UX gem from PayPal

I love good UX. As I have been working on websites and web apps for the last eight years I have developed a professional deformation where I would use a digital product and if I notice a good UX or a pattern it gets stuck in my mind for days. When that happens I know that the people behind that product have done it and earned their salary for the day.

This time it happened with PayPal. Being their user for years I have had a chance to follow how their platform evolves and what always amazed me is how a gigantic company like that keeps their product up to date with the fast evolving web landscape.

Recently I have changed banks and I got issued a new credit card. I have gone on PayPal to add the new card and in that moment one thing they did UX-wise captured my mind for days.

I’ll explain the process now and then I’ll recap why I love it.

1. When you click on Link a Card a screen like this one will open.

PayPal screen for linking a new bank card

2. You fill out your card information and click on Select a billing address. If you already have a correct billing address select the one and you’re set. But their UX really shines in the moment when you want to add a new billing address in that point in time. In my case I had also recently changed my home address so I needed to input the new billing address as well.

Under the Select a billing address the last option is to add a new billing address

3. When you click on the Add a new billing address beauty happens and the Link a card screen get’s totally replaced by the new screen where you can add a new billing address.

New billing address screen takes over and you can focus on that intent

4. Once you enter the new billing address and click save, it will take you back to the previous screen with the card information and the new billing address will be selected on the dropdown.

Why I love this so much? PayPal had a ton of choices how they could have done this. But they decided to stick with one intent per screen. As a user I knew exactly what is expected of me in every step of the process. In this case my intent was first to add a card, then it changed to wanting to add a new billing address. They took care of me and made it possible for me to succeed on my intents.

In my professional work I always try to drive one intent per screen as a good UX pattern and something a good app should strive for. And having this experience in PayPal I can’t wait to have an opportunity to implement a shiny gem like that in one of the apps we do in Calyx.