Trustly x Appinio | Case Study

Overview

Trustly, a Swedish fintech company, set themselves a goal to make payments easier and more direct. How? By enabling customers to pay businesses straight from their bank accounts—no middleman needed. In a new endeavor, they wanted to improve how people go about their monthly utility bill payments and identify opportunities for better customer experiences.

To understand what users needed, they turned to Appinio for insights. Through a Usage and Attitude study, we explored how people currently manage and pay their utility bills, identifying bottlenecks and potential areas of improvement. With the insights we provided, Trustly was able to refine their open banking solutions, offering a seamless, consumer-friendly payment experience that not only improved customer satisfaction but also positioned them for future growth in the expanding open banking market.

Brand Industry

Fintech

Market

Methodology

Usage & Attitude study

Respondents

1,400 respondents

Challenge

Paying utility bills can be an annoyance, as current payment options like direct debit don’t always meet customers’ expectations. Driven by the desire to ease the billing process and emphasize the value of open banking for utilities, Trustly wanted to understand consumer frustrations better and find out how their offerings could be enhanced.

Appinio's Approach

To help Trustly understand consumer behaviour when it comes to paying utility bills, we conducted a Usage and Attitude study. This type of study is designed to gather insights into how people behave (usage) and how they feel (attitude) about specific products or services. Unlike traditional consumer analysis, this method provides a deeper understanding of both actions and emotions, giving a more comprehensive view of customer experiences and motivations. In this case, we aimed to explore how consumers pay and sign up for utilities, as well as their satisfaction with the available payment options.

The study addressed key questions, such as:

Who is responsible for paying utility bills in the household?
How do people usually pay their bills (E.g., direct debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or pay-as-you-go)?

The project was fully managed by Appinio, and 72 hours after the starter of fielding , Trustly received the insights they needed to make data-driven decisions about their utility payment solutions.

Impact

Aligning with customer expectations

Through our U&A research, Trustly gained a deeper understanding of their audience’s needs and frustrations with existing sign-up and payment processes. This knowledge allowed Trustly to fine-tune their open banking offering, ensuring it better connected with their customers and kept them at the forefront of payment innovation. The insights we provided enabled them to make better decisions that aligned with consumer expectations.
Market positioning reinforced

With 41% of UK respondents already using open banking, Trustly’s market positioning was solidified. This not only validated their decision to expand in this space but also strengthened their credibility as a leader in open banking, giving them the confidence to leverage these insights in their marketing and sales efforts.
Empowered customer conversations

Equipped with real-time, actionable insights, Trustly was able to engage in more meaningful discussions with their clients. They could clearly demonstrate the tangible benefits of their open banking solution, creating stronger client relationships and a sharper competitive edge.

What Trustly says

“Understanding our users is key as we innovate in payments and transfers. Through Appinio, market research is more available. The product is fast and easy to use, but having a research expert on hand ensuring our methodology is sound.”

Jacob Häger, Marketing Director

Trustly

Driving innovation and success

Together with Appinio as their market research partner, Trustly was able to make informed decisions that directly improved their utility payment solutions. Armed with a deeper understanding of their customers' needs, Trustly enhanced their offering, delivering a seamless payment experience that resonated with users and positioned them for continued success in the open banking market. Our collaboration didn’t just provide data—it empowered Trustly to strengthen their market position, build stronger relationships with their clients, and stay ahead of industry trends.

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Trustly revolutionizes utility bill payments