Product
Google Pay
Role
Product designer
Timeline
2 Days
Scope
End-to-end redesign of split creation, expense tracking, reminders, and settlement flows
To understand why shared expenses break down socially, I conducted primary & secondary qualitative research through user testing & using AI-assisted synthesis (Perplexity) across:
Phone-call interviews
Reddit discussions on bill splitting and group payments
Public conversations on X (Twitter)
Long-form personal accounts describing money-related discomfort
AI was used to aggregate recurring sentiments and validate patterns — not to generate insights.
Avoidance over refusal
Users delay settling not due to money, but discomfort around reminders.
Small amounts feel risky
Minor expenses are skipped to avoid appearing petty, despite emotional weight.
Reminders strain relationships
Friend-led reminders feel personal, even when system-generated.
Partial payments leak off-platform
Inflexible flows push users to cash or other apps.
Product goals & success metrics
Concept metrics linking social friction to measurable outcomes
Increase on-platform settlement
% of group expenses settled within 7 days
Goal: +10–15%
Reduce off-platform leakage
% of settlements completed via cash or other apps
Goal: −15–20%
Increase expense logging
Avg. expenses logged per group/month
Proxy: low-value (<₹100) expenses logged
Goal: +15% total, +20% low-value
Instead of treating shared expenses as immediate payment requests, the redesign reframes them as shared financial states — where intent is clear, pressure is reduced, and the system handles follow-up.
Make intent explicit
Let the reminders feel like system generated
Track progress without blame
Covering for now
Settle later
Treat / Gift
This removes ambiguity and reduces anxiety without enforcing immediate repayment.
This allows users to log all expenses without appearing overly transactional, addressing hesitation around “penny amounts” without introducing complex mechanics.
“Group expense added” replaces “Split request”
Collective progress is shown instead of individual callouts
No immediate payment CTA
This shifts the tone from asking for money to tracking shared context.
Notifications appear system-initiated
No names, no “you owe”
No urgency language
This preserves accountability while removing interpersonal pressure.
Current UPI flows restrict manual amount editing during payment. The design surfaces partial settlement intent clearly within this constraint, while identifying an opportunity for future enhancement.
Editable settlement amounts in UPI flows
Auto-reconciliation of remaining balances
This would reduce off-platform leakage and better match real payment behavior.
Higher expense logging rates
Reduced reminder fatigue
Faster settlement completion
Increased in-app transaction retention
By shifting responsibility for awkward moments from users to the system, shared expenses can be resolved naturally — without damaging relationships.
This redesign shows how thoughtful product decisions around intent, timing, and tone can transform a routine money flow into a calmer, more human experience.
