Driving engagement and retention for by.U’s customers through usage-based data rewards
Bonus Ngegas is a usage-based reward mechanic designed to increase both user acquisition appeal and daily engagement within the by.U app.
Users receive bonus data after hitting a daily usage threshold (e.g. use 1GB → get 500MB), with rewards claimable within the same day.
This feature was introduced as part of a broader strategy to:
Strengthen value perception vs competitors
Drive habitual usage and increase frequency of data package recharges by customers
Introduce lightweight gamification into telco consumption
The experience spans:
Awareness (homepage entry point)
Activation (opt-in via detail page)
Engagement (progress tracking + reward claim)
Termination (opt-out and re-entry loop)
Business goals and expected impact
1. Acquisition Lever (Top of Funnel)
Positions by.U as more rewarding vs traditional prepaid plans
Creates a clear, tangible value hook (“use more → get more”)
Differentiates through gamified data rewards, not just pricing
👉 Expected impact:
Higher conversion from consideration → activation
2. Retention & Engagement Lever
Encourages daily usage behaviour to hit thresholds
Builds habit loops through repeat reward cycles
Keeps users returning to app to track and claim rewards
👉 Expected impact:
Increased DAU / session frequency
Higher feature stickiness
3. Revenue Lever (Recharge Behaviour)
Incentivises users to consume more data intentionally
Creates psychological trigger to top up to hit reward threshold
👉 Expected impact:
Increased recharge frequency
Higher data consumption per user
4. Trust & Experience Risk (Identified)
User testing surfaced a key risk:
Misunderstanding of:
Reward claim mechanism
Bonus validity (same-day expiry)
👉 If unresolved:
Users may miss rewards → frustration → trust erosion
This directly informed design priorities.
Design approach
1. Program Activation
Homepage entry point drives awareness
Users explore details before opting in
Clear CTA to join
Goal:
Drive confident opt-in through clear value communication
2. Ongoing Engagement
Entry point transforms into progress tracker
Users monitor usage toward reward
Clear claim action upon completion
Goal:
Enable seamless tracking and reward redemption
3. Program Termination
Users can exit anytime
Clear communication of what is lost upon leaving
Re-entry remains accessible
Goal:
Maintain transparency and reduce unintended churn
We structured the experience across 3 lifecycle stages to achieve an end-to-end design
Key problems identified after user testing
1. Clarity Gap (Rules & Mechanics)
Users understand the concept but struggle with the lack of detailed conditions
👉 Leads to hesitation or misuse
2. Reward Mental Model Mismatch
Users expect automatic rewards
System requires manual claim
👉 Leads to missed rewards
3. Low visibility of constraints
Bonus expiry not salient enough
👉 Leads to perceived loss of value
Design iterations after user testing
1. Structured T&C → Actionable Content
Reframed into clear steps:
Reach target
Claim reward
Understand eligibility
2. Strengthened Progress → Reward Mapping
Clear visual link between:
Usage progress
Reward outcome
3. Elevated Bonus Validity Visibility
Reinforced across:
Homepage card
Claim states
Success feedback
4. Reinforced Feedback Moments
Stronger claim success states
Clear next-step guidance
Results
Quantitative
Avg. SEQ: 6.6 / 7 → High ease of use
Strong task success across:
Discovery
Enrollment
Claim flow
Behavioural Outcomes
Users can immediately identify entry point
Clear understanding of core mechanic (use → reward → claim)
Smooth navigation across lifecycle
Remaining Gaps
Bonus expiry still occasionally missed
Some expectation of auto-credit persists
Key Takeaways
Gamification must be instantly understandable
Reward systems must align with user mental models
Critical constraints must be repeated, not hidden
Reflection
Bonus Ngegas transforms a traditional telco experience into a behaviour-driven reward system:
Drives daily engagement loops
Increases perceived value of data plans
Encourages higher usage and recharge frequency
While improving UX clarity remains key, the feature establishes a strong foundation for growth, retention, and monetization through behavioural design.