What Happens if You Pick The Wrong Country in Revolut?
My Take on Revolut Account Set up
Disclaimer
I don’t work for Revolut (at least yet).
This is a self-initiated case study based on a real issue I faced while opening my Revolut account.
Meet Diego
Diego is from Chile. He just moved to Germany.
Landing in Berlin, he was eager to open a Revolut account.
The flow looked smooth at first:
Step 1
Tap Create Account
Step 2
Enter German phone number
Step 3
Enter a confirmation code
Step 4
Enable notifications
And then:
Choose your country of residence
Tired from the night flight and still adjusting, Diego paused:
“Do they mean my current country? My last residence? Maybe even my citizenship?”
Tired and distracted
Diego selected Chile — his home country
Everything looked perfectly normal
“Sign up securely” button was waiting for him as if everything was in order
What Diego saw next seemed even more reassuring
Clock
suggests he only needs to wait
“Your account will be ready soon”
creats an expectation that the sign-up is moving forward
“Invite friends”
odd call-to-action for someone who couldn’t even access the product yet
But nothing happened
Days passed, still no access
Eventually, Diego realized
He had landed on a waitlist for a country where Revolut wasn’t even live
Diego wasn't the only one
It turned out there were numerous threads on Reddit with hundreds of comments crying for help.
Why This Matters
On the surface, this is a small problem. Revolut has 60M+ users — only a fraction make this mistake.
But for those who do:
I started thinking as a Product Designer
I explored three directions, each addressing the issue at a different stage of a user journey
Reactive Solution: Explain what happened
Hypothesis
If we improve the microcopy on the success screen, we can reduce user frustration by setting the right expectations and clearly communicating the account status.
For users who accidentally chose the wrong country, the message will make the error more transparent.
How to validate
This change won’t radically solve the underlying issue, so metrics won’t be a reliable signal.
Validation should come from qualitative feedback (e.g., usability testing, support insights).
Pros
Low-effort / high-speed fix
Improves clarity and honesty of communication
Can mitigate confusion for some users
Cons
Users still discover the issue too late
Still requires manual support reset
Doesn’t address the root cause
Corrective Solution: Let the user fix it
Hypothesis
If we add a way for users to go back and edit their country of residence, we can reduce support load, since users will no longer need to request a manual account reset.
How to validate
Track the number of support tickets related to manual account setup resets before and after implementation.
Pros
Puts the user in control of fixing their mistake
Reduces support workload
Improves word of mouth (fewer complaints on Reddit)
Cons
Requires engineering effort
Still carries a risk of repeated mistakes by the user
Preventive Solution: Stop the slip before it happens
Hypothesis
If we immediately inform users after country selection that Revolut isn’t available there yet, we can reduce support load and manage expectations more clearly, since users will avoid being placed on a waitlist they can’t exit.
For those who selected the wrong country by mistake, the error will be easy to correct.
How to validate
Track the number of support tickets related to manual account setup resets before and after implementation.
Pros
Prevents mistakes before they happen
Reduces support demand
Allows users to change country immediately
Cons
None identified yet — potential drawbacks to be highlighted by the team
Bonus Ideas
Highlight available countries in the dropdown
Weak spot: Requires engineering effort, raises questions
Limit dropdown to live countries only
Conclusion
Even small UX details — a line of copy, an extra button, a dropdown tweak — can shape trust and reduce support load.
What starts as one user’s confusion (Diego from Chile or me on my second day in Berlin) reveals an area for improvement for others.
My Other Projects
How I Cut Support Workload
I turned a legacy paper-form experience into a clear online ordering flow that streamlined submissions and improved both efficiency and accuracy.
Anki Redesign Concept
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