────────┘ | | |
| Yes | |
| | |
v | |
+---------------------------+ /----------------------------------\ No +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
| Debit balance for |──────────────< Sufficient balance? >────────────────────────>| Difference + commission | | Debit card for subscription | |
| commission | \----------------------------------/ | from card | | remainder + commission | |
+---------------------------+ | +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
| | Yes | | |
| | └──────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘ |
| | | |
| v v |
| +----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
| | Debit subscription + commission | | [Flow continues] | |
| | | +----------------------------------+ |
| +----------------------------------+ | |
| | | |
| | | |
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ |
| |
v |
+----------------------------------+ |
| Add payment record | |
| | |
+----------------------------------+ |
| |
| |
v |
/----------------------------------\ +----------------------------------+ |
< Commission exists? >───── Yes ──────────────>| Account for commission | |
\----------------------------------/ | | |
| +----------------------------------+ |
| No | |
| | |
v v |
+----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ /----------------------------------\ |
| Send notification | | Update subscription expiry | < First payment? >──────┤
| | | date | \----------------------------------/ |
+----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ | |
| | | Yes |
| | | |
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────┘ |
| |
v |
/----------------------------------\ |
< [Decision point] >───── Yes ──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
\----------------------------------/
|
| No
|
v
+----------------------------------+
| Deferred subscription created |
| |
+----------------------------------+
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
LEGEND / GLOBAL RULES:
1. Currency & Balance: All transactions process in the user's wallet balance first. If insufficient balance exists, the system redirects to wallet top-up.
2. Commission Handling: Commission fees are calculated and debited separately. If balance covers subscription but not commission, the difference plus commission is charged to the linked card.
3. Payment Methods: The system supports wallet balance, card payments, and third-party subscription billing. Card debits include both subscription remainder and applicable commission.
4. First Payment Logic: First-time subscription payments trigger deferred subscription creation. Subsequent renewals follow standard renewal paths.
5. Notifications: Payment confirmation notifications are sent after successful transaction recording.
6. Subscription Updates: User subscription status and expiry dates are updated immediately upon successful payment processing.
7. Transaction Records: Every payment generates a payment record entry in the system, regardless of payment method or amount.
8. Balance Checks: Multiple balance verification points ensure sufficient funds before proceeding with debits.
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SUBSCRIPTION PAYMENT FLOW
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+
| Debit from wallet | | Debit from third-party |
| | | subscription |
+---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+
| |
| |
v v
/---------------------------\ /----------------------------------\ Yes +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+
┌────────────────< Balance available? >────── No ──>| Exit to wallet |─────────────>| Paid? |───── Yes ────>| Credit to balance |───────┐
| \---------------------------/ \----------------------------------/ +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
| | | | |
| | Yes | No | |
| | | | |
| v v v |
┌───────────┐ | /---------------------------\ +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
| Payment |───────┘ < Balance available? > | [Flow ends] | | Change user subscription |───────┤
| start | \---------------------------/ +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
└───────────┘ | | |
| Yes | |
| | |
v | |
+---------------------------+ /----------------------------------\ No +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
| Debit balance for |──────────────< Sufficient balance? >────────────────────────>| Difference + commission | | Debit card for subscription | |
| commission | \----------------------------------/ | from card | | remainder + commission | |
+---------------------------+ | +---------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
| | Yes | | |
| | └──────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘ |
| | | |
| v v |
| +----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ |
| | Debit subscription + commission | | [Flow continues] | |
| | | +----------------------------------+ |
| +----------------------------------+ | |
| | | |
| | | |
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ |
| |
v |
+----------------------------------+ |
| Add payment record | |
| | |
+----------------------------------+ |
| |
| |
v |
/----------------------------------\ +----------------------------------+ |
< Commission exists? >───── Yes ──────────────>| Account for commission | |
\----------------------------------/ | | |
| +----------------------------------+ |
| No | |
| | |
v v |
+----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ /----------------------------------\ |
| Send notification | | Update subscription expiry | < First payment? >──────┤
| | | date | \----------------------------------/ |
+----------------------------------+ +----------------------------------+ | |
| | | Yes |
| | | |
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────┘ |
| |
v |
/----------------------------------\ |
< [Decision point] >───── Yes ──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
\----------------------------------/
|
| No
|
v
+----------------------------------+
| Deferred subscription created |
| |
+----------------------------------+
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
LEGEND / GLOBAL RULES:
1. Currency & Balance: All transactions process in the user's wallet balance first. If insufficient balance exists, the system redirects to wallet top-up.
2. Commission Handling: Commission fees are calculated and debited separately. If balance covers subscription but not commission, the difference plus commission is charged to the linked card.
3. Payment Methods: The system supports wallet balance, card payments, and third-party subscription billing. Card debits include both subscription remainder and applicable commission.
4. First Payment Logic: First-time subscription payments trigger deferred subscription creation. Subsequent renewals follow standard renewal paths.
5. Notifications: Payment confirmation notifications are sent after successful transaction recording.
6. Subscription Updates: User subscription status and expiry dates are updated immediately upon successful payment processing.
7. Transaction Records: Every payment generates a payment record entry in the system, regardless of payment method or amount.
8. Balance Checks: Multiple balance verification points ensure sufficient funds before proceeding with debits.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════