Credit Card Authorized User for Mobile

Our online banking channel allows users to add authorized users to their credit card accounts, allowing them access to funds. Because our mobile app is our most popular channel, stakeholders have asked for the feature to be added there.

Online Banking (Web) Form

Source Materials

TERMS & CONDITIONS

DISCLOSURES

LEGALESE

One of our goals as a design team was to improve user experience around accepting disclosures. Strategically, we strove to present this essential information progressively during the flow. This met legal obligations while actually informing the user of important details that are easily missed when accepting (i.e. fast-scrolling through) official legal disclosures.

While bullets improve scanability, the initial wires for this screen appeared as a set of 4 bulleted lists. My sense was that this presentation negated the bullets’ effectiveness. For one thing, we wanted to simply define “authorized user,” and extra ‘fluff’ had to be added to result in more than one bullet point. Furthermore, providing the definition of “authorized user” alongside a partial description of “account owner” confused test users. Our partners in legal compliance were also concerned that the “account owner” description wasn’t comprehensive.

As a result, some stakeholders argued for presenting all disclosures up-front, on this screen. On the design team, wen felt this screen’s purpose was to introduce to a basic concept, outline its benefits, and prepare users for the process to come.

I proposed the final content with these justifications:

  • the audience here is an account owner (not an authorized user)

  • the opening paragraph addresses the question posed by its header and covers immediate, pragmatic details

  • information regarding the account owner role is restricted to the context of authorized users and presented in a promotional tone

  • any remaining legal compliance concerns would be addressed behind the ? link at the page’s bottom

Capitalization considerations - “authorized user” “spend(ing) limit”

Users arrive at this page upon selecting the ? link labeled “Authorized User Details.” This is where we placed extra details compliance didn’t feel comfortable omitting completely at this point in the flow. I also worked in bits of information that we would have to present later but a more meticulous user might want to consider before beginning the process at all.

Some of this content is included because one or more stakeholders insisted and some is to supplement the previous screen. In crafting this language, I wrote what was requested but also managed to weave in some extra detail. I hope my messaging gives readers some helpful knowledge about what are officially (and legally) referred to as “consumer reporting agencies,” and reference to “the credit bureaus” may rectify any misconception that there is just one credit bureau. (I had this misconception.)

The legal significance of this screen shows through in the last sentence. After many drafts, I didn’t find more casual phrasing regarding “transactions made or allowed by an authorized user.” Sometimes the legalese is already as concise as it can be.

A Branching Experience

The existing web feature was essentially a digital copy of the paper form it was based on. Universally, users provided all required personal information while on a single page, then proceeded through the disclosures.

Our branching experience created a shortcut for some users. To add an existing credit union member as an AU, we only required that member’s unique ID number and DOB. Our back end services would then pull all other necessary info, and the user could avoid extra work and exposure of personal info.

In adding a non-member, the user must enter much more personal information. This is also an unusual scenario because the user is entering someone else’s personal information, and the user may need to acquire certain pieces.

Conversational Tone

On a general note - you may notice the screen headers vary between between imperative prompts and a more personal question format. We favored asking questions for their conversational tone whenever possible. It was an aspect of the brand personality. When presenting the user with a series of form fields to complete, we used a more direct instructional style.

This is the same screen as shown above.

Brand Conventions & Accessibility

On top of adding a new feature to the app, this project also served as a test run for including “bread-crumbs” on most screens. (In this case, “Not a Navy Federal member.”) These are meant to confirm the user’s previous entries are saved, provide a sense of progress, and remind them where they are in this process.

We also experimented with various approaches based on an accessibility-first perspective. On selecting a field, the gray field label moves to allow text entry but remains on-screen - this is a result of our accessbility-focused ideation.

The guide text “No dashes” was as short as I could get that line. I omit end punctuation for in-line messaging with the hypothesis that it causes a brief mental pause for many people and slows their process.

And so it flows, and so it flows…

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