Pix’s Success Story: Lessons in UX Standardization for B2B Payment Platforms
Brazil’s Pix system has quickly become a gold standard in digital payments, especially for its simplicity and consistency in user experience. With over 140 million users in just a few years, Pix has transformed payments in Brazil by reducing reliance on cash, boosting financial inclusion, and streamlining digital transactions.
For those of us working in B2B payment solutions, Pix’s success offers actionable insights on UX standardization and governance—core elements that any payment platform can use to gain user trust, adoption, and ultimately drive business impact.
Here’s what the Pix journey reveals about the value of a standardized and accessible UX, and how a thoughtful approach to UX governance, like style guides, can enhance the user experience across your platform.
1. Consistency: The Foundation of User Trust
A critical success factor for Pix was its emphasis on standardizing the user experience. Whether users accessed Pix through a bank app, a payment service provider (PSP), or directly, the interface and experience were familiar.
This consistency minimized confusion and frustration for users switching between providers, allowing them to perform transactions quickly and confidently, regardless of their financial institution.
In B2B payments, this consistency is equally crucial. Payment platforms often serve diverse stakeholders, including finance teams, vendors, and even legal departments. Each group has different needs but relies on a familiar interface to make payments seamless.
With consistent UX elements—such as recognizable icons, predictable navigation, and intuitive workflows—users can trust the system to deliver a smooth experience, lowering cognitive load and building confidence in the platform.
Example: For example, take a B2B payment solution where a procurement officer, CFO, and vendor need to interact at different stages.
If the user experience is consistent, each user can easily navigate the system to complete their part without needing extensive training or support. This consistency drives adoption and increases satisfaction across departments.
UX Insight: Use style guides and standardized components across your platform. This isn’t about aesthetics alone; it’s a functional investment that makes workflows intuitive and trustworthy. UX style guides, like those used in Pix, establish a foundation that ensures each user interaction builds trust in the system.
2. UX Governance: The Backbone of Scalability and Control
Pix’s success also depended on strong UX governance. By following set guidelines and rules established by Brazil’s Central Bank, Pix participants maintained consistent standards across the payment ecosystem.
This meant that all institutions adhered to a unified visual language and interaction model, which not only reduced user friction but also set a reliable expectation for the user experience.
For B2B payments, UX governance can take the form of style guides and process documentation that ensures all design changes are well-documented and aligned with the company’s UX standards. Strong governance ensures that as your platform grows, every new feature or update integrates seamlessly into the established design without sacrificing consistency or usability.
Example: Suppose your platform introduces new payment methods or workflows as it grows. Without UX governance, these updates could create a patchwork of different designs and interactions, causing confusion and diminishing trust.
By maintaining strict UX guidelines, every new element aligns with your users’ expectations, preserving the ease and reliability of the experience.
UX Insight: Invest in UX governance early on. Develop and maintain style guides, design rules, and UX review processes to ensure every design update reinforces the user experience.
This will not only keep your platform’s UX consistent as it evolves but also protect its scalability.
3. Accessibility: Meeting Users Where They Are
Pix also emphasized accessibility, allowing even users with low digital literacy to benefit from the platform. This focus on inclusivity helped it achieve widespread adoption across Brazil, where users of all ages and backgrounds could easily understand and use Pix.
In B2B payments, accessibility can often be overlooked. However, B2B users also have varied skill levels, from tech-savvy zillenials to older, traditional finance professionals.
Ensuring your platform is accessible to all user levels boosts adoption and at the same time reduces training and support costs.
Example: A B2B payment solution can improve accessibility by using simple language and minimizing technical jargon in the interface.
Adding guided walkthroughs for new users can further bridge any gaps, helping even less experienced users feel comfortable with the platform from day one.
UX Insight: Prioritize accessibility in every aspect of your UX. Use clear language, intuitive icons, and provide user assistance within the platform.
This will ensure that all users, regardless of technical skill, feel comfortable and confident using your system.
4. Speed and Simplicity: Reducing Friction for Users
Pix succeeded in part because of its speed—transactions settle in a matter of seconds, much faster than other payment methods. This instant payments functionality was essential to meet users’ expectations in today’s fast-paced environment.
The system’s simple design also helped, allowing users to complete payments without unnecessary steps or complications.
In B2B payments, transaction speed and ease of use are just as important. Busy professionals don’t want to spend time navigating a complex system when approving payments or reconciling accounts.
Simplifying the process and removing any friction points will make it more likely that users will complete their tasks efficiently and feel good about using the platform.
Example: Think about the steps involved in a typical B2B payment workflow, such as invoice approvals or vendor payments. Every extra step or additional screen can slow down the process.
Reducing these steps—by allowing one-click approvals or automating repetitive tasks—will streamline the experience and make it more efficient.
UX Insight: Look for ways to simplify every user interaction within your platform. The faster and easier it is for users to complete tasks, the more likely they are to adopt and continue using your system.
5. Education and Support: Building User Confidence
To make Pix successful, the Brazilian government invested in educating users about how and when to use the system. Public awareness campaigns and financial education helped users understand Pix’s benefits and navigate it confidently.
Education is just as vital for B2B payment platforms, which often have complex features. CFOs, controllers, and AP teams need to understand how your platform can improve their workflows, provide actionable insights, and minimize risks. Effective onboarding, detailed tutorials, and ongoing support can help users fully realize the benefits of your platform.
Example: If your platform includes advanced features, like cash flow analytics or vendor risk assessment, a short video tutorial can demonstrate their value and teach users how to use them effectively.
This not only boosts engagement but also increases the perceived value of your platform. It's important to remember that education is constant and it's through this repetition that enables greater user understanding and confidence in your platform.
UX Insight: Provide clear, accessible educational materials that guide users through the most powerful aspects of your platform. By educating users, you build confidence and increase engagement with your system.
Enhancing UX Maturity Through Standardization and Governance
One of the key takeaways from Pix’s story is the impact of UX maturity—the extent to which a company or system prioritizes and invests in user experience. Pix’s centralized and regulated approach ensured high UX maturity, resulting in a payment experience that was consistent, accessible, and reliable.
As digital transactions become even more critical in the B2B landscape, payment solutions will need to improve their UX maturity to remain competitive. Standardizing UX elements, implementing governance frameworks, and using style guides are essential for establishing high UX maturity.
A mature UX approach will make your platform more resilient, easier to scale, and better equipped to meet evolving user expectations.
WDIR, your UX Governance Partner
The success of Pix demonstrates that a well-designed, consistent, and governed UX can transform the payment experience.
At WDIR, we specialize in helping B2B payment providers enhance their platforms through UX standardization, accessibility, and governance.
Our expertise in building user-centric, impactful payment experiences ensures that your platform meets the highest standards of usability and functionality.
If you’re ready to elevate your B2B payment experience and unlock the business benefits of a mature UX, let’s talk.
