Enhancing eSIM inside the Monobank app — pinpointing the biggest user pain points and designing solutions for them. The wider goal: show people that a mobile plan can come from a bank, not only from traditional operators.
05Give the business a clear view — and ideas — on whether to develop the feature further.
DISCOVER
Research
10
Competitors
Competitor analysis helped us identify where we match rivals — points of parity (PoP) — and where we differ — points of difference (PoD).
We found no direct competitor — a banking app that sells eSIM — so we analysed secondary players that don't offer it.
22
In-Depth Interviews
Together with the team we ran 22 interviews to understand users' pain and happy points — the basis for our personas (goals, fears, needs, motivations).
I can't tell if my phone supports eSIM.
Activating an eSIM is confusing.
Tariff information is hard to find.
No reminders to top up.
Automatic payments are hard to set up.
10
Heuristics Evaluation
We ran a heuristic evaluation across our product and competitors' — not just to surface issues, but to uncover hidden opportunities that energised the project.
With the research done, the Define phase turned findings into artifacts — AARRR, VPC, Lean Canvas, personas, and CJM — and from those we identified and prioritised the problems worth solving.
AARRR
01
Acquisition
ACTIVITIES
eSIM advertising in Monobank
External advertising
Social Media
Page on the website
Advertising on mobile carrier page
Collaboration with influencers
METRICS
CTR (click through rate)
Social media followers
Website traffic
UTM tags
Feedback forms
Firebase analytics
02
Activation
ACTIVITIES
Registration in Monobank
Downloading the app
Subscribing to the newsletter
eSIM purchase
Subscribing to the Social Media
METRICS
Engagement rate
Number of abandoned carts
Bounce rate
Number of subscriptions
Number of eSIM purchases
Transactions
Registration conversion
03
Retention
ACTIVITIES
In-App notifications
Email newsletter
Social Media
Retargeting
SMS
External advertising / Internet
Stories
METRICS
Session frequency
CTR (click through rate)
CLV (customer lifetime value)
User churn rate
Email open rate
UTM link
Retention rate
Repeat purchase rate
04
Referral
ACTIVITIES
Cashback for eSIM purchase
Referral bonuses
METRICS
UTM link
Referral conversion rate
Number of transactions
05
Revenue
ACTIVITIES
eSIM purchase
Registration of new users
METRICS
LTV (lifetime value)
CAC (customer acquisition cost)
Average customer lifetime
Number of transactions
Total revenue
ROI
Lean Canvas
Built on Lean Foundry. The canvas pinned down the business model — who we serve, the problems worth solving, the value we offer, how we reach people, what it costs, what it earns, and how we know it works.
Problem
Buying an eSIM
Getting decent service
Getting extra services with an eSIM
Managing every number in one app
Topping up a number automatically
Knowing when a number needs topping up — and which one
Existing Alternatives
Mobile carriers
Physical stores
USSD requests
Websites selling eSIMs
Solution
Cover core everyday needs in one app
Integration with other mobile carriers
Group top-up — “mass top-up”
Balance tracking, auto top-up, and the rest
Ability to pick the phone number
eSIM wallet
Top-up reminders
Key Metrics
Number of sales
Reward size — lets us plan the next activities
Number of active numbers
Average revenue per number
Number lifespan — how long it stays active and profitable
Customers who visit the section
First-time versus returning visits
Transaction activity and in-app behaviour
Customer feedback
Unique Value Proposition
Automatic top-up — the phone always works
Port a number from another carrier to a Lifecell eSIM
Ability to rename numbers
No overpaying abroad
High-Level Concept
The single biggest online bank in Ukraine
Everything in one app — covering every everyday need
Unfair Advantage
A large audience
No competitors among banks
Customer trust — and security
Channels
Newsletter for the first users
In-app and email campaigns for people who bought an eSIM-capable phone
Collecting feedback after the sale and fixing what surfaces
Social media
Advertising
Referral programme
Acquisition
Sales
Mobile app
Website
Customer Segments
Users with above-average income — the phones cost more
Users whose smartphone supports eSIM
Mostly iPhone X and newer; Android models take hunting
Early Adopters
People who value simplicity and convenience — happy to pay to save time, comfortable with tech, and keen to share what they find
People who already carry a Monobank card
Cost Structure
Salaries of everyone on the project
Taxes and fees
Marketing spend
Legal costs
Revenue Streams
Revenue share — we bring the carrier subscribers, the carrier shares the income
A driver feature that pulls revenue through the rest of the product
Value Proposition Canvas
Mapping what the product offers against what customers need — so every feature earns its place.
Value Map
Purchase eSIM in Monobank appSeveral numbers in one appMobile recharge in MonobankTransfer SIM → eSIM (Lifecell)Control balance, tariff & spend for every number
Autopayment straight from MonobankPick carrier & tariff when buying eSIMMany numbers in one placeBuy eSIM onlineSupport for extra questionsConnect eSIM in 150+ countries
Guides if the phone supports eSIMEasy purchase flow for eSIMNotify when MB is running outBuy a Ukrainian eSIM abroadSee every number’s info at once
Products & ServicesGain CreatorsPain Relievers
Customer Profile
Automatic top-upAll numbers in one placeBuy a number onlineInternet abroadControl over buying & activation
Buy eSIMCheck balancesPort a number from another carrier
Don’t understand what eSIM isNo info on using two SIMsWhat if I lose the phone?Waiting for eSIM activationMB runs out with no warning
GainsCustomer JobsPains
User Persona
Quote
I was like “What the hell is going on here?”, and went to buy an eSIM in Monobank.
User’s History
Lives abroad, or needs a backup connection when the lights go out.
Desire
To always stay connected — no matter which country he’s in.
Goals
More than one number on the phone
A steady supply of minutes and MB for the tariff
Needs
Get an eSIM quickly
Stay connected while travelling
Top up multiple numbers
Monitor balances in the app
Simplify mobile management
A separate number for banking — for security
Fears
Losing connection and internet
Losing the number
Fraud — personal data or banking left unprotected
Pains
MB runs out before the tariff ends, with no warning
Tariffs that feel unfair
Hard to know when family numbers need topping up
During blackouts, one carrier simply disappears
Customer Journey Map
Journey Steps
01Search for eSIM
02Review the offers
03Buy eSIM
04Select carrier/tariff
05Activate eSIM
06Leave feedback & get support
Doing
Friends recommendations
Saw in Mono stories
Information from carrier
Compare the carriers and conditions
Read feedback on Internet
Figuring out where to buy eSIM
Buy eSIM in Monobank
Selects between Ukrainian and international carrier
Buy, change SIM for eSIM in Monobank
Buy eSIM in Monobank
Selects between Ukrainian and international carrier
Buy, change SIM for eSIM in Monobank
Activate eSIM through email or app
Explore info about number and tariff
Activate eSIM with QR
Shares about the service with friends
Receives quality support when issues come up
Thinking & Saying
Found good tariffs
Need additional number
Need a number abroad
Change SIM for eSIM
How much does it cost?
Where eSIM is cheaper?
Always compare the tariffs and conditions of carriers
Liked the step-by-step process
It takes not a lot of time
Secondary features are a bit hidden in Monobank
Autopayments are very convenient
Can select phone number
Detailed instructions
Support is really great
Want a bit easier process
Support helped to activate eSIM
Trying to understand if my phone supports eSIM
Often share new features with friends
When something’s unclear I go to support — it saves time and solves problems
Feelings
🙂Steady
Necessity to be in touch
Fluctuations due to the amount of information
No bad feelings in Mono
😩Tired
Focused on how it works
Tired to compare
In a hurry — wants to buy faster
😌Ease
Feels at ease because everything is accessible
Not confused — everything goes quickly
🤩Excited
Excited — can choose a tariff, number, and change the carrier
😞Frustrated
Disappointed — phone doesn’t support eSIM
Feeling down because activating eSIM via mail
🤔Mixed
A bit tired — the process took longer than expected
Satisfied with the support and feedback
Opportunities & Ideas
Communication in SM
Motivate others — share own experience
Be careful with push notifications
Made eSIM service more visible
Be careful with push notifications
User should know if the phone supports eSIM
Decrease the number of steps when buying eSIM
Will give understanding why users need eSIM
More instructions what features are available
In case something went wrong — how to solve
Would be good to activate eSIM in app
Wallet will help to control balances for several numbers
Motivate others to share their Mono purchase experience
Need top-up reminders so people stay connected
The Eisenhower Matrix
12 identified and prioritized problems
Drawing from research and user engagement — challenges, ideas, and repeatedly tested design interventions — we prioritized every issue with the Eisenhower matrix. It became the tool that shaped what we executed next.
Important
ScheduleNot urgent / Important
01Difficulty accessing details regarding the number
02Lack of ability to configure notifications
03Autopayment does not appear immediately after creation
Do firstUrgent / Important
01Lack of user engagement with services provided by mobile carriers
02Lack of information regarding whether the phone supports eSIM
03Absence of autopayment confirmation
DropNot urgent / Not important
01Unclear error notifications
02Uncertainty about the balance after purchasing eSIM
03Unable to recover lost eSIM through the Monobank app
DelegateUrgent / Not important
01Incorrect operation of eSIM activation
02Uncertainty regarding the number of payments that can be created
03The selection of numbers does not meet users’ expectations
Urgent
DEVELOPMENT
Implementing solutions for identified challenges
This stage translated insights from user feedback, competitor analysis, and stakeholders into tangible solutions. Through iterative design and user testing, we refined prototypes and folded in feedback so each solution actually addressed the challenge.
Below, each problem sits next to its proposed solution on the screens. For every one, we answered three questions to keep the work backed by real data, not guesses:
01What problem are we trying to solve?
02Why did we decide this is a problem?
03How will we measure the results?
01
Referrals and Cashback
PROBLEM
Monobank users are unaware they can purchase an eSIM inside the app.
Distrust of the autopayment function.
13/22Users unaware of eSIM in Monobank.
60%Use cashback, according to surveys.
METRICS
UTM link
Referral conversion rate
SOLUTION
02
eSIM compatibility check
PROBLEM
During the purchase of eSIM, there is no information about whether the phone supports this feature.
≈70%Users are unaware of whether their phone supports eSIM.
100%Failed testing of the current solution in Monobank.
METRICS
Number of support inquiries
Number of purchased eSIMs for unsupported phones
Customer satisfaction index
SOLUTION
03
Information on the tariff
PROBLEM
Difficulty accessing information on the tariff.
>50%eSIM users are not sure if there are details about the tariff in Monobank.
100%Completion rate of searching for tariff details.
METRICS
Number of support requests
Customer satisfaction index
SOLUTION
04
Notification
PROBLEM
Users forget to top up their accounts and lack sufficient notifications.
10/22Users lack sufficient notifications about the tariff.
90%Users successfully completed the testing.
METRICS
Number of notification visits
Number of notifications enabled
Average notification setup time
SOLUTION
05
Activation status of eSIM
PROBLEM
Activated eSIM is not displayed.
The "Set up eSIM" function is active.
Unclear error screen.
0%Completion rate before an update.
90%Completion rate after an update.
METRICS
Customer satisfaction index
Number of support requests
SOLUTION
06
Automatic payment
PROBLEM
Unable to set additional conditions for automatic payment.
The next payment date does not account for the early top-up date.
After purchasing eSIM, the added automatic payment is not on list of active automatic payments.
36%Respondents need an auto-recharge feature.
40%Respondents would trust their bank recharge their mobile automatically.
40%They would trust auto-recharge that suits them.
76%Consider confirmation important for auto-recharge of mobile.
