VENMO
From domestic only to trusted international payments
Venmo is built for domestic transfers, but today’s users move globally. This case study reimagines Venmo as a fast, travel-ready platform for transparent international P2P payments.
Mobile design
End-to-end experience
YEAR
Nov 2024 - Mar 2025
ROLE
Product Designer
Outcomes
→
93% average completion rate
Streamlined interactions made payments easier to complete across core flows.
→
100% comprehension lift
Redesigned the send flow to surface conversions, fees, and exchanges rates early by addressing a key user trust barrier from interviews.
→
All users approved the redesigned flow
All users preferred the new international experience over the old flow as trust and confidence improved.
“If Venmo worked like this abroad, I’d stop using everything else. This just makes sense.”
Usability tester,
Product Designer
Context
Why can’t I use Venmo abroad?
Venmo works because sending money feels simple. That ease is the product.
But Venmo relies on domestic banking rails. When users travel or split expenses internationally, the underlying system changes.
The challenge isn’t enabling cross-border payments. It’s preserving that ease as new variables surface in the flow.
Strategic vision: Global P2P payments
Venmo dominates domestic P2P because it removes friction from everyday transfers.
International payments introduce unavoidable complexity. The goal isn’t to eliminate it, but to control how and when it appears in the flow.
The opportunity is to support cross-border transfers while maintaining predictible outcomes and clarity in cost.
The reality of global payments
Why it’s harder than it looks
Venmo’s simplicity relies on domestic banking rails.
Cross-border transfers move through multiple banks and currencies introducing FX volatility, intermediary fees, and regulatory constraints that disrupt that stability.
These variables change the final amount received.
The trust gap
What breaks trust in international payments
Users expect the entered amount to match what the recipient receives.
When those amounts differ, that mismatch introduces doubt at the point of authorization.
When the numbers don’t add up, trust breaks at the interface increasing hesitation and making abandonment more likely.
“Venmo just works in the most simple way possible. If it worked globally and I could trust the rates, I would use Venmo forever.”
Usability tester
“Exchange rates and fees are confusing. I just want to know exactly what I’m paying upfront.”
Usability tester
How might we use cost transparency to preserve trust at the point of authorization?
Reimagining Venmo for a global audience
1st MVP: Building trust through transparency
We focused on making the recipient amount clear before confirmation.
Users cared most about how much the recipient would receive. To reflect that mental model, we led with that hierarchy and made exchange rates and fees visible.
Improved clarity and trust with exact totals shown in recipient’s local currency.
100% of participants
felt confident in sending and paying.
Boosted trust and confidence with upfront fee transparency.
All participants
valued upfront fee transparency.
Enabled informed decisions with early exchange rate visibility.
100% of participants
expected early visibility on exchange rates.
2nd MVP: Clarity without cognitive overload
The 2nd MVP focused on when exchange rates and fees appeared in the flow.
We introduced rates and fees progressively, ensuring nothing felt hidden before confirmation. Layout and copy were adjusted to make total cost explicit.
That sequencing preserved clarity, without disrupting Venmo’s fast, familiar flow.
Exchange rates appear first.
Establishing baseline context without introducing unnecessary cognitive load.
Fees revealed only after an amount is entered.
Ensures users understood the total cost before they decide to send money.
Core experience: 93% average completion rate
The key tasks results were in:
Task
Completed
- International payment
100%
- Checking exchange rates & fees
100%
- Checking included fees
93%
- Sending final payment
100%
- Viewing payment details
82%
- Requesting money
93%
- International request
93%
What if Venmo just worked abroad?
Simple and global P2P
Venmo extends its domestic experience globally by making international payments transparent, so users can complete transfers without hesitation.
SOLUTION 1
Currency clarity
→
Dual-currency display
100% comprehension lift eliminating confusion around global, currency conversions.
→
Mid-market exchange rate display
All users valued early exposure to the exchange rate as it increased trust, clarity, and flow efficiency.
SOLUTION 2
Fee transparency
→
New fee structure
All participants valued the transparent fees being shown early, giving confidence to complete the payment.
→
Integrated exchange rates & competitor rates
88% preferred the integrated rates modal as it reduced screen switching and multiple screen taps.
SOLUTION 3
Simplicity
→
Segmented control
7 of 8 participants found the segmented control easier to use than dual CTA buttons (Pay & Request) as it reinforced intentionality and minimized accidental transfers.
Impact at a glance
Transparency drives trust
In international payments, users hesitate or switch platforms when pricing isn’t explicit.
Clear visibility into total cost reduced hesitation and increased completion.
From trust gap to global growth
A global experience
Venmo now supports international transfers with clear visibility into costs.
Users can complete transfers without hesitation.
“This feels like Venmo, but smarter. I would actually use this when traveling with my friends.”
Usability tester,
Engineer
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AXIS
Turning exploration into clarity
→
88% adoption rate
→
42% increase in engagement
→
All users discovered unexpected resources
Mobile design
End-to-end experience
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