UX review of BVR bank app
Bank Vlasnuy Rakhunok app. Fintech. IOS, Android. Projector institute. 2025
BVR Bank (short for "Bank Vlasnyi Rakhunok") is a Ukrainian digital bank integrated with "Silpo" (one of the largest supermarket chains in Ukraine).
Timeline
1.5 month
Role
User Research, Prototyping, Visual design, Interaction, Testing
Team
Vitalii D., Andrii T., Olga Y., Yuliia M., Larysa K., Anya M.
How it started
Our goal was to make the application more valuable for the users because they often use it only to collect the promo discounts. Also they hardly want to switch from the other banking application especially if they aren’t familiar with the new one.
So we decided to run a UX audit and find most critical problems in the user’s experience.
Research
We started by gathering input from the business side to understand their goals, vision, and what they hoped to achieve with the design. It was a long session with almost 40 questions. Sounds pretty tiring but it allowed us to know this product and their vision better.
During our real-time collaboration with a team we used different metrics and mapping to map out the business and to dive deeper into the process.
Once we got the list of respondents, we reached out to talk with them and better understand their needs, struggles, and expectations from the product. There were 15 conducted interviews in total.
Through in-depth interviews we discovered that It’s convenient for the users to gather personal discounts and bonuses when buying products in the Silpo stores, but as soon as the promotions are ended, they forget even to top up the card.
We also found out that most customer don’t use this application as their primary one for banking purposes.
Key findings
Inconvenient card top-up. Users don’t use this app as their default one and often forget to add funds.
Bonuses from Silpo are the main reason people use the app. Low user engagement with app features beyond balance and bonuses.
Users often take credit funds but they don’t notified enough about changes in credit programs.
Poor recognition and lack of trust in the bank.
01. Improving recognition
This online bank application was made for the customers of Silpo retails stores. But we were surprised that many customers simply don’t know about the bank. And we found an opportunity to improve acquisition through the Silpo application which had a card on the main page that advertised our banking app.
When users open the card, it doesn’t really show the key benefits of BVR Bank. So we decided to rethink the page and boost user activation in the BVR app by clearly highlighting its main advantages and adding a more noticeable call-to-action.
02. Improving navigation
Based on the findings, we updated the bottom navigation by adding clearer icons with labels to make interacting with the app easier and help users identify categories faster, as the previous icons were hard to recognize without text.
To help users manage their spending more effectively, we added quick access to analytics. Along with this, we also moved the QR code scanner to the top of the main page, since it’s one of the most frequently used features.
03. Card top-up
At this stage, we made it even easier to top up the card. In this design update, we added the option to use Apple Pay or Google Pay and made it possible to save the details of the last card used for topping up the BVR card. We also introduced a subscription feature that automatically transfers money from the user’s main account to their BVR account. This way, users don’t have to think about topping up manually, and banks benefit from regular deposits.
04. AI Assistant
We introduced a Financial AI Assistant that has access to the bank’s documentation and can quickly answer most questions about BVR’s banking services. This assistant also serves as an educational resource — for example, it can teach users how to manage their finances while simultaneously acting as a channel that recommends relevant bank services based on the context of the conversation.
The main advantages are that the consultation is available anytime, even on weekends, and users can ask questions directly instead of navigating menus and searching through dozens of irrelevant FAQs.
05. Fraud Check
Every year, many people fall victim to banking fraud. To keep users safe, we decided to add a “Fraud Check” feature. This feature can be implemented using your own personal database or by integrating with anti-fraud systems.
One of the leading solutions in this area is AntiFraud HUB, developed by the Ukrainian Interbank Association of Payment System Members (EMA). As of August 30, 2021, 56 organizations were connected to this system.
How does it work?
1 - The user enters the recipient’s card number
2 - The app checks the card through an anti-fraud system or the internal database.
3 - The system returns a verification result: The card has been flagged for suspicious activity. The card is associated with fraudulent actions. The card is safe.
06. Gamification
To make the app more engaging and motivate users to come back regularly, we added gamification.
One fun part of this is earning rewards for completing certain milestones. The more activities a user finishes, the more rewards they unlock — making every action feel satisfying and meaningful.
Another way we keep users coming back is with simple but addictive games. By playing them, users can earn points, bonuses, or discounts, turning everyday app interactions into a fun and rewarding experience. Over time, this not only makes using the app more enjoyable but also helps users stay motivated and engaged.
All the rewards turn into bonus points that can be used as discounts when shopping at Silpo retail stores, the main partner of the bank app.
07. Child Card
Our research found that many families using this banking app have kids — and often make purchases together. That’s why adding a feature like this is so helpful: it gives parents an easy way to keep an eye on their child’s spending. They get instant notifications for card transactions and can even set spending limits or block payments on certain websites. Meanwhile, kids start learning about money and how to manage it themselves — one small step at a time.
Key Learnings
Customers may use another banking app as their primary one, so the goal is to recognize that and focus on your strengths while building trust.
There’s always a chance to increase acquisition through marketing channels — for example, the partner Silpo App, which features a BVR Bank product placement card.
People often get lost between bonuses, payments, and other features — the structure needs to be clearer.
Users don’t like when things are out of their control. Changes to the credit limit without notification or slow access to important information can break trust.
An AI assistant can become a helpful guide — supporting users, teaching them financial habits, and naturally introducing bank services through useful tips.
Trust matters most. It’s about clear information, fast support, easy access to knowledge, and quick problem-solving that make people feel safe using the app.