Helping TransferWise enter the Australian market

Global company, local context

TransferWise are a money transfer and currency exchange company that have helped hundreds of thousands of people obtain better exchange rates and faster transfers between themselves and their loved ones.

With offices globally, TransferWise are a truly multinational business. Ahead of formally launching their products and services in Australia, TransferWise asked Paper Giant to research the local context and provide insight into consumer behaviours around money transfers, travel cards, and digital banking.

Researching the Landscape

We conducted research with a range of Australian residents, including recent migrants, international students, and citizens that had family living internationally.

Working alongside product owners from TransferWise, we visited people’s homes and workplaces to talk about why and how they send money overseas, and how they prepare currency for international travel. We spoke to people from different cultural backgrounds and socioeconomic groups to make sure we got an accurate understanding of the diverse experiences and behaviours that exist in Australia around managing money.

We also asked people to show us how they send money currently, gaining insight into competing services from Australian banks and WesternUnion, amongst others.

Positioning for success

We found that Australians think of ‘transferring money’ as a feature of banking, not a separate product. We also found that there are many barriers – both perceived and actual – that prevent people from taking up a new financial product.

Using this understanding, we worked with the TransferWise team to design better messaging for their consumer facing websites. We also identified opportunities for new features or services to complement the products that are already loved globally.