Subscription Acquisition Experience Revamp

Transformed the Subscription journey to improve Pro discovery, reduce friction, and increase sign-up conversion — resulting in up to 900% lift in APAC and 200% in EU, showing how timely, value-driven touchpoints drive real impact.

My Role: Design Lead, UX/UI Design, User Research
Product Managers: Naomi Lobo, Kelvin Tan
Product Analyst: Marven Ho, Tiffany Kiu
Product Operation: Yvonne Ong
Year: 2024—Present

How does Subscription work in foodpanda?

Pro is a paid loyalty program offering exclusive deals and discounts on food, groceries, and more — helping users save with every order through stacked offers and ongoing perks.

The subscriber journey spans three key phases:
Acquisition: where users discover and enroll
Retention: where ongoing value keeps them engaged
Churn: where we focus on re-engagement or winback strategies

This case study focuses on improving the acquisition experience as a foundation for long-term growth.

Where We Started: Key Blockers in the Acquisition Flow

1. Weak Brand Identity & Unclear Entry Points
Pro lacked standout visibility across the app. Entry points were often buried, and only 14% of visitors reached the enrollment page — many simply couldn’t find it.

2. Low Benefit Integration in the Ordering Flow
Pro’s value wasn’t integrated meaningfully into the user journey. Users missed key savings cues and had little contextual reason to consider subscribing.

3. Friction in the Signup Flow
Even when users reached the landing page, conversion dropped off significantly at payment — less than 50% completed the process. This pointed to issues with trust, timing, and clarity.

(Pre-revamp of the enrollment landing page and placement of Pro touchpoints across the journey)

Design Goals: Rebuilding Trust, Timing, and Visibility

We knew from UXR and behavioural data that awareness sparks interest, and timing drives action. Users responded best to clear, contextual value — especially when it came to free delivery and estimated savings. The path to conversion wasn’t about adding more — it was about making value visible at the right moments.

So We Asked:
How might we surface Pro’s value in ways that feel timely, relevant, and easy to act on?

Our Goals Were Clear:

Make Pro’s presence strong and consistent across the app
Highlight savings and benefits within the ordering flow, where users are already making decisions
Streamline the signup experience to remove unnecessary friction and close the loop

(Original Pro enrollment page displaying benefits and entry point to signup, and user’s feedback)

Step 1: Strengthen the Subscription Home Base — Enrollment Landing Page

The original Pro enrollment page was dense, unclear, and overwhelming — making it difficult for users to grasp the value and complete sign-up. We restructured the page with a focus on clarity, visual hierarchy, and streamlined messaging to create a smoother, more persuasive experience.

✳️ What Changed

Removed unnecessary text and simplified copy
Highlighted core benefits with stronger visual storytelling
Shortened the enrollment flow to reduce decision fatigue

✅ What We Achieved
In usability tests across multiple markets:

2.5× more users successfully completed the sign-up
73% completion rate from start to finish
Users completed the task ~40% faster
Navigation ease scored ~5.78
64% of users preferred the new design

“Very intuitive and quick to find.”
“It felt smooth, easy, and familiar.”

The Takeaway: This experiment confirmed that clarity and simplicity are key drivers of conversion. A strong value proposition, clearly stated benefits, and a frictionless flow significantly improve user intent and action.

(New enrollment landing page)

Step 2: Embedding Pro Where It Matters Most

On the Restaurant Details page — one of the key discovery touchpoints — the Pro banner was technically present but easily missed. It was buried among vouchers, hidden in a low-engagement carousel, and disappeared once users started scrolling. Even worse, tapping it only revealed terms and conditions, rather than clearly communicating its value.

We repositioned the Pro entry point to appear where users are most ready to act: directly in the cart flow — a moment of high purchase intent.

✳️ What Changed

Made Pro placement persistent and intentional within the ordering journey
Reframed messaging to present Pro as a smart, savings-driven program — not just another voucher
Introduced 1-click sign-up right before checkout, reducing friction and capturing high-intent users

✅ What We Achieved
From our A/B test:

200% lift in recently launched EU markets and nearly 900% in mature APAC markets
No disruption to checkout flow or cart behaviour
Proved that conversion happens best when value meets timing

“It was right there when I needed it.”
“I didn’t even have to think — it made sense.”

The Takeaway:
At first, we worried this added component might interfere with the core checkout flow. But the results told a different story: subtle doesn’t convert — and timely, visible value doesn’t hurt the main job to be done.

We learned that embedding Pro where intent is highest aligns perfectly with user behavior — making it obvious, relevant, and easy to act on.

(1-click bottom sheet that allows users quickly subscribe to Pro during the ordering journey)

Key Learnings — From Sign-Ups to Staying Power

What began as a UI overhaul turned into a deeper look at how users discover, understand, and commit to Pro. Each experiment uncovered more than just conversion boosts — it revealed how timing, clarity, and trust shape user behavior.

🤝 Design + research = clarity
Across all touchpoints, what moved the needle most was aligning research, design, and strategy — making sure each experiment started from real user insight, not assumption.

🔍 Simplicity converts
The original Pro enrollment page overwhelmed users with dense copy and unclear benefits. By simplifying structure and language, we reduced decision friction — and saw conversion climb.

⏱ Timing is everything
Pro banners weren’t enough. Users needed value surfaced at the right moment. Embedding one-click sign-up near checkout (when purchase intent peaks) more than doubled subscription rates.

🧠 Relevance drives action
Not every user sees Pro the same way. Messaging that speaks to their behaviour — like estimated savings or free delivery — makes the offering feel personal, not generic.

📈 Early wins aren't the end
Even with improved acquisition, we knew the next step was retention. Post-signup behavior holds the key to long-term value, and our work must evolve beyond sign-up screens.