IHG Digital Checkout – Streamlining End-of-Stay UX

JMM.

Streamlining the Mobile Checkout Experience

Role: Sr. Product Designer

Duration: Multi-Sprint

Role: Sr. Product Designer

Duration: Multi-Sprint

Role: Sr. Product Designer

Duration: Multi-Sprint

Team: Product Owner, UX Manager, Jr. Designer

Stakeholders: Loyalty & In-Stay Product Owners

Team: Product Owner, UX Manager, Jr. Designer

Stakeholders: Loyalty & In-Stay Product Owners

Team: Product Owner, UX Manager, Jr. Designer

Stakeholders: Loyalty & In-Stay Product Owners

OVERVIEW

How might we make the checkout process more engaging and efficient, while respecting system limitations around loyalty rewards and ensuring scalability across hotel types?

IHG sunset its previous digital checkout due to backend issues and a dated experience. My team was tasked with reinventing it—from the ground up—as a more modern, personalized feature within the mobile app. What began as an open exploration turned into a high-performing, two-step flow used across 3,000+ U.S. hotels.

IHG retired its old digital checkout due to tech issues and outdated UX.

We reimagined it from scratch—evolving early concepts into a clean, 2-step flow now live in 3,000+ U.S. hotels.

IMPACT

45% engagement with new rating feature post checkout with over 75% of users giving their experience a 5-star rating to the pleasure of our owners

45% engagement with new rating feature post checkout with over 75% of users giving their experience a 5-stars

45% engagement with new rating feature post checkout with over 75% of users giving their experience a 5-star rating to the pleasure of our owners

CHALLENGE

When Priorities Shift, So Does the Design

We faced shifting priorities, evolving from an initial goal of “making the app stickier” to highlighting loyalty benefits—only to learn our systems couldn’t reliably reflect loyalty updates in real time. With performance and personalization top of mind, we needed a solution that felt simple, branded, and delightful—while respecting technical limitations.

Goals kept shifting—from making the app stickier, to showcasing loyalty benefits—but backend delays made real-time updates impossible.

We needed a solution that was simple, on-brand, and delightful—without overstepping tech constraints.

Strategic Opportunity

IHG’s mobile ecosystem already supported booking, loyalty, and check-in experiences, but checkout remained a fragmented moment in the guest journey. Digital Checkout was introduced to allow guests to review their bill and leave the hotel seamlessly through the app.

Goals kept shifting—from making the app stickier, to showcasing loyalty benefits—but backend delays made real-time updates impossible.

We needed a solution that was simple, on-brand, and delightful—without overstepping tech constraints.

Two Audiences. Different Expectations.

Most product decisions optimize for one user type. This experience had to serve both—simultaneously.

New Guests:

First-time experience

No mental model

Needs clarity + trust

Returning Guests:

Existing expectations

Prior experience

Needs consistency

DESIGN STRATEGY

We didn't launch with everything. We launched what mattered first.

We set out to turn checkout into a loyalty-driven moment.

But backend constraints made one thing clear: Not everything could ship at once.

So we restructured the approach.

Key Decision

Phase the experience: Clarity first. Loyalty second.

Phase 1 - Establish Trust Through Simplicity

Fast, mobile-first checkout

Completion in just a few taps
Optional review to close the loop

👉 Goal: Make digital checkout reliable enough to replace the front desk

Phase 2 - Introduce Loyalty & Reward Redemption

Enabled reward redemption during checkout

Required redemption before completion to apply value
Designed to feel natural, not disruptive

👉 Goal: Turn checkout into a value exchange, not just confirmation

Reward redemption wasn’t just a feature, it was a constraint.

It had to happen before checkout to deliver value, making this the most logical moment to introduce it.

See the design process

Collaboration & Constraints

Delivering Digital Checkout required coordination across multiple systems supporting hotel operations and guest experiences.

• Product teams: aligned the checkout flow with the broader IHG One Rewards mobile experience.

• Engineering: integrated checkout logic with hotel property management systems and billing infrastructure.

• Hotel operations: ensured the experience worked across thousands of properties with varying checkout procedures.

Checkout became the loyalty moment

Most loyalty experiences focus on booking or post-stay engagement.

But checkout is the only moment where:

The stay is complete.

The value is clear.

The user is still engaged.

Reward redemption wasn't just a feature, it was a constraint.

It had to happen before checkout to deliver value—making this the most logical and impactful moment to introduce it.

It had to happen before checkout to deliver value—making thi this the most logical and impactful moment to introduce it.

Introducing redemption at checkout allowed us to:

Delivered immediate, visible value

Reinforced loyalty at a high-attention moment
Turned a passive step into an active decision

Introducing redemption at checkout allowed us to:

Delivered immediate, visible value

Reinforced loyalty at a high-attention moment
Turned a passive step into an active decision

Reward redemption wasn't just a feature, it was a constraint.

It had to happen before checkout to deliver value, making this the most logical and impactful moment to introduce it.

Reward redemption wasn't just a feature, it was a constraint.

It had to happen before checkout to deliver value, making this the most logical and impactful moment to introduce it.

SOLUTION

Two Taps. Two Entry Points. Thousands of Happy Travelers.

The final experience was simple, elegant, and impactful.

Entry Strategy: Push notifications raised awareness, while Home and Stay Summary served as the main conversion points
Streamlined UX: A clean 2-step checkout flow replaced the previous 4-step process
Engagement Wins (6-Month Period):
- 179K clicks from Home
- 155K clicks from Stay Summary
- 22K+ ratings submitted
- 45% engagement with the new rating feature
- 76.8% of users gave 5-star feedback

We turned a sunset feature into a user-loved interaction that now scales across thousands of properties.

The final experience was simple, elegant, and impactful.

Entry Strategy: Push notifications raised awareness, while Home and Stay Summary served as the main conversion points
Streamlined UX: A clean 2-step checkout flow replaced the previous 4-step process
Engagement Wins (6-Month Period):
- 179K clicks from Home
- 155K clicks from Stay Summary
- 22K+ ratings submitted
- 45% engagement with the new rating feature
- 76.8% of users gave 5-star feedback

We turned a sunset feature into a user-loved interaction that now scales across thousands of properties.