Driving App Engagement with Gamified Rewards at LazyPay
When you’re trying something new especially in a product users already rely on, you can’t just guess how people will react. That’s where MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) become incredibly powerful. They let you test ideas in the real world, observe behaviour, and learn fast without going all in from day one.
LazyPay is a seamless credit-based payment platform that lets users shop instantly and repay later with automated convenience.
At LazyPay, we were exploring ways to improve retention. We knew we had a product with strong user base and instant payments on across 2,500 merchants, and seamless payment flow on merchant platform. But only 15% of users were using the LazyPay app for repaying using LazyPay app. That low engagement lead to fewer business opportunities and, more importantly, a missed chance to build deeper relationships with our users.
We began digging into the data. It turned out many users relied on LazyPay specifically during lunchtime to pay for food opting for speed and ease over traditional payment methods. Half of them came to the app mainly to check deals. That was our lightbulb moment.
So we asked: What if we made the app itself more rewarding, literally?
That led us to explore a rewards system. But instead of diving straight into a full-scale program, we built an MVP. Something lean, fast to launch, and insightful by design. This allowed us to understand user behavior and validate whether gamified experiences could actually boost retention and engagement.
The results? It worked, but not instantly. It took several iterations, careful observation, and lots of learning. But ultimately, we were able to bring in new user groups, increase app visits, and prove that rewards weren’t just bells and whistles, they were behaviour drivers.
Step-by-Step, Together
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Competitor research and user feedback, to understand where we could shine.
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Conducted workshop with across departments to generate ideas
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Explored various possibilities on the basis of research
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Built final solution and worked closely with engineers to develop it
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Analysed using A/B testing and iterative design process
Listening to Users
Our research revealed something interesting: a lot of users loved using LazyPay during lunchtime food orders to skip tedious checkout steps. Plus, half of our users were mainly coming for the deals on various merchants.
It hit us! people weren’t just looking for payments or offers alone. They wanted convenience, rewards, and a little bit of fun while they engaged with the app.
Stepping into users' shoe
Who are the Users
To design a meaningful reward system, I needed to pinpoint who we were truly designing for. I worked closely with the business team and researchers to validate these user groups:
• Promising Talent - 70%
These users value convenience over cashback. They're consistent, rely on auto-debit for payments back to Lazypay, and mostly use LazyPay for quick weekday food orders.
• Deal-Driven Users -25%
These users are motivated by offers alone. Loyalty is low and, they use LazyPay only when it gives them the best deal, otherwise, they switch. Their behavior is opportunistic, but they’re highly responsive to short-term value.
• Devoted Users - 5%
This group uses LazyPay across multiple merchants, daily. For them, it’s about comfort and reliability, not just discounts. Their deep engagement made them a great reference group for longer-term loyalty strategies.
Generating Ideas
Could Rewards and Gamification Bring Users Closer?
We thought, what if we created a reward system that didn’t just give cashback but made using the app feel like a game? Something that encouraged people to come back more often, not just for offers but for the experience.
Learnings
Step-by-Step, Together
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Dove deep with competitor research and user feedback, to understand where we could shine.
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Held workshops with the whole team, sparking ideas across departments.
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Defined clear user personas to tailor our approach:
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Promising Talent: Convenience-focused weekday users.
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Deal-Driven Users: Always hunting for the best offer.
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Devoted Users: Loyal fans who loved simplicity and comfort.
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Brainstormed creatively and built mood boards, blending technical possibilities with user desires.
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Launched a lean MVP that could quickly test how users would react and behave.
"The MVP wasn’t perfect from day one, but that was okay. It helped us discover that"
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Variable rewards really hooked users, boosting engagement without breaking the bank.
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Gamified referrals revealed that people respond strongly to expiry and loss aversion—they don’t want to miss out.
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Most excitingly, our KYC completion rate doubled, opening doors to new business opportunities we hadn’t imagined.
Launching the Full Reward Program
Using MVP insights, we took a thoughtful approach to design and develop the full rewards experience:
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Created clear wireframes and user flows based on what worked.
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Collaborated closely with engineers and operations to bring the vision to life.
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Introduced multiple touchpoints in the app, making rewards feel seamless and rewarding.
More Than Numbers
Our efforts were recognized with the 🏆 PayU Global Thank You Award 2020 and 🏆 CEO Spot Award. But beyond awards, what truly mattered was how users responded. LazyPay became not just a payment tool but a daily companion that users trusted and enjoyed.
Final.fig
Key Takeways
MVPs Are More Than Just Tests, They’re Conversations
This project showed me that an MVP isn’t just about launching fast, it’s about starting a conversation with your users. Listening, learning, iterating. It’s about building products that really resonate on a human level.