All workSimeon Daniel
Fintech

Paylark: getting paid in dollars, without the guesswork

Freelancers who work for clients abroad invoice by hand, chase late payments, and lose money to exchange rates they can’t see. Paylark makes getting paid feel calm, and earns money from speed, priced honestly next to a free option that works fine.

My role
Product design, end to end
Platform
iOS mobile app and a web payment page
Focus
First invoice sent, instant payout uptake, Pro trial starts
Tools
Figma

01The business problem

A freelancer’s biggest money problem isn’t earning, it’s collecting. Invoices get made in documents, follow-ups get delayed because they feel awkward, and when the money finally arrives the exchange rate quietly takes a cut.

A payments business earns on payouts. The temptation is to bury the free option so more people pay for speed. That works once and costs trust for good.

02The metric

One number to move, and one I refuse to hurt.

PrimaryShare of payouts that choose Instant, and Pro trial starts
SupportingFirst invoice sent within a day of sign-up, and days from invoice to payment
GuardrailFee complaints and support tickets must not rise

03What people actually do

People put off follow-ups to avoid feeling pushy, so cash arrives late and the stress builds quietly.

Urgency is real but occasional. Rent day and school fees are when speed is worth paying for, and nobody minds paying when it was their choice.

Exchange rates are assumed to be padded. Showing the real rate, and how stable it’s been, is the fastest way to earn trust.

04Hypotheses

Untested. Each one is written so it can be proven wrong.

H1

Invoice from a voice note

More first invoices sent on day one, because describing the job out loud is easier than filling in a form.

H2

Reminders timed to each client’s habits

Invoices paid sooner, because the nudge arrives when the client is likely to act, and the freelancer doesn’t have to feel pushy.

H3

Instant priced openly next to a free Standard

Steady instant payout uptake at moments of urgency, rather than a one-off spike followed by distrust.

H4

Pro offered after an earnings milestone

More trials convert, because the value recap is concrete: money already received.

05Design decisions

Retain

Money owed comes first

What I did
The home screen leads with what you’re owed, and each client is a colour-coded folder, so the late one stands out at a glance.
What I chose not to do
A balance-first home screen. That’s a bank’s priority, not a freelancer’s.
Activate

The first invoice in one sentence

What I did
A voice note becomes a full draft. The yellow AI note says plainly that nothing is sent until you review it.
What I chose not to do
Letting the AI send invoices on its own. A wrong amount sent to a client is worse than a slow invoice.
Convert

A payment page for strangers

What I did
The client sees who it’s from, exactly what they’re paying for split by colour, and one button. No account needed.
What I chose not to do
Making the client sign up. The person paying owes the product nothing, so every extra step delays your money.
Monetize

The real rate, then the choice

What I did
The week’s rate is charted, an AI note says whether waiting is worth it, and Standard is free and clearly fine. This screen shows the moment someone picks Instant; Standard stays the default.
What I chose not to do
Preselecting the paid option silently. It lifts revenue once and teaches people to distrust every screen after.
Monetize

Pro sells what people hate

What I did
The upgrade opens with what you’ve already been paid, split by client, then offers the two things freelancers dread: chasing and waiting.
What I chose not to do
A generic feature-list paywall. Features are abstract; money already received is not.

06How AI is used

AI drafts invoices from a sentence, learns each client’s payment habits to time reminders, and explains exchange rates in plain language. Every AI suggestion appears in the same yellow note, so people always know what came from the AI. Nothing goes to a client or leaves your account without your tap.

07How I’d test it

Events I’d track from day one

  • invoice_drafted_voice
  • invoice_sent
  • reminder_sent
  • invoice_paid
  • days_to_payment
  • payout_speed_chosen
  • pro_paywall_viewed
  • trial_started
  • fee_question_opened
  • A/B test reminder timing: learned per client versus a fixed schedule, measuring days to payment.
  • Track payout speed choices against support tickets about fees, to make sure Instant revenue isn’t coming from confusion.
What success looks like. Days to payment fall and Instant uptake stays steady month to month, with no rise in fee complaints.

08What I’d do next

  • Test the tone of AI reminders, from friendly to firm, and let freelancers choose a default.
  • Let clients pay in their local currency while the freelancer still sees exactly what they’ll receive.