Balance withdrawal simulation
Transparency before withdrawal: a simulation that clarifies taxes, penalties, and impact per certificate.
Overview
Many users confirmed withdrawals from their balances without understanding the real impact of taxes and penalties, creating frustration and high support demand. The project focused on creating a simulator that details the net amount and deductions by certificate, turning a moment of friction into an informed decision point.
My role
Senior Product Designer (end-to-end). Led hypothesis definition, prototyping, usability tests, and business-rule refinement with Product and Engineering.
Challenge
Loss aversion is real: seeing a lower net amount than requested causes psychological pain. The challenge was to present dense tax data in a simple way, ensuring users understood the "why" behind each deduction before final confirmation.
Impact
Impulse withdrawals
Drop in immediate withdrawal volume after users could clearly see short-term penalties.
CS efficiency
Drastic reduction in recurring questions about income tax calculations and exit fees.
Positive friction
The simulator acted as a strategic pause, increasing confidence and customer lifetime value.
Process
- 01
Language mapping
We analyzed support tickets to identify which financial terms confused users most. We translated concepts like "Tax Regime" into direct, wallet-level impact explanations.
- 02
Information hierarchy
We implemented an executive summary at the top (Net Amount) and hid multi-certificate complexity behind accordions, so users could explore details only when needed.
- 03
Validation of flows and technical rules
We worked closely with engineers to map error states and insurer API latency, ensuring the simulator remained resilient and informative in adverse conditions.
Gallery
Mobile version
Solution
- Real-time calculation: Immediate visibility of gross vs. net value, removing unpleasant surprises on the bank statement.
- Contextual financial education: The simulator not only showed the deduction, but also explained its origin (Tax vs. Penalty), helping users understand their investment cycle.
- Interface resilience: Creation of intelligent loading states and fallback paths for API unavailability, keeping the user informed at all times.
Key learnings
Business rules are design
Understanding tax rules in depth was as important as designing the screens. The simulator was reliable because the design respected real certificate logic.
Intentional friction works
Adding a simulation step before confirmation increased user control and reduced post-withdrawal regret.
Error states are opportunities
Designing fallback paths for API failures turned moments of frustration into transparent communication experiences.