Invisible Payments exp.

Invisible Payments exp.

Invisible Payments exp.

2018

2018

Company

Company

Company

BBVA

BBVA

Team

Team

2018 - 2019

Role

Role

Lead Product Designer

BBVA is a global financial group focused on digital innovation. I led the UX and visual design of its ‘Invisible Payments’ project, delivering seamless biometric and mobile payment experiences from concept to launch.

What happened?

BBVA launched a pilot to explore invisible payment experiences—such as facial recognition and mobile ordering—offering them as white-label solutions for merchants. The pilot happened in the BBVA Headquarter restaurant with a Friends & Family users.

Our Mission

To deliver seamless, frictionless payment solutions through a white-label platform that enables:

  • Shorter queues and reduced wait times.

  • Optimized use of operational resources.

  • Actionable user insights for continuous business improvement.

  • Increased revenue opportunities for BBVA.

Faster payments, smarter insights, better service.

Faster payments, smarter insights, better service.

6 min

6 min

6 min

Average Queue Time Saved

Average Queue Time Saved

Average Queue Time Saved

Data from pilot phase, 2018.

Data from pilot phase, 2018.

Data from pilot phase, 2018.

Design Process

We developed three key experiences for the project: Order Ahead, Biometric Payment and Pay At Table.

Order Ahead

It designed for quick and intuitive access. Users could view menus, apply discounts, personalize their selections, and track their order status in real time. We also introduced a Zero Click feature that let users reorder their favorites automatically—no taps required.

Quick orders, clear flow, user control.

Quick orders, clear flow, user control.

+22%

+22%

+22%

Volume increase

Volume increase

Volume increase

5 min

5 min

5 min

Queue Time Saved

Queue Time Saved

Queue Time Saved

After testing Zero Click we realized that the users wanted speed, but also to remain in control of the interaction. Too invisible it's not always better.

Biometric Payment

This feature let users pay with facial recognition—no cards or phones needed. After a one-time enrollment, they could make secure, hands-free payments, offering a fast and seamless experience.

95%

NPS

NPS

6 min

6 min

Saved time in the queue

Saved time in the queue

How it worked

  1. Enroll. Users registered their face, BBVA card, and corporate email in the app.

  2. Enable access. Bluetooth and location services needed to be turned on.

  3. Pick your meal. Grab a tray and choose your food from the buffet.

  4. Approach the kiosk. The smart camera—trained with machine learning—recognized the items on the tray.

  5. Pay instantly. The system identified the user via facial recognition and processed the payment automatically.

95%

NPS

6 min

Saved time in the queue

Biometric switch activation

Kiosk Biometric Payment

After testing Zero Click we realized that the users wanted speed, but also to remain in control of the interaction. Too invisible it's not always better.

Pay at Table

We aimed to reduce wait times for payment and make the process more autonomous. It made it easy to select a table and share the reservation with other guests. Just like in Order Ahead, users could track the status of their booking in real time. We also explored the idea of letting users view the menu and order in advance, enhancing the experience further. However, due to technological limitations at the time, this feature couldn’t be implemented.

Easy booking, shared access, real-time updates.

Easy booking, shared access, real-time updates.

7 min

7 min

7 min

Payment Time Saved

Payment Time Saved

Payment Time Saved

The main flow worked well, but when it came to splitting the bill, the technology we had at the time couldn’t support it.

ÁLVARO FERNÁNDEZ

2025

ÁLVARO FERNÁNDEZ

2025