Merchant App build to Empowering Small Businesses to Grow with Confidence
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of Indonesia's economy, operating in markets where personal relationships and trust shape how business is done. Many are run by first- or second-generation owners who learn business through experience, focusing on keeping the business running day by day. Cash remains dominant because it is immediate, visible, and gives merchants control, supporting practices like bargaining, flexible pricing, informal credit, and trust-based relationships. These habits allow them to adapt quickly and make decisions based on the situation rather than fixed procedures.
Building trust in digital finance for MSMEs when going digital feels like losing flexibility, visibility, and control.
Digital payments are spreading across Indonesia's MSMEs with QR payments spreading rapidly, but “usage” doesn't equal “trust.” Limited digital literacy and the loss of cash’s physical control keep many merchants cautious, leading to forced adoption rather than a shift in habits.
For digital finance to reach its full potential, tools must move beyond simple transaction processing and focus on restoring the sense of control and clarity that merchants value.
- Product Strategy
- User Interface Design
- User Experience Design
Category
- Opportunity Discovery
- Designing Holistic Experience
- Insurance & Financial Services
Most Merchant Apps add complexity. We built one that gives control back.
Digital payments are becoming part of everyday business. Yet for many MSMEs, moving from cash to digital still feels unfamiliar. Accepting cashless payments is only the first step. As businesses grow, merchants care less about fancy features and more about trust, control, and knowing their money is safe and easy to track.
We did not begin with technology. We began with merchants.
By understanding how small business owners manage risk, make decisions, and build relationships, we built a merchant app that is easy to adopt, reliable in daily use, and supportive over time. Financial inclusion is not just about giving access to digital tools. It is about building confidence, so MSMEs can take control on growing their business, not figuring out the systems behind their payments.
Insights from MSME Conversations
Through informal conversations with 4 MSMEs*, we uncovered recurring behaviors that shape how small businesses adopt, trust, and grow with digital financial tools and banking services. These insights shape both our strategic direction and the app experience.
Merchant Journey Unfolds in Three Stages
Merchants aren't chasing the "next big thing"—they focus on running their business and finding ways to stay relevant.
After starting to accept digital payments, merchants seek cash flow certainty before turning to anything else.
Once operational handling feels stable, merchants begin thinking about improving their business.
*Findings are based on a small qualitative sample and are intended for hypothesis generation, not as representative of the entire MSME population.
Customers suggested QRIS because it’s faster and more flexible than transfers. I’m glad too, since it’s safer and reduces the risk of dishonesty among employees.
Onboarding Hurdles
Merchants choose what feels familiar. A bank they know, or one friends trust, signals safety. If they can use the bank app, they assume the merchant tools and support will work. Unknown providers feel risky and hard to fix.
Merchants go cashless because customers demand it. They start before they fully believe. Belief comes later, after repeated smooth transactions show clear value. Push too early and usage stays shallow.
Merchants lose confidence when instructions are unclear or help isn’t visible. They prefer providers who show up. When onboarding feels guided, starting becomes easier; without it, merchants hesitate or walk away.
Activation States
QR Payment are used for getting paid, not yet for managing money. Merchants open the app, receive payment, and close it. Interaction beyond this happens only when problems arise. For some, they have multiple payment channels and QRIS is usually tied to one bank, limiting flexibility. Current data only covers QRIS transactions and excludes cash or bank transfers.
For some merchants, a transaction confirmation is enough; for others, money only feels real once the funds arrive. When settlements are delayed, merchants adapt their operations by checking payments both online and offline through reviewing balances, photographing transfer proofs, and saving receipts. These workarounds add extra effort but restore control and confidence over cash flow.
Growth Opportunity
We chose [Bank] because we didn’t have a separate business account yet. We are open to see what’s available for us [Promotion & Value].
Usually, we match it with the sales data from the spreadsheet. Yes, There’s a log in. A simple spreadsheet for daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly sales data, best-selling products, items to eliminate, customer members, and product stock. F&B#2 / Interviewee
I’m not confident. Our financial reports are still messy. If we had more detailed data, it would be much easier to move forward. Tracking store performance based only on revenue doesn’t really give us the right conclusions.
Financial inclusion is outpacing literacy, exposing merchants to risk
In Indonesia, financial literacy (65.43%) lags behind financial inclusion (75.02%), leaving millions using financial products they do not fully understand and exposed to heightened financial risk. When literacy fails to keep pace, merchants’ caution becomes reactive rather than intentional, limiting their ability to leverage financial access for growth instead of mere survival.
Read the report
How might we reduce uncertainty in everyday money moments so merchants feel confident relying on the product behind their business?
In a crowded payments landscape, differentiation is not achieved through features alone. It comes from designing experiences that respect MSMEs’ sensitivity to risk, build trust through real use, and evolve with their daily realities.
Merchants are already adopting digital payments, but belief, confidence, and financial clarity develop much more slowly. When tools feel unfamiliar, unpredictable, or unsupported, merchants fall back on cash habits and manual workarounds. When experiences feel familiar, transparent, and within their control, trust grows and engagement deepens.
By meeting merchants where they are and supporting them as they grow, digital financial tools can move beyond providing access to delivering meaningful financial inclusion and business growth.
We as customers, won’t switch Banks because all our business needs have already been supported by them.
Design Recommendations
A merchant app designed for clarity and trust, built around merchants’ daily routines from onboarding to activation and growth, shaping a familiar, reliable experience that drives confident daily use.
Concept exploration centers on the homepage, where users’ first interactions, key information, and primary actions connect. It allows us to test core design patterns and establish clarity as a foundation for the overall product experience.
Staying oriented day to day without losing track
A single, real-time view of sales and cash flow helps merchants understand what’s happening in their business at a glance — staying informed, motivated, and on track without guesswork or manual tracking.
Strategic Direction:
Visibility Creates Familiarity
Firstly, make onboarding fast and self-guided so they can start quickly and act daily. Then put QRIS and cash flow front and center to give instant clarity and assurance.
Handling daily operations with ease and assurance.
A dependable place to manage everyday transactions without friction or uncertainty. Each day, merchants check sales, process QRIS payments, and gain peace of mind through instant settlement and timely notifications.
Strategic Direction:
Deliver value and strengthen engagement
Build reliable daily workflows and integrated tools for payments, bookkeeping, and analytics to encourage repeat use and habit formation.
Clear business insight drives opportunity-taking.
Regular insights and shared learning turn information into better decisions. Merchants review performance, build confidence, and unlock new growth opportunities, including access to capital.
Strategic Direction:
Build confidence and empower expansion.
Provide actionable insights, education, and guidance that help merchants move from managing their business to growing it
Control that builds lasting trust always within reach.
Merchants gain immediate access to what keeps the business moving when it matters most. Transactions, support, and essential tools are always within reach, turning reliability into long-term loyalty.
Strategic Direction:
Make support and control instantly accessible
Prioritize fast access to key actions, issue resolution, and help to reinforce trust and sustained engagement.
Let’s collaborate!
Whether you have a project you would like to chat about, looking to work with us, or want to get to know us.