Drive Lending Volume through multiple product enhancements and experimentations.
As the designer in the Lending team for most of 2025, our team was assigned a goal to drive lending volume growth across N26’s lending products: Overdraft, Installments, and Consumer Credit. Through multiple product improvements and experimentations throughout the year,
I contributed to a ~55% increase in Lending Volume in 2025.
- +12% activation from improved overdraft activation flows
- +31% activation by surfacing overdraft in the home feed’s account module
- +28% activation by adding a new consumer credit entry point in the home feed
- +12.5% in average loan size through creation flow improvements
- +46.6% conversion by introducing a new Installment module on the homepage
Problem Statement
In a 2023 lending perception survey, the vast majority of participants reported feeling neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with N26’s lending offers.
The reasons behind this neutrality were mainly:
- Many users were not aware that lending options existed in the app
- Users often did not clearly understand how lending works
- Users were uncertain about how much they would need to repay if they took a loan
Previous research also showed that users convert better when they clearly understand the cost and repayment structure upfront.
Project goal
Increase lending adoption by improving visibility, contextual relevance, and cost clarity of lending products within the N26 app.
By making lending more visible, contextual, and transparent, we aimed to improve user trust and ultimately increase lending conversion and volume.
#1 Visibility & Contextual nudges
TL;DR
The best way to understand our users’ pain points? Become one. At that time, I had just moved apartments. Suddenly I needed to:
- Buy furniture to fill empty rooms 🛋️
- Fix things around the apartment 🔧
- Pay a new deposit while waiting for the old one to return 💸
What happened in the app?
At some point I received a low balance infocard ⚠️
Some transactions were rejected ❌
And yet… I still wasn’t sure:
- Does N26 offer loans?
- Do I qualify?
- Where would I even find it?
The insight
Research shows users feel neutral about our lending product. Not because they dislike it. But because they simply don’t know it exists.
Then more users will discover and consider N26 lending options when they need additional funds.
Delivery
#2 Overdraft creation flow
What is N26 Overdraft?
A safety net attached to your main account that allows you to spend more than your current balance, up to a pre-approved limit.
TL;DR
We identified eligible customers, those that received an offer for an Overdraft, were not progressing with activating their Overdraft (OD). We wondered why?
What users told us:
✔️Customers liked the flexibility an Overdraft provided and saw it as an extension of their balance
✔️It is heavily linked to seasonal trends
❓Those with an Overdraft were not familiar with the rate they paid but more the actual cost charged
❓The rate for those applying seemed high (even though we are benchmarked well against our competitors)
Then more users will activate Overdraft because they will have a clearer understanding of the costs involved, which will increase their confidence and make them more inclined to use the product.
- Activation of Overdraft increased by 12%
- We saw a clear indicator we were providing the right information at the right time, the calculator click shrank by 60% and the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) by nearly 40%.
#3 Consumer Credit creation flow
What is N26 Consumer Credit?
A personal loan with a real-time application process. Eligible customers can borrow between €1,000 and €25,000.
TL;DR
What users told us:
✔️ Many users want higher borrowing limits to better support their financial needs
✔️ Users are often unaware of their actual borrowing capacity after eligibility checks
❓ Credit limits feel opaque and automatically decided, with little transparency or control
❓ Some users feel blocked by hard limits when trying to make larger purchases or use installmentsWe identified that users who received a credit offer can not modify their requested amount despite being eligible for more after eligibility checks.
then more customers will choose higher loan amounts, increasing overall credit volume.
+12.5% in average loan size through creation flow improvements