United States:
Transform Digital LLC
44 Montgomery Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94104
Fintech / BNPLZilch BNPL App
Zilch BNPL App
Case Study
See how SDLC Corp designed and delivered the Zilch Buy Now Pay Later app, covering UX strategy, cross-platform development, financial compliance, and verified improvements in both conversion rate and app retention.
About the Project
The Zilch BNPL Platform
Zilch is a UK-based Buy Now Pay Later fintech that lets consumers spread payments over six weeks at zero interest, using a virtual Mastercard accepted at millions of merchants. The platform needed to make complex financial concepts feel simple and transparent to a broad consumer base: instalment schedules, repayment dates, late fees, and credit management all had to be presented clearly.
SDLC Corp handled UX research, UI design, Android and iOS development, payment system integration, financial compliance implementation, and post-launch performance work, resulting in a 35% increase in conversion rate and a 56% reduction in app bounce rate.
Industry
Fintech
Product Type
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)
Business Type
Consumer Lending
Platforms
Android and iOS
UX and Design
Making Financial Complexity Feel Simple
BNPL apps carry a significant UX burden: they need to communicate loan agreements, repayment schedules, interest conditions, and late fees clearly, without overwhelming or alarming the user. The Zilch design focused on progressive disclosure, surfacing the right information at each stage of the transaction rather than front-loading every financial detail.
- Clear instalment breakdown shown before any commitment
- One-tap payment with virtual Mastercard at checkout
- Snooze payment feature for flexible repayment control
- Transparent fee and late payment communication
- Fast onboarding with streamlined KYC verification
- Consistent experience across Android and iOS
"BNPL delivery is not just a UX problem. It is a trust problem. Consumers need to understand exactly what they are committing to before they tap confirm. Getting that clarity right, without making the UI feel like a terms-and-conditions document, was the core design challenge on this project."
Akshay Jadhav
Fintech and BNPL Account SPOC, SDLC Corp
Our Approach
How We Approached This Project
Consumer Behaviour Research
We analysed how BNPL users made purchasing decisions, where they dropped off, and what language made financial terms feel less intimidating.
Clarity-First UI Design
Every screen was built to surface the right information at the right moment: instalment amounts before commitment, repayment dates in plain language, and fees only when directly relevant.
Compliance-Aware Development
Financial regulations shaped the build from day one. KYC flows, consent language, data handling, and payment processing were all implemented with FCA and GDPR requirements in scope.
Delivery Process
Agile Delivery Process
01
Discover
User stories, roles, and journey mapping across BNPL consumer types: first-time borrowers, repeat users, and high-frequency shoppers.
02
Prototype
User flows and wireframes for instalment selection, payment confirmation, repayment management, and the snooze payment feature.
03
Development
Android and iOS build with virtual Mastercard integration, instalment engine, KYC verification flow, and repayment notification system.
04
Test
Unit, functional, and integration testing across both platforms. Specific testing for edge cases in repayment scheduling and late fee triggers.
05
Deployment
App store and Play Store release with phased rollout and real-time monitoring of instalment transaction success rates.
06
Review
Post-launch analysis of drop-off points, conversion data, and repayment completion rates to inform the next iteration.
Challenges
Platform Screens
Compliance
Technology 
Impact
Key Design and Technical Challenges
The main problems we solved to make the Zilch platform trustworthy, compliant, and easy to use.
Presenting Financial Terms Clearly
Challenge: BNPL apps involve loan agreements, instalment schedules, interest conditions, and late fee structures. Presenting this information clearly without burying it or causing users to abandon checkout was a core design challenge.
Solution: SDLC Corp used progressive disclosure to surface financial information in context: instalment amounts at product selection, full repayment schedule at confirmation, and fee conditions only when triggered. Language was simplified throughout, tested for readability across consumer segments.
User Education Within the Flow
Challenge: Many consumers using BNPL for the first time did not fully understand the financial commitments involved. Lack of clarity led to missed payments, support contact spikes, and lower trust scores.
Solution: Educational micro-copy and contextual prompts were built into the onboarding and payment flows without adding friction. Key financial concepts were explained at the point of relevance, reducing support queries and improving repayment completion rates post-launch.
Platform Screens
Zilch App: Selected Screens
Compliance
Regulatory Compliance
As a consumer lending product operating in the UK financial services market, the Zilch platform was built with four regulatory frameworks in scope.
FCA
Financial Conduct Authority
Consumer lending features, credit agreement presentation, and affordability check flows were implemented in line with FCA requirements applicable to UK BNPL providers.
GDPR
UK Data Protection
Consumer data collection, consent mechanisms, data retention policies, and right-to-deletion flows were built in compliance with UK GDPR, covering both personal and financial data.
PCI DSS
Payment Card Security
Virtual Mastercard issuance and all payment processing flows were integrated through a PCI DSS-compliant infrastructure, ensuring cardholder data was handled within certified environments.
AML / KYC
Identity and Fraud Prevention
The onboarding flow included automated KYC verification and AML screening, meeting UK financial services requirements for consumer identity verification before credit is extended.
Technology
Technology Stack
Frontend
React Native
Cross-platform UI for Android and iOS from a single codebase.
Backend
Node.js
Instalment engine, repayment scheduler, and API gateway.
Database
MongoDB
Consumer accounts, transaction records, and repayment history.
Mastercard Integration
Virtual card issuance and real-time authorisation for in-store and online payments.
KYC / AML
Identity verification and fraud screening at onboarding.
Notifications
Repayment reminders, snooze confirmations, and late fee alerts.
Impact
Verified Project Outcomes
35% Conversion Rate Increase
A redesigned checkout flow and clearer instalment presentation drove a verified 35% lift in conversion post-launch.
56% App Bounce Rate Reduction
Simplified onboarding, clearer financial language, and faster load times cut the app bounce rate by 56%.
Improved Financial Literacy UX
In-flow educational prompts reduced support contacts related to missed payments and fee confusion.
Compliant Across Four Frameworks
FCA, UK GDPR, PCI DSS, and AML/KYC requirements built into the product from day one, not retrofitted.
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