Financial demo mode
If you’re hesitant to link your bank accounts during onboarding, Copilot gives you the option to enter a demo mode with fully-populated data to get a feel of the app before committing.
Design Examples
Fintech Onboarding Examples: Bank Sign-Ups
See how companies like Copilot, Monzo and Starling onboard new customers, with UX Bites featuring demo modes, guest access, BSL-friendly ID checks and salary prompts.
Real world examples:
Updated: 26/10/2026, view all 1,508 examples
Examples on Built for Mars include
Copilot offers demo mode before bank linking
Monzo uses salary payments to time prompts
Zettle's refundable £1 sale proves it works
Triggering a new feature
If you use Open Banking to transfer money from another bank, Monzo will dynamically show a prompt above your cards to promote their "connected accounts" feature.
Emailing your employer
Inside the feature to bring your salary into Monzo, there’s a pre-written email to send to your employer, that includes your bank details.
Sign using BSL
When recording an ID video on Starling, you can either say the words on screen, or sign using BSL.
What do you want to learn?
Emma has you customise your onboarding by letting you choose what you want to learn about (or to decide later and skip).
Onboarding the salary sorter
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FAQs
How can a banking app stop people dropping off at the account-linking step?
Let people see the value before they hand over sensitive access. For example, Copilot adds a "Try demo mode" option on the linking screen, which opens a dashboard of sample budget data under a clear "You're in demo mode" banner. Users get a feel for the app without the risk of connecting real accounts.
What makes a progressive onboarding prompt feel relevant rather than intrusive?
Timing it to something the user has just done. For instance, Monzo promotes connected accounts after an Open Banking transfer, and shows its Salary Sorter prompt beneath a transaction it predicts is salary. These prompts need to disappear if ignored, otherwise they become clutter.
Is a guest mode worth building for a regulated app with a long sign-up?
It helps most when account creation involves several steps, e.g., mobile verification and ID checks. As an example, JazzCash lets people browse services like Money Transfer and Utility Bills as a guest, with a "Get Started" prompt, so they understand the app before committing to the effort.
How can onboarding reduce friction that happens outside the app?
Do the awkward part for the user. This is what Monzo does when people switch their salary: it provides a pre-written email to their employer containing their account details, with buttons to open the email app or copy the text.
How can ID verification in bank sign-up be made more accessible?
Offer an alternative way to complete the same check rather than a separate route. For example, Starling's video ID step lets users either speak the on-screen phrase or sign it using BSL, so deaf users can verify without being blocked.
Should fintech onboarding let users choose what to learn first?
Letting people pick a goal likely increases attentional buy-in, because they focus on something that matters to them. For instance, Emma offers options like "Improve my credit history" or "Reduce my spending", each with an estimated time, plus the option to decide later.