Think about the last finance app you downloaded. You were probably excited to track your expenses, save smarter, or invest easily. But within minutes, you found yourself stuck in a frustrating onboarding process, lost in complex menus, or unsure how to get real value from the app. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
Despite the surge in mobile banking, a staggering 96% of users abandon apps within a month. This highlights a critical problem – poor finance app design that fails to engage users beyond the first few interactions.
When an app feels confusing, clunky, or overwhelming, users abandon it. On the other hand, top players succeed not just because of their financial services, but because their finance app design makes managing money intuitive, enjoyable, and rewarding.
So, how can you create a finance app UI that keeps users engaged? In this blog, we’ll explore finance app design best practices that drive retention, enhance user experience, and make financial tools irresistible.
Why User Engagement is the Make-or-Break Factor in Finance App Design
Getting users to download your finance app is easy – keeping them engaged is the real challenge. With finance mobile app ui design competing against social media and entertainment platforms for screen time, a clunky or confusing finance app UI leads to instant drop-offs.
The Attention War: Competing for User Time
Users don’t log into finance apps for fun – they do it out of necessity. If navigating their finances feels frustrating, they won’t return. Fintech UI and fintech UX design must eliminate friction, simplify interactions, and make financial tasks feel effortless.
What Drives Engagement in Finance Apps?
Successful finance app UI design makes users feel in control, confident, and valued. Key engagement factors include:
- Immediate Value – Users should see clear benefits in their first session.
- Ease of Use – A well-structured finance UI design prevents confusion.
- Sense of Progress – Features like savings goals and spending insights keep users coming back.
- Trust & Security – A secure but seamless experience (e.g., Face ID login) builds confidence.
- Personalization – AI-driven insights make users feel the app is built for them.
Balancing Security & Usability
Unlike social media, fintech app products require added security layers like authentication and verification. If not designed well, these steps can frustrate users. Finance app development should integrate secure yet seamless solutions like biometric login to maintain engagement without adding friction.
Now that we understand why engagement matters, let’s explore best practices for designing a fintech app product that keeps users engaged while ensuring security and usability.
Best Practices for Higher User Engagement in Finance App Design
Let’s explore essential best practices that can transform your finance app design into a user-friendly, habit-forming experience.
1. Streamlined Onboarding & Setup
The onboarding experience can make or break user retention. Studies show that only 26% of users continue using a finance app after the first day, and by day 30, retention drops to 4.5%. A complicated or tedious sign-up process is one of the biggest reasons users drop off.
How to Optimize Finance App UI for Onboarding
- Progressive Onboarding – Instead of overwhelming users with lengthy forms, break the process into smaller steps. This fintech UX design strategy ensures that users can explore the app while gradually completing necessary details.
- Auto-Fill & Integrations – Reduce manual data entry by integrating with services like Plaid, allowing users to connect bank accounts seamlessly. This enhances finance app development by improving efficiency.
- Guided Tips & Visual Cues – Use tooltips, illustrations, and micro-interactions to guide users through the initial setup. A well-crafted finance UI design makes onboarding engaging rather than frustrating.
Example: Revolut, a leading neobank, is known for its ultra-smooth fintech UX design. The app enables users to sign up in under five minutes, requiring only essential information first, with additional features unlocked progressively. By integrating with Open Banking APIs, Revolut allows users to link their bank accounts instantly – reducing manual input and friction in finance app UI design.
2. Clear & Intuitive Navigation
If users struggle to find essential features, they won’t stay. UX in Finance must prioritize an intuitive interface, ensuring that users can access key functions – such as balance checks, payments, and transfers—without unnecessary clicks. A well-structured finance app design enhances usability, reduces friction, and keeps users engaged.
How to Optimize Fintech UX Design for Navigation
- Prioritize Primary Actions – Identify the top 3-5 user actions and make them easily accessible via a bottom navigation bar or a dashboard.
- Consistent Icons & Labels – Use familiar icons and clear labels to reduce the learning curve. Users should instantly understand where to find what they need.
- Smart Search & Shortcuts – Implement robust search functionality in finance app UI design to help users find transactions, stock symbols, or payment history effortlessly.
Example: Cash App, excels in finance app UI design by offering a minimalist, clutter-free interface. The home screen is designed with large, easily tappable icons for primary actions (send money, request money, invest, and bank). Users can access key features in just one or two taps, making transactions seamless and intuitive.
3. Data Visualization & Personalized Dashboards
Financial data can be overwhelming. A cluttered finance app UI filled with endless numbers and transactions can discourage users. Instead, converting data into visual, digestible formats significantly improves engagement.
How to Improve Finance App UI Design with Data Visualization
- Use Graphs & Charts – Spending breakdowns, investment trends, and savings progress should be displayed visually rather than as raw numbers.
- Customizable Dashboards – Allow users to personalize their home screens based on their financial priorities, whether it’s expenses, portfolio performance, or bill reminders.
- Contextual Insights – Provide real-time updates like “You’ve saved 20% more this month!” to keep users engaged with their financial goals.
Example: Robinhood, revolutionized finance UI design by introducing simple, color-coded stock performance charts instead of overwhelming users with complex financial tables. The app personalizes the dashboard based on user preferences, providing at-a-glance insights into investments, market trends, and portfolio performance—making stock trading more accessible for beginners.
4. Gamification & Rewards
Let’s be real – budgeting, saving, and investing aren’t the most exciting activities for most users. But what if your fintech application made financial management fun, interactive, and rewarding?
Gamification is a powerful way to keep users engaged. Apps that incorporate game-like elements see a 47% increase in engagement. When done right, finance app UI design can make mundane tasks feel rewarding and habit-forming.
How to Integrate Gamification into Fintech UX Design
- Points & Badges – Reward users for smart financial habits (e.g., saving money, paying bills on time, or hitting investment milestones).
- Challenges & Streaks – Introduce savings or budgeting challenges with progress trackers to keep users engaged.
- Interactive Rewards – Features like Google Pay’s scratch cards or cashback rewards encourage users to complete more transactions within the app.
Example: Google Pay, incorporates gamification through scratch cards and cashback rewards for transactions. Users receive surprise rewards for making payments, which adds an element of excitement and encourages frequent use. This approach has been highly effective in increasing engagement and repeat transactions.
5. Trust, Security & Assistance: Keeping Users Confident
Security concerns are one of the biggest barriers to user engagement in finance apps. If users don’t feel their money and data are safe, they’ll hesitate to use the app or worse, abandon it completely. Finance UI design should instill trust while ensuring security measures don’t become roadblocks.
How to Build Trust in Finance App UI Design
- Transparent Security Messaging – Clearly display security features like encryption, multi-factor authentication, and fraud protection. Trust badges and FDIC-insured statements reassure users.
- Biometric Authentication – Face ID and fingerprint login simplify access without compromising security.
- Clear Error Handling & Help Center – If something goes wrong (like a failed transaction), explain the issue in simple terms and guide the user with next steps.
Example: Chime, stands out for its emphasis on trust and transparency in fintech design. The app proactively alerts users about security updates, no-fee banking, and automatic savings. Chime also enables instant transaction notifications and free overdraft protection, reinforcing its commitment to customer safety and financial well-being.
6. Proactive Engagement
Even the best-designed fintech application won’t drive engagement if users forget about it. Proactive engagement through well-crafted notifications and reminders brings users back into the app – but only if done right.
How to Use Notifications to Boost Engagement in Finance App Design
- Personalized Alerts – Instead of generic notifications, send meaningful, data-driven updates (e.g., “You saved $200 this month! Keep it up!”).
- Timely Nudges – Remind users of important actions (e.g., “Your credit card bill is due in 2 days”) without overwhelming them.
- In-App Widgets & Email Summaries – A weekly email with spending insights or an in-app progress tracker helps users stay engaged even when they’re not actively opening the app.
Example: Apple Card, uses smart, data-driven notifications to help users manage their finances proactively. Instead of generic alerts, Apple Card provides real-time spending insights, due date reminders, and cashback updates. The notifications are designed to be informative, not intrusive, ensuring that users stay engaged without feeling bombarded.
User engagement is the key to a successful finance app design. By implementing these strategies finance apps can create habit-forming experiences that keep users engaged. The best fintech applications prioritize user-centric design, ensuring that financial management is not just functional—but enjoyable and effortless.
Why ProCreator is the Right Partner for Your Finance App Design
Choosing the right partner for your finance app design is crucial to ensure a seamless user experience, robust functionality, and a design that resonates with your target audience. ProCreator stands out as a premier choice, offering a wealth of experience and a portfolio that showcases its expertise in the fintech sector.
ProCreator’s Expertise in Fintech App Design
ProCreator has collaborated with various financial platforms, delivering tailored design solutions that address unique challenges and enhance user engagement. Here are some notable case studies:
1. Rubique: Simplifying Financial Matchmaking
Rubique aimed to unify multiple offerings, such as credit cards and loans, under one platform while providing a consistent user experience. ProCreator designed intuitive flows and utilized visual components to make the process user-friendly, changing the perception that financial processes are complicated.
2. Sakal Money: Streamlining Loan Applications
Sakal Money needed a seamless user onboarding experience for their loan application process. ProCreator focused on minimizing obstacles, displaying relevant offers with minimal required information, and enhancing the visual appeal with an attractive color scheme and engaging graphics.
3. Kinntegra: Enhancing Financial Operations
Kinntegra required a design solution to simplify the experience for Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs) and clients.ProCreator designed a scalable solution with a robust and flexible design system, ensuring a consistent user experience while accommodating unique client requirements.
4. Cholamandalam: Revolutionizing Financial Services
Chola aimed to unify multiple offerings, such as credit cards and loans, under one platform while providing a consistent user experience.ProCreator designed intuitive flows and utilized visual components to make the process user-friendly, changing the perception that financial processes are complicated.
Partnering with ProCreator means collaborating with a team that understands the intricacies of finance app design and is committed to delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed user expectations.
Conclusion
Creating a successful finance app goes beyond offering robust financial services—it’s about crafting an experience that users enjoy, trust, and return to. By implementing engagement-driven design strategies like streamlined onboarding, intuitive navigation, data visualization, gamification, security-first UX, and smart notifications, finance apps can boost retention and become a part of users’ daily lives.
However, great fintech UX design requires expertise. A well-structured finance app UI isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about enhancing usability, driving interactions, and simplifying complex financial processes.
That’s where ProCreator comes in. As a leading UI UX design agency, we specialize in crafting seamless, high-converting fintech applications that prioritize user engagement and business success. From banking apps to investment platforms and payment solutions, we’ve helped global fintech leaders create interfaces that drive adoption, improve retention, and elevate user satisfaction.
Ready to build a finance app that users love? Let’s craft an experience that keeps your users engaged.
Book a Consultation and let’s turn your vision into a seamless fintech experience.
