MACYS.COM & BLOOMINGDALES.COM
Designing a dual-path checkout
Express and embedded PayPal at scale for high-volume retail
Background
At the onset of mobile-first commerce (2014-2016), Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s began modernizing their checkout experience to better support emerging user behaviors on mobile devices. This effort started with a redesign of the bag page to improve clarity, performance, and conversion.
In parallel, the business expanded into international markets, including China and the UAE, increasing the need for flexible, globally trusted payment solutions.
Problem
The existing checkout experience was not optimized for mobile-first interactions and lacked a unified strategy for integrating third-party payments. Users were required to move through a multi-step flow with limited express options, introducing friction and contributing to drop-off—particularly on mobile.
At the system level, there was no cohesive approach to supporting PayPal across different user intents (e.g., expedited checkout vs. full cart review), or a scalable framework to support international payment expectations.
Goal
Design and implement a scalable PayPal integration across two complementary payment pathways:
PayPal Express Checkout
enabling users to bypass the standard checkout flow and complete purchases directly from the bag page
PayPal as a Tender Type
integrating PayPal within the existing checkout flow alongside other payment methods
This approach was designed to reduce friction in
- a mobile-first context,
- accommodate varied user behaviors, and
- establish a flexible, brand-agnostic payment system across both Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, while supporting international expansion.
TEAM
Cross-functional collaboration with visual design, product management and customer experience.
ROLE
Lead UX Designer
TIMEFRAME
July 2014 - August 2026
PLATFORM
Web, Mobile, Tablet
INDUSTRY
E-commerce
Large-volume catalogs
Payments
Outcomes
Brand-Agnostic
Launched both PayPal Express Checkout and PayPal as a tender type across Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s
$50M
Generated $50M in revenue within the first three months post-launch
Reduced Cart-Abandonment
Reduced friction in mobile checkout by enabling both accelerated and embedded payment pathways
130% Increase in AOV
Improved flexibility in transaction completion, supporting a broader range of user behaviors and increased average-order-value by 130%
Express Checkout
Tender Type
Live demos.
The PayPal integration remains live across Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. Explore both Express Checkout and PayPal as a Tender Type to see how each flow enables faster, flexible transactions in a real-world checkout environment.
Live Demos
Projects
Social
Contact
lausraf@gmail.com
