Company
Square
RolE
Product designer & researcher
When
Q2 2023
Scope
MVP to scale
Square's Payment Links let sellers create a single link to sell products, collect payments, or host events without building a website. Sellers choose from four link types, each with its own set of features. Sellers were dropping off before completing a link or never sharing what they built. While reviewing customer support notes, I noticed a pattern and worked with our PM to validate it. About 25% of support questions were about how to set up a link or find a specific feature, consistent across seller types from repair services to healthcare to nonprofits.
Before settling on a direction, I needed to know what sellers actually wanted: a general path to setting up a way to collect payments online, or targeted help setting up a link with specific features in mind. That question shaped two concepts, a step-by-step guide walking through the general process, and a live preview showing the result of whatever specific feature a seller was adding, in real time.
I consulted a user researcher on the approach, then ran usability tests with 8 participants. Sellers didn't need general education on payments; they were looking for specific features, and the preview delivered that directly. Playing with the editor, they had an aha moment discovering features they'd never found before and left confident in the link they'd built. I also worked with engineering early to make sure the preview could scale to feature types we hadn't built yet.
Because features were easier to find, more sellers created and shared links: monthly link creation and processing volume both doubled. Sellers who found what they needed were also more likely to complete a sale, with order completion rates landing more than double our goal.
