Why do customers struggle to recognise transactions?

Consumers struggle because banking apps display complex, raw Merchant IDs instead of recognisable business names. This high cognitive load creates anxiety, often leading the customer to fear fraud and call customer support.

The issue stems from the gap between the bank’s raw data and the customer’s mental model. Raw data contains strings of digits and abbreviations that hold no meaning for the user, resulting in a perceived risk. By failing to enrich this data with clear merchant names, logos, and locations, the bank forces the customer to do the verification work, creating a frustrating, high-friction experience.