Argos Financial Services - App Accessibility Project
Improving customer experience and satisfaction for millions with mobile accessibility updates
Services
Key achievements
Improved app accessibility delivered through a comprehensive redesign and accessibility re-fit
Improved customer experience for users with visual, motor and cognitive impairments across all key journeys
Expanded mobile user base by supporting a wider range of customer needs and reducing reliance on the web portal
Future-proofed the app for upcoming European Accessibility Act (EAA) regulation in an already highly-regulated sector
What you need to know
Argos Financial Services and Apadmi have been working together for over a decade, having created and optimised the “My Argos Card” app which allows millions of users in managing their store credit accounts. As Argos Financial Services planned to retire its web portal and transition all users to the mobile app, the importance of ensuring the app was accessible to every customer became clear, particularly in light of the upcoming European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Initial conversations between Apadmi and Argos Financial Services revealed that while the app functioned well for the majority of users, it posed potential challenges for those with accessibility needs. The move away from web also raised questions around why some users had yet to migrate to the app, and whether accessibility barriers were playing a role in limiting adoption. To remain compliant, competitive and truly inclusive, Argos Financial Services recognised the opportunity to improve the accessibility of the mobile experience and ensure that all customers could manage their accounts independently and confidently.
What we did
Apadmi carried out a comprehensive accessibility audit of the My Argos Card app, assessing it against the WCAG 2.1 AA standards. The findings confirmed a number of potential usability issues for people with visual, motor and cognitive impairments. These included colour contrasts that failed to support colour-blind users, missing or misleading labels for screen readers, and the absence of features such as text scaling or screen zooming. These findings meant that some users would be unable to complete some in-app journeys such as registration or making a payment.
Working closely with the AFS team, we proposed a complete redesign and accessibility re-fit of the app, with a focus on maintaining the familiar look and feel of the experience while removing the barriers that were preventing some users from engaging with it. From the first sprint, we embedded accessibility into both the redesign and future feature development, ensuring that accessibility was no longer treated as an afterthought, but as a core part of how the app was built and maintained.
As part of this process, we redesigned key navigation elements to be more intuitive, adjusted layouts and touch targets to meet accessibility standards, and ensured screen readers could interpret every step of the user journey correctly. We also built a new Direct Debit journey from scratch with accessibility in mind, and used this as a benchmark for retrofitting the rest of the app. Small interface changes, such as simplifying the menu structure or offering multiple ways to input data, were carefully tested to ensure they enhanced accessibility without disrupting the user experience.
How we moved the market
By removing usability barriers, Argos Financial Services ensured users were able to transition from the retiring web portal to the app, growing their mobile user base and reducing pressure on other service channels. The app is now fully aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA standards across supported devices. These changes have helped ensure AFS remains compliant in a highly regulated sector, while also setting a higher benchmark for digital accessibility in financial services.
By building accessibility into both product strategy and delivery, Argos and Apadmi have created a more inclusive platform that better reflects the needs of all users. These adjustments have also future-proofed the app for long-term customer loyalty and growth.
