Project Summary
Small businesses often lose sales because traditional payment systems require expensive POS setups and extensive staff training. They need a simple, fast solution for both quick transactions and day-to-day payment processing.
The Solution
A mobile-first tap-to-pay application that turns any smartphone into a payment terminal. This approach eliminates setup costs and reduces processing time by up to 60% compared to existing systems like Clover and CardPointe.
Deliverables
User Research
User Journey
Usability Testing
AI- prototype
Feature Prioritization
UI Design
Roll
Lead Product Designer
This is a fully interactive prototype you can try.
Research & Discovery
Problem Space
In the U.S., about 80–85% of small businesses are service-based; in Canada, the figure is around 77%. Many of these businesses struggle with payment acceptance, with 67% still relying on cash-only transactions due to the high cost of POS systems—setup can range from $1,200 to $3,000. When card payment isn’t available, the average transaction abandonment rate is 23%. Staff training on traditional POS systems also averages 8–12 hours per employee.
Market Opportunity
$2.8B market for mobile payment solutions in SMB segment
42% growth rate in contactless payments post-2020
Average revenue increase: 18% for businesses accepting all payment types
There’s a clear opportunity to offer an alternative platform for businesses that want to use Yocale payments without investing in a POS machine.
With that in mind, we began planning and building a lightweight tool that turns the device everyone already has into their POS: their mobile phone.
Design Approach
The project began by diagnosing the current state and clarifying the scope, with the main goal of understanding how businesses manage payments within their workflow. The guiding question was:
“How might users engage with a payment app in their daily routines, and how should it connect to the Yocale invoice system?”
Throughout the process, we focused on user needs—simplifying payments and creating a reliable app that addresses real challenges. With a tight timeline, it was essential to validate the design quickly before handoff to development.
To achieve this, I built a fully functional payment app simulation using no-code tools. This allowed us to observe user behavior and conduct usability testing. Feedback from these sessions gave us confidence in our MVP direction and ensured the app was ready for production.
Outcome
An MVP tap-to-pay app with a simple, straightforward flow that enables basic transactions. Thanks to its connectivity with the Yocale system, payments can be linked to invoices, allowing businesses to continue their operations as usual.
This approach was chosen after many iterations and discussions with stakeholders, while considering development constraints. It was the fastest way to deliver our first version.