Polina Karpova

Alfa-Bank / Payments / Shipped

Returning a mistaken transfer

Requesting money back after a transfer to the wrong person. I designed the sender and recipient flows, request statuses and notifications.

My roleUX concept and product design
ScopeSender and recipient journeys
StatusInternal transfers launched
TeamProduct, engineering, editorial & marketing

01 / Context

The problem

A customer mistypes a phone number and sends money to the wrong person. Previously, the sender had to contact support, and the bank handled the request from there.

I designed a way to send and answer these requests in the app. A return still depends on the recipient’s response.

02 / My contribution

Why we changed the original flow

The initial approach sent customers from transaction details into a chatbot questionnaire. I designed that version first. After a leadership review, the team revisited the approach.

During a focused week of iteration, I developed the new interface concept and designed the journeys. I aligned the solution with product and engineering leadership; marketing and editorial colleagues helped refine the imagery and copy.

I put “Request a return” in transaction details. The customer can start from the transfer they already selected, read a short explanation and send the request.

03 / Sender

Asking for the money back

The customer opens the transfer details and taps “Request a return”. I designed the explanation, confirmation and status tracking that follow.

1. Send a request
1. Send a requestThe page explains that the bank will contact the recipient and allow three days for a response.
  1. The explanation sets expectations: the recipient has three days to respond.
  2. One action sends the request for the selected transfer.
2. See the confirmation
2. See the confirmationThe customer knows the request was sent and where to follow its status.
  1. Confirmation tells the sender that the request has been sent.
  2. The response window explains what happens next.
3. Check the status
3. Check the statusA banner in transaction history keeps the request easy to find.
  1. The banner keeps the pending request visible in transaction history.
  2. The transfer stays in its original context, alongside other transactions.

04 / Recipient

Returning the transfer

A push notification and in-app banners lead to the request. The recipient can return the money or decline.

1. Read the request
1. Read the requestThe screen explains which transfer was a mistake and offers both response options.
  1. The message identifies the mistaken transfer and asks for the recipient’s consent.
  2. Return and decline are both available on the same screen.
2. Check the details
2. Check the detailsBefore returning the money, the recipient reviews the amount, account and recipient details.
  1. Account and recipient details let the customer check where the money will go.
  2. The amount and fee are shown before confirmation.
  3. A separate confirmation step completes the return.
3. Confirm the return
3. Confirm the returnThe confirmation shows that the return is complete and that no fee was charged.
  1. The receipt confirms the returned amount and recipient.
  2. The fee is shown explicitly after the return.

05 / States and constraints

Request statuses and time limits

The 72-hour response window and 30-day eligibility limit were existing constraints. My task was to translate them into understandable states and next steps.

PendingThe sender knows that the request is waiting for a response.
ReturnedThe interface confirms that the money has been returned.
DeclinedThe sender sees that the recipient refused the request.
72 hours elapsedThe request closes when the response window ends.
Transfer older than 30 daysThe action remains visible, but explains the limitation and suggests contacting the recipient directly.

06 / Delivery

What launched

The sender and recipient journeys for transfers within Alfa-Bank are live. A bank support case is created automatically alongside the in-app request, preserving a place where the customer can find its status.

Customers can now send and respond to return requests in the app. I do not yet have post-launch figures for support contacts or completed returns.