Protected Case Study

Marriott Bonvoy Benefit Add-Ons

This case study is password protected. Enter the password to view.

Incorrect password. Please try again.

Confidential Project
This project was completed during my time at JPMorgan Chase and is subject to a non-disclosure agreement. Specific details, metrics, and visuals have been generalized or omitted to protect proprietary information. The work presented represents my contributions and process while respecting confidentiality requirements.

JPMorgan Chase · DCE CoBrand Card

Marriott Bonvoy
Benefit Add-Ons

Designing a scalable platform that lets Marriott cardholders personalize their card with premium benefit add-ons — increasing relevance, driving engagement, and unlocking new revenue streams.

Role Product Design
Company JPMorgan Chase
Team DCE CoBrand Card
Phase Discovery · Concept Testing
Service Design FinTech UX Mobile Concept Testing Co-brand Cards

Overview

The opportunity

Cardholders don't always feel they get the most value from their existing card benefits. Research showed that the ability to 'add on' more relevant benefits — benefits better aligned to individual lifestyles — was a compelling proposition that customers were willing to pay for.

This project explored how to build that capability, using the Marriott Bonvoy card as the proof-of-concept. The goal was to design a scalable UX for adding benefits to a credit card, then learn from this pilot to scale across the broader card portfolio.

69%
of cardholders willing or neutral to pay for benefit add-ons
91%
found benefit customization appealing or neutral
POC
Marriott used as proof-of-concept to test and scale

Design Challenge

How might we create an experience that makes 'adding on' benefits clear and easy to understand — to the extent it's worth paying for?

Q4 2023 · Chase Insights

Understanding the cardholder mindset

72% unaware of add-on benefits Discovery happens post-purchase Perceived complexity blocks adoption
“

I didn't even know I could add things to my card. I thought the benefits were just… fixed when I signed up.

— Chase cardholder, mid-tier rewards segment

Q2 2024 · DCE Research

Quantifying what drives add-on choice

Value clarity = #1 driver Education reduces friction Contextual timing lifts conversion
“

When I could see exactly what I'd pay versus what I'd get back, it felt like a no-brainer. The math made sense.

— Participant, DCE preference study

Aug 2025 · Quad FOG Co-design

Six opportunity areas to explore

🎯
Awareness
Surface add-ons earlier in the card lifecycle
💡
Education
Make benefit value legible and concrete
⚡
Activation
Reduce friction from browse to add
🗺️
Contextual Relevance
Match benefit recommendations to life moments
📊
Ongoing Value
Help cardholders track usage and ROI
🔄
Manageability
Give users control to add, pause, or swap
Design Principles

Three principles to guide concept development

01
Make value legible

Show the math. Users need to see exactly what they pay and what they get — not a vague promise of "savings."

02
Earn trust through education

Don't assume cardholders understand how add-ons work. A brief, honest explanation converts skeptics into buyers.

03
Meet users in the moment

An add-on recommendation tied to an upcoming trip lands 3× better than a cold browse experience.

User Journey

Five moments that define the add-on experience

Entry
→
Browse
→
Detail
→
Buy
→
Manage

Concept A · Simplicity & Value

Streamlined and direct

A minimal benefit list with no onboarding preamble. Focused on a direct comparison with existing card incentives to make the upgrade value immediately legible.

Screens

Straight to the list — value front and center

9:41
Benefit add-ons
Upgrade your card with a premium benefit.
Available add-ons
$100 Marriott Credit
$75 $100
Add
Marriott Free Night
$200
Add
Gold Elite Status
$50 $75
Add
$300 Travel Credit
$275 $300
Add
A1Streamlined list
9:41
$100 Marriott Statement Credit
Use at any Marriott property or send as an eGift to a friend.
What you get vs. what you pay
You pay $75 Worth $100
What you get
$100 statement credit
Applied automatically on eligible Marriott purchases
Add to card · $75
Terms and conditions ›
A2Value-first detail

Concept B · Education & Management

Context before commitment

Onboarding screens with more detailed recommendations, educational content about how benefits work, and the option to explore and add more benefits before paying.

Screens

Educate first, then let users decide

9:41
✨
Personalize your card
Benefit add-ons let you upgrade your card with premium perks — and keep them as long as you want.
  • 1
    Browse and pick a benefit add-on that fits your lifestyle
  • 2
    Pay once — the benefit activates immediately on your card
  • 3
    Track and manage your add-ons anytime in the app
Explore benefits →
Maybe later
B1How it works
9:41
Recommended for your upcoming trip
Gold Elite Status for 90 days
You have a Marriott stay booked — Elite status unlocks late checkout, room upgrades, and bonus points on this trip.
Add this benefit · $50
See all benefits
B2Contextual rec
9:41
$300 Travel Statement Credit
Usage — $0 of $300 used
How to use
1
Make an eligible travel purchase with your card
2
Credit posts automatically within 1–2 billing cycles
3
Track usage in Your add-ons anytime
Common questions
Does it expire?
Yes — 12 months from purchase date
Can I cancel?
No — add-ons are non-refundable
Add to card · $275
B3Education detail

Concept Testing · 5 Sessions

What testing told us

We tested both prototypes with 5 existing Marriott cardholders simultaneously — comparing approaches to find what to keep and what to combine.

💡
Concept B's "How it works" resonated
Users felt more confident purchasing after seeing a clear explanation — even those who preferred the simpler list.
💰
Price strikethroughs drove intent
Showing the full value vs. the add-on price made the deal feel tangible. "I can see what I'm saving" was a common response.
⚙️
Management was table stakes
Every participant expected to find and track their add-ons post-purchase. A hub experience wasn't a nice-to-have — it was required for trust.

Synthesis

The merged direction

Neither concept won outright — but together, they pointed at the right answer. We combined the clarity of Concept A's value-first list with the confidence-building of Concept B's education and the hub management model both concepts hinted at.

Design Direction

A streamlined browse experience that leads with value, backed by an education layer for those who want it — and a management hub that makes the purchase feel like the beginning of a relationship, not the end of a transaction.

Final Design · 6-Screen Flow

Entry → Browse → Detail → Pay → Confirmed → Manage

The final design brings together the merged direction into a complete end-to-end experience.

Screens

The complete purchase journey

9:41
💳
Pay
📊
Activity
🎁
Benefits
⚙️
More
✨
Benefit add-ons
Personalize your card
NEW
Recent activity
Marriott Chicago
Yesterday · Hotels
-$320
F1Entry point
9:41
Benefit add-ons
Get additional card benefits while keeping the ones you already have.
Recommended for your upcoming trip
Gold Elite Status for 90 days
Marriott Bonvoy status upgrade
Learn more
Explore add-ons
$100 Marriott Credit or eGift
Marriott credit for you or a friend
$75$100
Marriott Free Night
Free night certificate (50k value)
$200
$300 Travel Credit
Travel statement credit
$275$300
See all benefits ›
F2Browse
9:41
$300 Travel Statement Credit
Applied automatically to eligible travel purchases on your Marriott Visa.
Value breakdown
Pay $275
→
Get $300
How to use
1
Make an eligible travel purchase with your Marriott Visa
2
Credit posts automatically within 1–2 billing cycles
3
Track your remaining credit in Your add-ons
Add to card · $275
Terms and conditions ›
F3Benefit detail
9:41
×
Review your benefit add-ons
Your card (…4321)
1 NEW add-on
💳
$300 Travel Statement Credit
Expires 09/23/2026 · One-time purchase
$275$300
Terms and conditions ›
Paying with Marriott Visa (…4321)
Total
$275.00
Pay now
F4Review & pay
9:41
×
You're all set!
Your card just got more rewarding. Start using your new benefits right away.
$300 Travel Statement Credit
Expires 9/23/2026
Applied automatically on eligible travel purchases with your card ending in …4321.
See more details ›
Your Marriott card benefitsSee all
$300 Travel Statement CreditAdded
Marriott Free Night Award✓
Explore more benefits
F5Confirmed
9:41
Your add-ons
1 active add-on
$300 Travel Statement Credit
Expires 09/23/2026 · Activated today
$0 of $300 used
Your card benefitsSee all
$300 Travel Statement CreditActive
Marriott Free Night Award✓
Automatic Silver Elite Status✓
Add more benefits
F6Manage

My Contributions

What I worked on

🗺

End-to-End Flow Design

Mapped discovery, purchase, and benefit management flows — ensuring the experience felt like account management, not a shopping cart.

💡

Concept Development

Designed both Concept A and B — exploring different approaches to simplicity vs. education to stress-test which model resonated most with users.

📊

Value Communication

Designed clear, honest interfaces that present benefit details, costs, and terms — building the case for value without pressure or hidden complexity.

⚖️

Legal & Compliance

Collaborated with legal and compliance teams to integrate disclosures thoughtfully — making required information feel helpful, not intimidating.

🧪

Prototype & Synthesis Support

Built and iterated on interactive prototypes for both concepts, and helped synthesize concept testing findings into the merged direction.

Key Learnings

What this taught me

01
Selling in finance is different
Users are more cautious and analytical than in typical e-commerce. They needed more reassurance, clearer terms, and a genuine sense of control before committing to a paid add-on.
02
Clarity beats cleverness
In testing, straightforward explanations outperformed clever marketing. Users wanted simple answers: What is this? What does it cost? What do I get? Designing for those questions built trust faster than anything else.
03
Management matters as much as purchase
Users didn't just want to buy a benefit — they expected to find, manage, and track it in a dedicated place. The hub model wasn't just a UX pattern; it was table stakes for the concept to feel credible.
04
Pilot first, then scale
Using Marriott as a proof-of-concept was the right call. It gave us a real, bounded context to make decisions — and a clear feedback loop before scaling to the broader card portfolio.