Apple Wallet Feature Design

ROLE: UI/UX, USER RESEARCH, FEATURE DESIGN
TIME: 08.2022–12.2022

As digital payments increase, so does the volume of our purchase history—yet it often lacks emotional or behavioral insight. I designed Segments, a new Apple Wallet feature that categorizes frequently visited merchants (e.g., restaurants, clothing stores, cafés) based on user preference and purchase patterns. This feature adds personalization and visual clarity, connecting purchase data to Apple Maps and other native Apple tools.

Problem

CONTEXT

While Apple Wallet stores transaction records, it doesn’t provide meaningful insights or emotional context to your purchase behavior. Users are left with a flat, chronological list of receipts, making it hard to rediscover a favorite spot or track spending preferences over time.

User Insight:

"I want to go back to that boutique I visited last month, but I can't remember the name. It’s buried in my card history somewhere."

EXISTING FEATURES AND ANALYSIS

To help them to redesign a better flow of user experience. To deliver a personalized and intuitive user experience. I needed to look at hueristic principles to analyse the current problems with the existing product.

Research & Testing

COMPETITORS AUDIT

Common features among these competitors include contactless payments, the ability to store and manage payment cards, peer-to-peer transfers, loyalty card storage, and integration with various merchants and services. However, each platform may have unique advantages and target different user segments based on factors such as device compatibility, additional services, or specific market focus

Venmo, Amex, and Google Pay provide spending summaries, but they lack emotional relevance.

Apple Maps already uses AI to suggest favorites—Wallet could follow a similar approach.

USER TESTING

User Interviews (5 participants)

4/5 participants used Wallet weekly but never reviewed old purchases unless for a refund or issue.
3/5 wished they could "star" or remember places they love spending at.
Several users said they often forget where they’ve shopped, especially when traveling.

Prototyping

LO-FI/MID-FI

Tested the flow with 6 participants

All found the Favorites icon intuitive and understood its purpose quickly
Several appreciated the clean visuals and map integration
Some raised concerns about location data usage

TESTING AND ITERATIONS

Introduced a location permissions dialog during first-time setup

Let users toggle location tracking on a per-merchant basis

Hi-fi screens

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Mark any transaction as a favorite, directly within your Wallet
Smart categories automatically sort merchants by type (e.g., restaurants, fashion)
Apple Maps integration shows merchant info, location, hours, and visit frequency
Data visualizations show spending trends, average bill sizes, and favorite spots
Add notes like “Ask for Jane next time” or “Try the seasonal item

Intelligent Auto-Categorization: Our advanced algorithms automatically analyze your purchase data and suggest relevant segments for each transaction. Say goodbye to manual categorization, as Apple Wallet intelligently learns your spending patterns and helps you stay organized effortlessly The > icon next to each transaction

A new tab called “Favorites” in Apple Walle
Scrollable cards for each category (e.g., Cafés, Clothing) with relevant stats and visuals

Outcome and Reflections

This was a conceptual feature, but early testing showed strong user interest:

83% said they’d revisit their Wallet more often to browse their favorites
100% appreciated the idea of turning spending into personalized stories
Demonstrated a powerful case for ecosystem synergy with Maps, Wallet, and Siri

This project challenged me to think about emotional UX, not just functionality. It showed how financial tools can become reflective spaces, helping users build habits and memories.

I also gained deeper appreciation for:

Cross-product ecosystems (Wallet + Maps + Siri)
Balancing user delight with privacy-first design
Designing for meaningful moments, not just transactions