CASE STUDY: PLUTO

The Intelligent Credit Card Strategy Engine

"Don't just spend. Strategize."

Role

Lead Product Designer

Platform

iOS & Android

Timeline

4 Weeks

Focus

Strategy, IA, Visual Design

01 // The Story: The ₹50,000 Mistake

(The Hook)

Imagine Arjun. He’s a 30-year-old product manager standing at the checkout counter of an Apple Store in Bangalore. He’s about to buy a MacBook Air for ₹1.2 Lakhs.

In his leather wallet, he has four premium credit cards: an HDFC Infinia, an Amex Platinum Travel, an Axis Magnus, and a standard SBI Card. He has 10 seconds to make a decision.

If he swipes the Amex, he hits his ₹4L milestone and gets 40,000 points (worth ₹20k). If he uses the HDFC directly, he gets 3.3% returns. But, if he had bought a Gift Voucher via the HDFC SmartBuy portal 5 minutes ago, he would have received 5X points.

The Scenario

Arjun panics. He swipes the HDFC card directly.

The Result: He unknowingly left ₹15,000 worth of free travel points on the table.

This isn't just Arjun's story. It is the story of every modern Indian consumer facing We treat credit cards like simple payment tools, but the banks have designed them like complex RPG video games. Without a strategy guide, the user always loses.

Pluto is that strategy guide.

02 // The Validation: Why This, Why Now?

I moved beyond anecdotal interviews to analyze macro-market data and behavioral psychology. The data confirmed a massive gap between spending and optimizing.

A. The "Premiumization" Explosion

According to RBI Data (2024), the credit card base in India has breached the 100 Million mark.

  • The Shift: Users are moving from entry-level cards to high-fee, high-reward "Super Premium" cards (Infinia, Magnus, Amex).
  • The Volume: Spending hit an all-time high of ₹1.7 Lakh Crore in festive months.

B. The Behavioral Friction

  • The Paradox of Choice: When a user has >3 cards, decision paralysis sets in. They default to the "top of wallet" card rather than the "best math" card.
  • Loss Aversion: The pain of paying a ₹10,000 annual fee is psychologically twice as impactful as the joy of earning rewards. Pluto leverages this by focusing heavily on "Fee Waiver" tracking.

03 // The Competitive "White Space"

CRED / CheQ
Bill Payments
Reactive. They only act after the damage is done (money is spent).
Fold / Axio
Expense Tracking
Descriptive. They tell you where money went, not how to maximize it.
CashKaro
Couponing
Context-Unaware. They don't know your specific card milestones or capping rules.

04 // The Personas

To ensure the logic engine works for everyone, I defined three distinct archetypes based on spending behavior.

1. The Maximizer

Arjun

High Income, Super-Premium cards (Infinia, Amex)

Motivation: "I want to fly Business Class to Paris for free."

Pain Point: Missing out on Multiplier Portals (SmartBuy/Reward Multiplier).

2. The Value Guardian

Priya

Cost-conscious, Mid-Range cards (SBI Prime)

Motivation: "I refuse to pay annual fees."

Pain Point: Anxiety about missing the "Annual Spend Threshold" to waive her ₹3,000 fee.

3. The Status Seeker

Rohan

Consultant/Frequent Traveler

Motivation: "I need Airport Lounge access and 0% Forex fees."

Pain Point: The "Walk of Shame"—being denied entry at a lounge because he didn't spend ₹5,000 in the previous quarter.

05 // The Logic Engine: User Flows

The core of Pluto is a decision tree that processes Context (User + Location + Time) to output a Binary Recommendation.

Scenario A: The High-Value Purchase

Persona: Arjun (The Maximizer) • Context: Buying a Laptop (₹80k)

INPUT

He asks Pluto AI: "Best way to buy a MacBook?"

LOGIC STEPS

  • 1. Milestone Check? → Yes, Amex is ₹10k away from 40k bonus.
  • 2. Multiplier Check? → Yes, HDFC SmartBuy offers 5X points on Apple.

Pluto's Recommendation

"Split Payment Strategy. Swipe ₹10k on Amex to unlock your milestone. Buy the remaining ₹70k via HDFC SmartBuy Gift Vouchers to earn 5X points."

Scenario B: The Renewal Panic

Persona: Priya (The Value Guardian) • Context: Feb 15th. Renewal on March 1st.

INPUT

Automated Push Notification from Pluto.

LOGIC STEPS

  • 1. Fee Tracker: Check spend vs. waiver limit. → Priya has spent ₹2.92L. She needs ₹8,000 more to hit the ₹3L waiver.
  • 2. Time Sensitivity: Calculate daily spend needed. → High urgency.

Pluto's Recommendation

"Alert: You are only ₹8,000 away from saving ₹3,000 in fees. Pre-pay your electricity bill for next month now to cross the line."

Scenario C: The Travel Check

Persona: Rohan (The Status Seeker) • Context: Lands in Dubai. Heads to Marhaba Lounge.

INPUT

He opens the Pluto App.

LOGIC STEPS

  • 1. Lounge Eligibility: Check extensive card list for international access. → HDFC Regalia Gold allows 6 international visits.
  • 2. Spend Condition: Did he meet the spend criteria last quarter? → Yes.

Pluto's Recommendation

"Use Regalia for Lounge (Access Valid). Switch to Amex for Duty Free shopping."

06 // The Solution: Interface Design

A. The Dynamic Home Stack

Instead of a static list, the home screen adapts to the user's current financial reality.

  • > Milestone Tracker: Takes center stage when a user is close to a massive reward.
  • > Fee Waiver Widget: Uses "Traffic Light" logic. Turns Red as renewal approaches.

Annual Target

Amex Platinum

₹3.92L
Gap: ₹8,000

Fee Waiver

85%
Save ₹14,750

Debit Lounge

LOCKED

Spend ₹3,800

B. The Arsenal (Wallet)

Most apps show card numbers. Pluto shows Card Capabilities.

  • > Visual Hierarchy: Hyper-realistic 3D (Metal/Matte) renders to induce premium ownership.
  • > Data Visualization: Spend limits, renewal dates, and benefits surfaced immediately.
HDFC BANK Metal

**** 4582

Arjun Kumar

C. Pluto AI (The Concierge)

Natural Language Processing: Users don't need to know complex financial math. They simply ask "Did I meet the milestone?" or "How do I optimize this?"

Clean, dark-themed chat interface that feels like speaking to a high-end financial advisor.
Pluto AI
I need to pay ₹60k for Paris hotel. €660. Which card?
🏆 Rec: HDFC Infinia Metal
1. Forex Cost- ₹1,416
2. Reward Gain+ ₹1,980
3. Net Profit~ ₹564

07 // Screens

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08 // Technical Feasibility & Business Model

How it works (The Backend)

We use licensed partners (Setu/Anumati) to fetch verified, read-only transaction data. This ensures we track spend progress in real-time.

A proprietary JSON database of 100+ Indian Credit Cards, mapping their MCC codes, Reward Rates, and Capping rules.

Uses Google Places API to identify merchant categories (e.g., "Dining") when the user enters a location to suggest the best card.

How it makes money

  • Affiliate (Card Issuance) High-ticket commissions (₹2000-₹5000) for referring cards.
  • Affiliate (Vouchers) Earning 1-3% commission on Gift Vouchers (Gyftr model).