Recharge transformed power-bank rentals by removing the app entirely. A QR-based access model reduced activation from minutes to seconds and made spontaneous usage practical. In urgent, on-the-go situations, any onboarding step prevented usage, making traditional login and KYC flows incompatible with the product’s core use case.
Active stations
115
Onboarding time reduced
From 5 minutes to seconds
First interaction became transaction-complete with 3-step QR-based flow
Immediate rental
About the Client
Recharge is a Ukrainian product offering short-term power bank rentals through a network of physical stations.
The service depends on fast, low-friction activation, as rentals typically occur in urgent, on-the-go situations where delays reduce usage. The objective was to enable immediate, zero-friction rentals that match real-world charging needs.
The Challenge
The mobile app itself became the primary barrier to adoption — not its interface, but its existence
Recharge faced a structural contradiction: the product required a mobile app and multi-minute onboarding in situations where users had seconds of tolerance. Users needed immediate access to charging, yet the standard mobile pattern relied on registration, login, and KYC — steps that added delay and discouraged first use.
Without removing onboarding entirely, the product could not achieve mass usage.
As long as the app remained mandatory, spontaneous rentals were blocked at the first interaction, limiting station utilization and constraining adoption.
Starting conditions increased business risk
Any registration step reduced completion in time-sensitive scenarios
Multi-step KYC flows contradicted the “grab-and-go” behavior of rentals
Payment outside the main flow slowed activation
Lower completion directly limited adoption and station utilization
Eliminating registration and login without sacrificing payment security
Enabling instant rental activation at the station
Embedding payment directly into the first interaction
Supporting operators with simple management tools
Ensuring reliable mobile access in everyday environments
Objective
Alty joined Recharge as an embedded product and engineering partner with a clear mandate: challenge the assumption that onboarding was required and design a model where rentals could start instantly.
The team challenged a core assumption: that identity and account creation must precede access to the product.
Instead of optimizing onboarding, the strategy focused on eliminating the onboarding layer entirely.
Registration and login were eliminated to remove first-touch friction entirely
QR scanning was chosen to start the interaction immediately at the physical station
Payment was embedded directly through Monobank so users could complete the transaction within the same flow
These decisions reduced time from intent to payment to seconds, enabling spontaneous, real-world usage.
Insight
Rentals occur in urgency-driven contexts where tolerance for delay is minimal.
Decision
Remove the mobile app and account-based onboarding entirely.
Business effect
Activation moved from planned interaction to immediate transaction.
The Results
Entry barrier eliminated at first interaction
Mobile app requirement removed entirely → Entry barrier eliminated at first interaction
Scaling model replicated without reintroducing friction
Active stations
115
Onboarding time reduced
From 5 minutes to seconds
First interaction became transaction-complete with 3-step QR-based flow
Immediate rental
Key Takeaways
01
In utility services, activation speed drives adoption more than feature depth
02
Eliminating identity-first onboarding can unlock immediate usage in time-sensitive contexts
03
Embedded payments reduce abandonment during time-sensitive actions
04
Simpler operational tools support sustainable scaling
