Two needs. Two products.
I designed two paths: time before payment with Pay in 30, and predictable installments with Ratenzahlung.
Turning Credit Caution Into Customer Adoption
Building Trust Through Responsible Credit
- My Role
- Led the 0→1 design and continued evolution of Pay in 30 Days and PayPal Ratenzahlung—two credit products that did not previously exist at PayPal Germany. Following the latest redesign, monthly TPV increased 48.78% for Pay in 30 Days and 14.92% for Ratenzahlung compared with their previous production versions.
The need behind the trust equation
German customers wanted flexibility without feeling pushed into debt: time to inspect a purchase before paying, and predictable installments for larger costs. Friction and uncertainty weakened trust at the moments of choice and commitment.
The Strategic Bet
Adoption would grow if customers could understand the cost earlier, complete fewer unnecessary steps, and retain control after purchase.
The Tradeoff
A faster application could not come at the expense of an informed decision. We removed unnecessary steps while keeping costs, terms, and commitment clear.
The trust equation
The trust equation: trust equals flexibility, minus friction, plus transparency, plus control. Each variable is solved by the work described below.
Solving the equation, one variable at a time
Why did flexibility require four pages?
I consolidated three application pages into one by aligning with my checkout partner to surface installment options earlier and streamline terms behind links.
What am I agreeing to?
Customers saw every option and estimated cost in checkout, with full terms before commitment.
What if I need more time?
Customers could reschedule after reviewing the new date and fee—adding control and a new revenue stream.
The outcome
Trust changedcustomer behavior.
Impact
Pay in 30 Days
Inspect the purchase first; pay within 30 days.
+48.78%
Monthly total purchase volume
+17.33%
Annual incremental revenue
- Made payment options and estimated costs visible before application.
- Moved preferred-bank selection into checkout.
- Added transparent post-purchase payment rescheduling.
- Introduced a fee-based payment extension, giving customers more time to pay while generating incremental revenue for PayPal.
PayPal Ratenzahlung
Divide larger costs into planned installments.
+14.92%
Monthly total purchase volume
+25.44%
Annual incremental revenue
- Added four installment options for different purchase needs.
- Placed contextual terms in checkout and complete legal terms at review.
- Rebuilt the application on PayPal’s current UI, reducing it from four pages to one.
Customers did not adopt these products because we made credit more persuasive. They adopted them because PayPal made costs clearer, commitment easier to understand, and payment more controllable.
PrototypeBehind the Work
How the strategy became repeatable across two products
Checkout, Product, Engineering, Legal, Risk, Compliance, Research, and Design used the same principles to evaluate decisions across checkout, application, and servicing—turning customer trust into a shared quality standard rather than a one-off design idea.
Pay in 30 Days
Moved preferred-bank selection and add-bank into checkout.
Made payment options, estimates, and terms visible earlier.
Added post-purchase rescheduling with explicit cost and date confirmation.
Adopted the new checkout framework to support clearer comparisons.
PayPal Ratenzahlung
Added four installment terms and tested how customers compared them.
Rebuilt the application on PayPal’s current UI, reducing four pages to one.
Used contextual disclosures in checkout and complete terms at commitment.
Migrated the experience to the latest checkout framework.
