Referral Program Redesign
for Qonto Bank

Qonto helps entrepreneurs make payments, manage expenses, and handle bookkeeping. We revamped the existing referral program, a system that motivates current customers to recommend the product for a reward. It helps to grow the audience at a lower customer acquisition cost.
  • Research

  • User Interviews

  • Competitors

  • Metrics Analysis

17%
More rewards claimed
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21%
Lower post-reward churn
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10%
Page discovery growth
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Mobile app screens showing Qonto’s referral program, including invite prompt, referral earnings and pending invites

Project Overview

Problem: The referral program was outdated and underperforming, with only 3% of users visiting the page due to poor visibility, unclear value, and ineffective design.

Solution: We increased awareness and reduced drop-offs by improving the UX, redefining the referral tab placement, and introducing timely reminders at key “happy touch points” when users were most likely to recommend Qonto.

Result: The number of organizations unlocking the reward increased by 17%, while keeping fraud rates below 5%.
Desktop view of Qonto’s referral program showing reward offer, options to copy referral link or invite via email, and a panel tracking pending and earned rewards.

Process Timeline

Team involved: Product Manager, Product Designer, Copywriter, PMM
Project timeline for referral revamp showing sequential tasks: Analysis, Competitors Teardown, Voice of Customers, Wireframing, and UX/UI Design.

Research & Explorations

In a group brainstorming session, we defined the referral program’s strategy, centering on clear goals, audience insights, and measurable outcomes to drive engagement and reduce churn.
Referral program brief showing three sections: Main Goals, Target Audience, and Success Metrics
Referral program metrics analysis showing key issues

Current Situation

The referral page is located in the settings where the link can be shared directly or via email. The link leads to the promo page where referees can start registration.
Mobile referral program UI showing issues: tab hidden in settings, unclear title value, missing reward eligibility info, small CTA button, and referral history that doesn’t appear clickable.
Mobile referral rewards and invitation screens with noted UX issues: missing reminder option, poor layout, unclear reward eligibility, and lack of compelling reasons to start using Qonto.

Competitors Analysis

The teardown of other companies’ referral solution helped us to understand what decisions they made to solve this problem and what improvements can be made by us.
Referral program UI comparisons: N26 shows an informative, step-by-step guide with referral tracking, while Shine uses a concise banner at the top menu and links to a convincing referral webpage.
Tinkoff promotes referrals in support chat, guides users, and lets them choose products. Common patterns: highlight tab, show eligibility, give pre-written promo.

User Preferences

We conducted a couple of interviews with relevant users.
User Persona:
  • Qonto customers who referred >4 contacts.
  • Customers who have recently been referred to Qonto
User quotes and needs for Qonto referrals: empathy (helping others), guidance (clear steps), and frictionless process (quick access under 2 minutes).

User Flow

Mapping out user flow helps identify and optimize how users interact with a product, ensuring a seamless and efficient experience.
Referral program flowchart showing steps from email campaign to referral link sharing, landing page visit, first payment, and success email.

Wireframing

We created wirefranes to explore different ideas without committing to any visual aspects and focus on the flow & user experience.
Wireframe screens of Qonto’s referral feature, showing link sharing, instructions, invite tracking, and product selection

Design Proposals

During the visual design phase, we discovered possible solutions and strived to find a perfect layout and style for the referral page.
Three mobile UI design options for Qonto’s referral program page, each showing earnings, referral instructions, and a share link button, with pros and cons noted below

Experiment

The referral tab was repositioned to the top of the menu to boost visibility, with an A/B test implemented to evaluate its impact.
Mobile UI mockup showing the Referral feature placed at the top of the menu for higher visibility, with notes on top placement strategy and planned A/B testing to boost discovery conversion

Happy Touch Points

Once users accomplished a significant flow we trigger the drawer to remind them about the referral program, assuming they are in a good mood to recommend us to their contacts.
Mobile UI flow showing referral prompt after card creation success, with conditions for display such as not having seen the drawer in 7 days, having one active card, and no conflicting modals.

Desktop Version

The referral page is accessible via the main menu on the web, while the referrals history leverages the familiar side panel pattern used throughout the app.
Desktop UI showing referral program page with reward offer, referral link copy option, email invite form, and a sidebar menu

The Main Menu

The referral tab was moved to the first level of the menu to increase awareness. It is placed near the Settings tab as it’s unrelated to the main features.
Sidebar menu redesign moving ‘Recommend Qonto’ from Level 2 to Level 1 as ‘Refer & Receive €100’

Success Analysis

The referral program redesign delivered impactful results:
UI updates, in-app triggers, and CRM campaign improved reward unlock rate by 17% and reduced churn from 24% to 3%.
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