Simplifying a Credit Card Application Flow

Team Structure

2 PM • 2 Designers • 3 Developers

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

4 months

Overview

A full redesign of Rogers Bank's credit card application turning a dense, single-page form into a guided, multi-step flow that builds trust and gets applicants to approval faster. Testing showed it fulfilled the client's goals: lower cognitive load, more security, and a stronger sense of the Rogers Bank brand.

87%

conversion rate, beta vs. previous flow (78%)

+23%

increase in CSAT vs. previous flow

What's the problem?

The application presented every field at once, with no sense of progress or how much was left.
Applicants described feeling overwhelmed by the volume of information on screen.
A meaningful share of applicants abandoned the form before finishing.
Internal stakeholders flagged the experience as out of step with modern application standards.

The goal:

simplify the experience to raise conversion while reducing cognitive load.

Research & Discovery

The audience was a predetermined "eligible users" cohort — existing customers selected by Business Analysts based on tenure, subscribed services, and likelihood to apply. Sentiment data showed these customers had limited awareness of the Rogers Bank brand and found the application overwhelming.

The audience was a predetermined “eligible users” cohort — existing customers selected by Business Analysts based on tenure, subscribed services, and likelihood to apply. Sentiment data showed these customers had limited awareness of the Rogers Bank brand and found the application overwhelming.

Decrease cognitive load

segment the form so nothing feels like a wall of fields.

Build brand confidence

customers didn't know Rogers Bank; the flow needed to introduce it.

Keep the product in view

applicants should always know what card they're applying for.

We modeled the flow on multi-step onboarding patterns proven by fintechs like Wealthsimple, NEO Financial, and Scotiabank. Segmenting the application gives applicants an expectation of how long it'll take, shows progress as they go, and lets them prepare what they need before they need it.

We modeled the flow on multi-step onboarding patterns proven by fintechs like Wealthsimple, NEO Financial, and Scotiabank. Segmenting the application gives applicants an expectation of how long it’ll take, shows progress as they go, and lets them prepare what they need before they need it.

Sign-in prefill — pulls saved account details to skip redundant fields.

Real-time upgrade offer — surfaced mid-flow based on eligibility.

The fix

A 6-step guided application, an added identity-verification layer, and landing pages that sell the product before the applicant opens the form.

Step 1 of 6 — personal information, with persistent card summary and progress bar.

KYC identity verification adds a security layer for card delivery, completable on mobile or in-store.

Marketing & branding landing page — leads with product benefits, a welcome offer, and security trust signals.

Did it work?

Beta launch, phased by cohort to match the client's target demographic — measured over one month.

87%

conversion rate, beta vs. previous flow (78%)

+23%

increase in CSAT vs. previous flow

What moved the needle

The biggest single driver was eKYC. The previous verification step was clunky and a major source of drop-off, especially when customers switched devices mid-application — starting on desktop, finishing on mobile. The redesigned flow handled that hand-off cleanly, and it was the piece the Rogers team was most impressed by.

Slower, but more trustworthy

The new flow took slightly longer to complete than the old one — but felt far more legitimate. The legacy form left customers suspicious they weren't dealing with a real bank; the redesigned flow's familiar, sign-up-like pattern built confidence instead.