Car Rental Upgrades — Surfacing Affordable Value
Enabling travelers with better discovery of affordable vehicle upgrade opportunities directly on the product detail page.
The Problem
Users looking at car rentals on PDP lacked confidence to upgrade without restarting their search, causing missed revenue and decision friction.
Hypothesis
If users can compare higher-tier cars and see the value difference directly on PDP, they'll be more likely to upgrade without negatively impacting conversion.
Goal & Proposed Solution
Goal & Success Criteria
Primary goal: Increase revenue per visitor from car rentals
Guardrail metrics: Booking conversion rate, PDP exit rate
Proposed Solution
In-context Upgrade Module on PDP: Tier comparison (economy → standard → premium), clear price delta per day, value framing (space, comfort, luggage), upgrade without losing selected dates/location.
What do we consider an upgrade?
Same Supplier
Comes from the same supplier and location. Maintains identical policies and amenities.
Within Budget
More expensive than the base vehicle, but costs no more than 10% above the base total price.
Better Features
Provides better features (more passengers, more luggage space, or higher luxury).
The Process
I started by mapping user journeys across the PDP to identify high-intent moments where an upgrade could add value without distracting from the core booking flow. I tested multiple placements, balancing conversion impact, visual hierarchy, and overall usability.
I moved quickly into low-fidelity designs to validate interaction patterns, then leveraged Expedia's design system — extending it where needed with new components to support the experience at scale. I finalized high-fidelity designs with accessibility considerations, partnered closely with engineering through handoff and UAT, and worked with Product and Analytics to monitor post-launch performance and iterate based on data.
User journeys across PDP, identify high-intent upgrade moments
Low-fidelity designs, tested multiple placements and hierarchies
Extended Expedia's design system with new upgrade components
A/B test, 50/50 split, 4 weeks, 95% confidence threshold
Key Features
Upgrade Module on PDP
A carefully crafted module on the PDP surfacing the upgrade offer, with the price difference, calling out the value proposition for the upgrade. Strategic placement to ensure discoverability but not downplaying the main focus of the page.
Confirmation & Navigation
Confirming the upgrade, and enabling the traveler to undo the upgrade action. While also keeping in mind the intent of the user at this point in their journey.
Experiment Setup
Setup
- Type: A/B test
- Traffic split: 50/50
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Platforms: Mobile web + app
- Stat threshold: 95% confidence
Key Result
Variant outperformed control across engagement, confidence, and booking intent, with no negative impact on page load or bounce.