Didn’t see this coming: CRED leans on familiar UPI patterns and progressive disclosure. The result is clearer paths and faster first actions.
Three days back I went to a local grocery store and added few things into the cart and then I opened my mobile to do the UPI payment through cred. Then bam! I saw a white theme homepage as Cred’s home. This is the first time I’m seeing it in 3 years of cred user(believe me I’m loyal to Cred! Hehe). I was confused when did it update? How did they end up with white theme and where did my scan QR code option go, etc. And the biggest shock was why did they do the homepage content similar to Gpay, Phonepe and other UPI apps.
Well I’m writing this article to explain the redesign based on my experience and assumptions with market research. The article is gonna be long! but it’s gonna be interesting…
What are the changes Cred do?
What’s new:
- Transaction history on Home: Quickly review recent payments, filter by type, and tap for details without leaving the homepage.Contact Support on Home: Faster help with direct access to chat and FAQs pinned to the bottom of the home screen.Refer & Earn on Home: Share CRED with friends and track referral rewards from the home footer.
Navigation Updates:
- Rewards tab added: Access cashback, partner offers, and milestones from the new Rewards tab in bottom navigation.More tab introduced: Lower‑frequency tools and settings are grouped under More to keep daily tasks streamlined.
Why this helps:
- Faster routines: Core actions now live on the home screen and main navigation, cutting taps for everyday tasks.Clear organization: High‑frequency features are separated from occasional ones to lower cognitive load and improve wayfinding.Friendlier support: Help sits closer to where it’s needed, reducing time to resolution.
What can be the reason’s to Redesign?
Let’s understand the market!
To see the growth we often compare any startup with it’s competitors and here Cred’s competition is with Gpay, Phonepe, Paytm majorly. In the starting cred used to fill for complete different segment that was for Credit card users mostly from 18–40 age tech savvy people. But after taking some interest in UPI, they started acquiring new customers.
What happened in the last few months?
This likely isn’t the only reason for CRED’s update, but daily users increasingly prefer simple, fast tools. We use GPay/PhonePe because they’re easy, animations are nice, but repeating the same action 10 times a day makes long animations tiring. In late April, PhonePe launched PhonePe 3.0, which improved the app by clearly separating features. People praised the design and, yes, the ROI angle often gets ignored — but the result is strong.
Estimated ROI of Phonepe Redesign:
- Installs increased from about 25 million in Q1 2025 to 28 million in Q2 2025, a growth of roughly 12%.MAUs grew from 235 million in Q1 2025 to 240 million in Q2 2025, an increase of about 2%.DAUs grew by ~9% in the quarter right after the redesign, showing a clear lift in daily engagement post‑launch.
*This data is not official from Phonepe, it is estimated data through various sources.
It can be FOMO!
People tend to move toward what’s easy to use. Animations are nice, but not every day. If something loads faster, let me scan and pay — then yes, I’ll use that app.
CRED’s design has been strongly user‑centric, focused mainly on the 18–35 age group, and it shows in how it’s used today. The goal now is wider adoption. It’s not only about credit card payments anymore. New services cover money management and EMIs, plus some vehicle‑insurance tasks. It’s edging toward a super‑app: recharges, spotting where extra money went via hidden charges, and more. CRED’s market share is low compared to other apps — see the image for reference.
Here comes the Jacob Law into the action, it says that “Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know.”
It becomes easier to attract users when the app feels similar to other UPI apps and doesn’t intimidate people from using it quickly.
The simple formula: if CRED wants more users, keep it usable and familiar. Other apps are growing fast, so CRED may be feeling the FOMO — trying to compete in the same lane while still looking cool.
What are the other reasons/assumptions for Cred home redesign?
Data-driven Iteration
CRED may have analyzed a large volume of usage data and seen better results while testing the new design. In the end, it’s about how easily and quickly a user can complete a task. If usability improves and users are understood better, retention rises. To measure these KPIs, teams can use frameworks like task success rate, time on task, user error rate, bounce rate, and many others. If you want a deeper list, search for “KPIs to evaluate design success”.
Shifting the Brand Position
This reads as a move from ornamental “premium” to operational excellence. In India’s payments market — especially Tier‑2/3 — users arrive with strong intent and mental models formed by dominant UPI apps. Mirroring familiar flows (Scan & Pay, Send Money, Recharges, Bills) respects learned behavior, lowers cognitive load, and shortens time‑to‑action. A utility‑first home increases first‑click success, reduces funnel confusion, and scales cleanly as the surface grows (credit tools, card management, wallet). It also travels better on mid‑tier hardware and spotty networks, improving perceived performance, trust, and accessibility — factors tied to activation, repeat use, and lower support.
Strategically, simplification protects equity and anchors it to reliability and speed. Premium is no longer dense visuals or heavy editorial; it’s clarity, restrained motion, and tight feedback that help people finish money tasks with confidence. Standardized IA and components raise delivery velocity and shrink UX debt, so differentiation goes where it matters: smarter reminders, sharper rewards curation, deeper credit insights, and quiet automation. Net effect: a simpler‑looking home that does more — turning occasional visits into daily utility by matching how people already pay and by making core jobs obvious the moment the app opens.
Cred is following “Don’t cram the home — grow with layers” — which is pretty good decision
The app already has a lot of features and will add more, so the screen can’t turn into a billboard. Keep the home as a clear hub with just the key actions up front (Scan, Pay/Send, Bills, Recharge). Show advanced options only when requested — classic progressive disclosure. Reveal what’s needed now, let people drill down step by step.
This scales well: the main screen stays stable and easy even as the product expands. New or occasional users get speed and clarity. Power users get depth through menus, detail pages, and expandable sections. Net result: less overwhelm, faster actions, and a design that keeps growing without turning into home‑page sprawl.
What do you think about this Redesign?
Let’s exchange the opinions in the comments 😁
🎉Kudos to you for sticking around till the very end!
Connect with me on LinkedIn and let’s keep the design conversation going. Can’t get enough? Neither can I! Stay tuned for more design hacks and quirks. Happy designing, and remember: life’s too short for boring interfaces!
CRED’s Bold Redesign: From Aesthetic to Action was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
