The brief
A neobank app was acquiring users through paid marketing at a reasonable cost, but a large share dropped out midway through account verification, meaning much of that spend never converted into an active account.
How we would approach it
Map the drop off against the actual steps, not just a funnel number
Before redesigning anything, we would map exactly which screen in the verification flow loses the most users, since onboarding drop off is often concentrated at one or two specific steps rather than spread evenly across the flow.
Separate what is required now from what can wait
Many apps front load every piece of verification before a user sees any value. Where regulation allows, we would look at which steps can move to after a user has had a small moment of value, such as seeing their new account number, rather than asking for everything upfront.
Design for the document capture step specifically
Document and identity capture is consistently one of the highest drop off points in financial onboarding. Clear in flow guidance, real time feedback on blurry or rejected uploads, and a visible sense of progress designed specifically around this step rather than treating it the same as a simple text field.
Test the redesigned flow with people who are not already customers
Usability testing run with people unfamiliar with the product, since existing customers and the internal team are far more forgiving of friction than a brand new user evaluating whether to trust an app with their financial details.
What this approach is built to deliver
An onboarding flow designed around where users actually give up, turning more of the existing marketing spend into completed, verified accounts instead of losing users at the same predictable step.