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Problem: 

Fluz was seeing declining engagement and a drop in gift card purchase completions, with only 19% of users finishing the flow, and conversion trending down.

Solution:

Ran a multi-method research program, including user interviews, usability tests, a survey, and a FullStory audit to pinpoint where and why users were dropping off.

Impact:

Identified a critical 72% drop-off in the purchase flow; several recommendations were implemented including improved post-purchase guidance, clearer fee language, and UI fixes.

Role:

UX Researcher — owned study design, recruitment, moderation, analysis, and stakeholder presentation end-to-end.

What's the problem?

Fluz is a cashback app that lets users earn rewards by purchasing gift cards and joining group-buying events called "Parties." Despite a growing user base, the product was facing two compounding problems:

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  • Engagement was dropping. Lapsed users were churning, and active users weren't exploring key features like Maximize and Parties.

  • Conversion was declining. Only 19% of users who started the gift card purchase flow were completing it — and that number was trending down (-8.72% conversion rate).

 

As the sole UX researcher, I was brought in to understand why users were disengaging and what needed to change.

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Research Approach

Rather than running a single study, I designed a multi-method research program to address different questions at different levels of depth.

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Key Findings

1. The Gift Card Flow Had a Critical Drop-Off

Using FullStory, I mapped the full purchase funnel and found a 72% drop-off between the amount selection screen and transfer confirmation — the single biggest leak in the entire flow.

Usability tests confirmed why:

  • Users couldn't find purchased gift cards after completing a transaction — there was no clear post-purchase confirmation directing them

  • The "Funding Source" step caused confusion and hesitation, especially with the "Bank Card" terminology

  • "Edit Balance" and "Mark as Spent" were two separate actions that users found indistinguishable

  • The "Follow" button on a merchant profile page was mistaken for a way to purchase a gift card

2. Feature Complexity Was Driving Lapsed Users Away

User interviews across active and lapsed users revealed a clear pattern: lapsed users disengaged not because they didn't value cashback, but because the effort felt disproportionate to the reward.

Key themes from interviews:

  • The Maximize tab was largely undiscovered — even active users hadn't explored it

  • Reward structures (especially Boosts) were confusing due to unclear limits and conditions

  • Notifications weren't personalized, so users felt the app wasn't relevant to their habits

3. Transparency Builds Trust

A survey of 72 users comparing two cashback display options revealed that 84% preferred seeing a full fee breakdown over a simplified adjusted rate — even when the numbers were less flattering. Users wanted clarity over simplicity.

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"Yeah, because as I said, I never even went in there." - Active user

"Learning that it was 25% only on the first I think 10 or 5?" - Lapsed user

"I've always found it a little difficult to use for whatever reason..." -Active user

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Recommendations

For the Gift Card Flow:

  • Add a clear post-purchase confirmation message directing users to "My Cards."

  • Streamline the funding source flow — combine billing address entry into one step

  • Merge "Edit Balance" and "Mark as Spent" into a single unified action

  • Expand clickable areas on small UI elements (icons, buttons)

  • Revise the "Follow" button to reduce confusion with purchasing​​​​

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For Engagement:

  • Introduce personalized notifications based on past purchase behavior

  • Surface Maximize and Boost features more prominently through onboarding and tooltips

  • Show cashback comparisons contextually (e.g., "You'd earn X more at this party")​​​​​​​​​

 

For Trust & Transparency:

  • Display full cashback and fee breakdown across all screens consistently

  • Add tooltips explaining how Boosts work at the point of use

Impact

Several recommendations were implemented by the product and design team, including improved post-purchase guidance, clearer fee language, and UI element sizing improvements. The research program also established a repeatable usability testing process that could be applied to future features.

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