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Using Customer Insights to Improve Rewards Integration
I conducted user research as part of this continuous discovery project to identify the key factors contributing to disengagement with Westpac's banking app. The goal was to support Westpac's Digital Experience team in improving the app's usability and re-engaging customers effectively.
Client
My Role
Duration
1 x Digital Experience Ops Lead
2 x UX Researchers
1 x Senior UX Designer
Informed improvements to ShopBack integration by addressing key usability and navigation pain points.
Enhanced visibility through new entry points on the app dashboard and Personal Financial Management space.
Drove a 2x increase in shopping trips and a 1.4x boost in transactions via the ShopBack integration.
Westpac's digital banking app faced significant challenges with user disengagement, including high drop-off rates within the first 3 months of download and low ongoing engagement.
To address these issues, the Digital Experience team sought to gain a deeper understanding of user behaviours, preferences, and pain points, enabling them to implement targeted improvements and re-engage their customer base.
The reasons behind user disengagement from the app (including desktop). What are their pain points if any?
Users' behaviours and preferences. What they need, what they use the app for, how they currently engaging with it.
Evaluate the impact of the ShopBack integration within the app. Insights will shape the future direction of Westpac Rewards.
Participants develop habits based on where they first engage with ShopBack
Existing ShopBack users relied on the ShopBack app to qualify for cashback, while Westpac-acquired users primarily interacted with ShopBack offers through the Westpac app and often haven’t downloaded the ShopBack app.
A huge lack of awareness of Westpac’s partnership with ShopBack
Many participants found it difficult to navigate to ShopBack offers within the app. This highlighted a gap in communication and visibility of the integration to existing Westpac customers.
Participants perceived the ShopBack app as more valuable over Westpac app
All deals are consolidated in one place, while Westpac was seen as offering only Westpac-related deals. The redirection from the Westpac app to the ShopBack app was viewed as an unnecessary extra step, reducing engagement.
Participants struggled to locate ShopBack offers within the Westpac app
The offers were often buried in non-intuitive menus or sections. Almost 80% of participants couldn’t intuitively locate the rewards section due to unclear indicators or prompts.
Users confuse the “Discounts & Extras” and “Westpac Promotions” tabs within the Rewards section
Often perceiving them as overlapping or identical. This lack of clarity led to confusion and disengagement from exploring the sections further.
While the new layout received positive feedback, the account linking feature was not prominently surfaced
Without a clear call-to-action, users either overlooked the feature or struggled to find it, limiting the integration’s effectiveness.
Attributes:
Not a ShopBack customer and signed up due to the Westpac affiliation.
Westpac is their MFI and often finds the ShopBack partnership accidentally.
Likely to have additional reward programs through Westpac, like Altitude Rewards.
Triggers:
Receiving push notifications from Westpac about new offers or cashback deals.
Seeing a promotion related to a frequent purchase category.
Stumbling upon ShopBack offers after completing a task, such as checking a transaction.
Attributes:
Not a ShopBack customer and signed up due to the Westpac affiliation.
Westpac is their MFI and often finds the ShopBack partnership accidentally.
Likely to have additional reward programs through Westpac, like Altitude Rewards.
Triggers:
Receiving push notifications from Westpac about new offers or cashback deals.
Seeing a promotion related to a frequent purchase category.
Stumbling upon ShopBack offers after completing a task, such as checking a transaction.
Attributes:
Holds multiple banking products where Westpac may not be their MFI.
Sees ShopBack as a strong complement to other programs. While other programs may be tied to specific financial products or categories.
Likely to have additional reward programs through Westpac, like Altitude Rewards.
Triggers:
Habitually checking ShopBack, Cashrewards, or Top Cashback when buying from a merchant, shopping for high-ticket items or during seasonal promotions.
Is not loyal to a brand or merchant and will diligently search an item across multiple sites, will choose the cheapest merchant and rewards program.
Receives ShopBack notifications about bonus cashback or limited-time offers prompts into actioning purchases with major retailers.
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Westpac leveraged research insights to refine the digital banking app and ShopBack integration, addressing key user pain points and enhancing navigation and clarity. These improvements as well as additional entry points on the Westpac app dashboard and Personal Financial Management (PFM) space led to a 2x increase in shopping trips and a 1.4x boost in transactions.
Re-engaging users on a banking app is challenging: as interactions are task-focused and infrequent, with users logging in primarily to complete specific actions like payments, making it difficult to create ongoing engagement in a traditionally "dry" subject like banking.
Financial institutions face strict legal boundaries around customer communications: to avoid them being perceived as marketing, limiting opportunities to effectively educate users and raise awareness about features and products.
The success of Westpac's Digital Experience team relies heavily on support from the marketing team: highlighting the importance of cross-team collaboration to overcome dependencies and achieve shared objectives.