America First Credit Union
Overhaul
I'm the user. I got a lotta pain points.
The User
For this project, I drew upon my own personal experiences with the America First Credit Union app and website.
I have my car loan through AFCU, and have experienced more frustrating interactions with their app and website than I can count. So frequently I've thought, "someone NEEDS to improve this user experience, it's the worst!"
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Well. I decided that someone would be me.
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I'm a busy millennial who has grown accustom to the ease of use of many finance apps. I want to be able to access and edit my information, pay my bills, get help, etc., while on the go, and with as few steps as possible.
The Problems
Based on my experiences, and the experiences of family and friends whom I've asked, these are the problems we see with the AFCU website.
1.
Log in
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The only way to log in is with your 8-digit account number. Not with an email, not even with a user ID (it says user ID but that just means account number.)
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The only way to find out your account number is to call the customer service line. The customer service line is only open during business hours.
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It does say "forgot user ID" there, but in order to retrieve that, you need your account number. If a customer clicks "forgot password" they need
their account number to move forward then too. Again, requiring a customer to call customer service during business hours only. If a customer
wants to access this account outside of business hours but doesn't know their information, there is no hope for them.
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THIS IS TOO DIFFICULT, there are TOO MANY BARRIERS TO ENTRY.
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Not to mention this interface looks old fashioned, clunky, and doesn't really coincide with other AFCU branding.
Who knows their account number?
Not me!
Just let me put in my email, this is a lot
2.
Due dates and payments
The amount due that month, the due date, the total amount due, past payments, future payments, etc. are not displayed clearly. It would be so helpful if users could get a clear snapshot of their account information so they can plan ahead, and feel rewarded for how far they've come.
The current lay out doesn't make it easy to view important information at a glance.
3.
Payment card information
There is no option to save card information to your account. Users must enter their card information every. single. time. This is tedious and time consuming.
4.
Lengthy account verification
If you choose to make payments by transferring funds from a non-ACFU account, that account must be "verified."
This process takes 1-3 business days, and requires two small deposits to be made to that account. This takes too much time, doesn't allow for multiple accounts to make payments, and feels complicated and tedious.
No! I added it,
just let me use it
But what if the due date is today?
1.
Log in
My goals with the log in screen refresh were:
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make logging in SIMPLE
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remove barriers to entry
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if customers forgot their password, or otherwise need help logging in, allow them to SELF SERVE, rather than have to call customer service
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make it so that customers do not need to remember/keep track of an account number, user name, password, or anything else. Make signing in mindless, quick, and easy.
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make the interface CLEAN and MODERN
This is the first screen customers would encounter after clicking "Log In" from the home page.
Customers log in using their email address, so there is no need to remember an account number, user name, or other site-specific identifier.
They have the option to click "remember me" so that their device saves their password, and they don't need to remember that either.
The two screens above are the Create Account screens. These are for ACFU customers who have not yet created an online banking account.
The account creation process is simple and broken down into a few simple steps.
The first screen only requires the customer's first and last name, and email address. That's all they'll ever really need to be able to access their account in the future.
The next screen only asks for the customer's birth date, and phone number for identity verification.
And that's it! This process can be completed in seconds, without frustration and without overwhelm for the customer.
This is the Forgot Password screen. Customers do not need to know an account number or user name or anything else. If they know their email address, they can recover their password.
By entering their email and clicking "Recover Password," they will be sent an email with further instructions. The instructions will include both a security question to help customers remember their password, as well as instructions on how to reset and create a new password. This process is 100% self serve. Customers can do this any time day or night, and do not need to wait for ACFU to open so that they can call, be put on hold, and go through an arduous password recovery process. Recovering their password can take just a couple of minutes with this new process.
This simple white and blue interface Is so much more clean, modern, easy to look at, and easy for customers to find what they're looking for at a glance.
It aligns with AFCU branding, and elicits a professional, financial business feel.
Additionally, I simplified the header menu.
The current one feels cluttered, and a simplified one, like the one I created, makes it so much easier for customers to find what they're looking for.
2.
Dashboard
My goals for the dashboard are
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clearly display the amount due, with the due date
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clearly display account balances
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clearly display account status
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show a record of past and future payments
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provide a snapshot of the entire loan/account status
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make all important information points at-a-glance-able and unmistakeable
The My Dashboard page provides a brief overview of each account a customer may have with ACFU. Each account is separated with a box, and the most important information a customer may want to know about that account is in large text.
For loans, the amount due for the next payment, along with the due date is in the center of the box. If a customer is current with payments, "current" is in green. If a customer is past due with payments, it would say "past due" in red.
Checking and savings accounts have account balances, and APY information in the center of their boxes.
Customers may click on the "More" button to get more detailed information about each loan/account.
I also updated the "Quick Links" section. This one has more white space so the links are easier to read. They are also categorized by action, making the link a customer may be trying to find more simple.
When a customer clicks on one of their account/loan boxes, it will look like the screen above. Again, the most important numbers are in large text, action buttons are in a central location, previous payment information, and other helpful links are easy to spot in a container on the right, across the bottom it's easy to track payment progress, and there's some encouragement for how far the customer has come.
3.
Saving payment card information
My goals for the card information page were:
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offer quicker ways to pay, like PayPal
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allow users to save their card information for next time, so they don't have to re-enter the information each time they go to pay
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After clicking "Make a payment" from an account page, customers arrive here. Customers have the option to pay the amount due for that month, or another amount they choose. They also can choose the day that the payment posts to their account.
Customers have the option of transferring funds from another ACFU account, transferring funds from a non-ACFU account. They also have the option of using PayPal, GooglePay, or Apple Pay. These methods are quick and convenient, as their payment information is already saved and private.
Customers also have the option of adding and storing card information here. I made the "Add a new card" box in the shape of a credit card on purpose - to create a realistic feeling of paying with a card.
This page is where customers can add and save their card information. If they choose to save it, they never have to enter it again unless they decide to delete it.
After customers save a card to their account, it will be displayed like this. They can easily choose to pay with whatever method they like, and still have the option of adding another card without any limitation.
4.
Transferring funds from non-ACFU accounts
The process of verifying accounts by ACFU making 2 small deposits in 1-3 business days is way too long, and way too inconvenient. My proposed solution to this pain point is:
Simply add account information (routing number, etc.), click transfer, and that's IT. Eliminate the verification process entirely. If the account doesn't exist, or doesn't have the appropriate amount of funds, the payment simply won't go through, and the customer will have to use another payment method.
On the Make a Payment page, customers can choose "Transfer funds from a non-ACFU account." They can choose an account they've already saved previously, or add another account. No verification necessary. They can add as many accounts as they want, no limitations.
On this page customers enter their non-ACFU account information and can save the information for next time. No verification. Simply add the information, and use the account to pay immediately. No hoops to jump through, no waiting 1-3 business days.
If it turns out that account does not have sufficient funds, or is not a real account, the customer simply will still owe what they tried to pay.
Badda bing, badda boom.
Conclusion
The pain points:
1. Log in process
2. Unclear due dates and payments
3. Not being able to save payment card information
4. An arduous process for transferring funds from a non-ACFU account
were solved by:
1. A quick, no-thought-needed log in process
2. An easy-to-view dashboard highlighting key information
3. The ability to save as many cards as the customer wants, as well as use quicker payment methods such as PayPal, GooglePay, and ApplePay
4. Being able to easily and quickly enter and save account information for non-ACFU accounts, and eliminating the verification process
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Personally, if these changes were implemented, I as the user would be thrilled! My friends and family whom I've asked would also absolutely love the ease of use that these solutions would allow.