Paying the bill, plainly.
Rewriting the autopay, email billing, and payment flows for a regional utility, then building the standards that keep the words consistent across the app, the website, and the phone line.
- Role
- Lead UX content strategist
- Client
- Harlow Valley Energy (fictional)
- Scope
- 3 self-service flows, error library, terminology system, review model
- Partners, as modeled
- Product, UX design, research, legal & compliance, IVR team
Note: Harlow Valley Energy is a fictional electric and gas utility I created for this self-initiated project. The flows, constraints, and "before" copy are modeled on patterns common to regulated self-service experiences. No real company's content or data was used.
Four teams, four vocabularies, one anxious customer
Harlow Valley serves about 1.2 million electric and gas customers. Its self-service experience grew in layers: a web portal from 2017, a mobile app from 2021, and a phone system last rewritten in 2015. Each team wrote its own copy, so the same action had four names, error messages blamed the customer, and legal text sat in the middle of the payment step.
A utility bill isn't optional. Some customers pay the day it's due. Some pay after a shutoff notice. The words in these flows have to work for someone who is stressed, on a phone, and trying to make sure the lights stay on.
Business goal:
"Increase autopay and email billing enrollment, and reduce payment calls to the contact center."
Customer goal:
"Pay the bill, know it worked, and stop worrying about it."
Constraints:
Grade 7 reading level or below. WCAG 2.2 AA. Payment authorizations reviewed by legal. Shutoff notices use wording set by state rules.
One thing, many names
I started by mapping every place a customer meets payment language: app, web, phone system, emails, and the paper bill. The terminology drift explained a lot of the confusion before I rewrote a single screen.
| What it is | Web portal | Mobile app | Phone (IVR) | Emails |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic monthly payment | AutoPay | Auto Pay | "automatic bank draft" | Recurring Payment Plan |
| Bills by email | eBill | Paperless Billing | "electronic statements" | Go Green |
| What's owed by the due date | Total Amount Due | Balance | "your current balance" | Amount Owed |
| Account identifier | Account # | Customer ID | "your account number" | Acct No. |
The copy problems fell into four groups: errors that blame ("Invalid input"), confirmations that don't confirm ("Your request has been submitted"), legal walls placed right before the button, and system language leaking into the interface ("NSF," "drafted," "pending posting").
Four principles for content that handles money
Harlow Valley's brand voice was written for marketing. Transactional moments needed their own rules, narrow enough that any writer or designer could apply them without me in the room.
Money is specific.
Show the amount, the date, and the account every time. Never "your payment" when you can say which one.
Example:
$142.60 on Nov 14 from Checking ••4471Say what happens next.
Every confirmation answers three questions: Is it done? What happens now? Do I need to do anything?
Example:
Autopay is on. Your Oct 14 bill is still due.Calm, never cute.
No exclamation points near money. No jokes in errors. Warmth comes from being clear and specific.
Example:
Oops! Something went wrong!One word for one thing.
If it's Autopay in the app, it's Autopay on the phone, in the email, and on the paper bill.
Example:
AutoPay · Auto Pay · bank draft→ Autopay
Before and after, screen by screen
Six moments across autopay setup, payment errors, and email billing. Switch between views to compare the original copy with the rewrite. The notes change with the view.
- Billing
AutoPay Enrollment
Enroll in our AutoPay program to have your bill automatically drafted from your designated account on the due date.
Enrollment may take 1-2 billing cycles to become effective. Customer is responsible for any amounts due prior to enrollment effective date.
Designated Account
Select…Submit
Set up Autopay
We'll pay your bill from your bank account each month. You'll get an email with the amount 5 days before every payment.
On the due date
Recommended
On a day I choose
Any day before the due date
- Pay from
- Checking ••4471
Autopay starts with your November bill. Your October bill, due Oct 14, still needs to be paid.
Continue
After: Billing screen 1 of 6 · Autopay · StartLead with what happens, not what it's called
What wasn't working:
The title names a program instead of a task. "Drafted" and "designated account" are banking terms. The billing-cycle delay hides inside a hedge, and the button says Submit on step one of three.
Why it works:
It opens with what happens and when. The vague "1-2 billing cycles" becomes the specific bill that still needs to be paid, because that's where customers get caught: they think they're covered and end up with a late fee. The button says Continue because nothing is committed yet.
- Set up Autopay
Terms & Conditions
By clicking Submit, you authorize Harlow Valley Energy, its agents and assigns, to initiate recurring electronic debit entries (ACH) to the depository account indicated above and, if necessary, to initiate adjustments for any transactions debited in error. This authority will remain in full force and effect until Harlow Valley Energy has received written notification from you of its termination in such time and manner as to afford a reasonable opportunity to act on it.
I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions
Submit
Review and turn on Autopay
- Amount
- Your full bill each month
- Paid on
- Due date
- From
- Checking ••4471
What you're agreeing to
- Your bill can change month to month. We'll email the amount and date 5 days before each payment.
- Turn off Autopay anytime in the app or at 1-800-555-0147. Changes take up to 3 business days.
Read the full Autopay terms
I authorize Harlow Valley Energy to take these payments from my account.
Turn on Autopay
After: Set up Autopay screen 2 of 6 · Autopay · AuthorizationLegal needed it clear, not unreadable
What wasn't working:
A block of authorization text written for a bank sits between the customer and the button. The checkbox asks them to agree to terms they can't see. "Submit" is the label on the one step that actually moves money.
Why it works:
The authorization had four jobs: get consent for recurring payments, disclose that the amount can change, explain how to cancel, and give the customer a copy. None of those required legalese. The summary covers them in plain words, the full terms are one tap away, and the button names the action.
- Autopay
Success!
Your request has been submitted.
OK
Autopay is on
Your first automatic payment is Nov 14. We'll email you the amount 5 days before.
We emailed a copy of your Autopay agreement to dana.w@email.com.
Pay $138.22 now
Done
After: Autopay screen 3 of 6 · Autopay · ConfirmationA confirmation answers three questions
What wasn't working:
"Success" doesn't say what succeeded, and "submitted" sounds like it's still pending. Nothing mentions the October bill the customer still owes.
Why it works:
Is it done? Yes. What happens next? A payment on Nov 14, with an email first. Do I need to do anything? Yes, pay October. Because that answer is yes, the primary button is the payment they still owe, not "Done."
- Add bank account
Add Bank Account
Routing Number
021000089Account Number
••••••4471Submit
Add a bank account
Routing number
021000089This routing number doesn't match a US bank. Check the 9-digit number in the bottom left corner of a check.
Account number
••••••4471Save bank account
After: Add bank account screen 4 of 6 · Payments · Field errorPut the fix where the problem is
What wasn't working:
An error code, a word that blames the customer, and no hint about which field is wrong or how to fix it. "Try again" invites them to type the same number twice.
Why it works:
The message sits on the field, says what's wrong in plain words, and shows where to find the right number. It's linked to the input for screen readers, and the warning icon means color isn't the only signal.
- Notification
NOTICE: Returned Payment
Your AutoPay payment was returned NSF. A returned payment fee of $25.00 has been assessed to your account.
Please remit payment immediately to avoid further collection activity.
View Account
Your Nov 14 payment didn't go through
Your bank returned the $142.60 Autopay payment. This usually means there wasn't enough money in the account when we tried.
A $25.00 returned payment fee was added to your bill.
- Pay by Nov 21
- $167.60
Autopay is still on for next month.
Pay $167.60
Change bank account
After: Notification screen 5 of 6 · Autopay · Returned paymentSay what happened before what's owed
What wasn't working:
"NSF" and "remit" are back-office words. The collections warning arrives before the customer understands what happened, and the new total they owe appears nowhere.
Why it works:
It leads with the fact, explains the likely cause without accusing, states the fee and the new total, and gives one deadline. It also answers the question people call about: is Autopay still on? Formal shutoff notices are separate, regulated messages. This one is service, not collections.
- Billing
Go Green! 🌱
Enroll in eBill today and help save the planet! Reduce clutter and get your statements faster!
*Terms apply.
Enroll Now!
Get your bill by email
We'll email you when your bill is ready, usually around the 3rd of the month. You'll stop getting a paper bill in the mail.
Send bills to
dana.w@email.comSome notices will still come by mail, like shutoff notices, because state rules require it.
Switch to email bills
Not now
After: Billing screen 6 of 6 · Email bills · EnrollmentAnswer the question behind the hesitation
What wasn't working:
This is marketing copy inside a task: exclamation points, an emoji, and "Terms apply" without saying which terms. The real hesitation, "will I miss something important?", goes unanswered.
Why it works:
It covers the three things people ask about: when the email comes, whether paper stops completely, and which notices still arrive by mail. "Email bills" replaces eBill, Paperless, and Go Green in every channel.
Every payment error says whether money moved
Most payment anxiety comes from not knowing if a charge went through. So the error pattern has one rule the others don't: if money could have moved, say whether it did.
What happened+Did money move?+What to do now| Situation | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Session timed out | You were signed out after 15 minutes to protect your account. Your payment wasn't made. Sign in to try again. | |
| System outage | We can't take payments right now. Your payment wasn't made. Try again after 2 a.m. ET, or pay by phone at 1-800-555-0147. | |
| Card expired | This card expired in 08/26. Use a different card or update the expiration date. | |
| Possible duplicate | You already paid $142.60 today. Make another payment? Buttons: Pay again / Don't pay again | |
| Over the limit | You can pay up to $500.00 more than you owe. Enter $638.22 or less. |
A word list the phone team can use too
The terminology list is the piece that scales. It's written for writers, designers, developers, and the IVR and chat teams, with a column for how each term sounds when it's spoken.
| Use | Means | Don't use | Spoken (IVR, chat) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autopay | Automatic monthly payment from a bank account or card | "Autopay" | One word, capital A. Never "enroll in," say "turn on." | |
| Amount due | What must be paid by the due date | "Your amount due is…" | "Balance" can include charges not yet billed. Keep them separate. | |
| Past due amount | Unpaid charges from an earlier bill | "You have a past due amount of…" | Always paired with a date to pay by. | |
| Email bills | Getting the bill by email instead of mail | "email bills" | Describe the result, not the program. | |
| Account number | The 10-digit number at the top of the bill | "your 10-digit account number, at the top of your bill" | Always say where to find it. | |
| Shutoff | Service being turned off for nonpayment | "shutoff" | Regulated notices use the term state rules require. Help text around them uses "shutoff." |
- Money: Show cents on any amount paid or owed: $25.00, not $25.
- Dates, screen: Oct 14. Add the year only when it isn't this year.
- Dates, spoken: "October fourteenth." Never read out numbers like 10/14.
- Accounts: Checking ••4471 on screen; "checking account ending in 4-4-7-1" out loud.
- Times: 2 a.m. ET. Always include the time zone.
- Buttons: Name the action. "Turn on Autopay," not "Submit." "Pay $167.60," not "Continue."
A review model that matches the risk
Sending every string to legal slows everything down and trains teams to work around review. Sorting content by risk lets low-risk copy ship quickly and gives legal time to focus on what needs them. Reviews happen on screens in context, not in spreadsheets of strings.
Tier 1 · Content + design: Ship with content QA
Covers: labels, helper text, empty states, most error messages, navigation.
Checked against the standards and word list. No legal review needed.
Tier 2 · Legal review: Reviewed weekly, in context
Covers: fees, payment authorizations, deadlines, and anything that promises an outcome.
Content design writes it. Legal confirms the required elements are present and accurate.
Tier 3 · Regulated: Wording is fixed
Covers: shutoff notices, deposits, payment arrangement terms.
Required language comes from state rules. Content design shapes the layout, headings, and help text around it.
Alongside the tiers: a content request intake form, a pattern library in Figma with approved copy built into components, a one-page QA checklist, and biweekly content critique open to designers and writers across teams.
How I'd know it worked
Because this is a concept project, these are the measures I'd set up with product and analytics before launch, not reported results.
- Autopay setup completion:
Share of people who start setup and finish it. Watch the authorization step closely.
- Recovery after errors:
Share of payment errors followed by a successful payment in the same session.
- Payment-related calls:
Contact center calls tagged autopay, returned payment, or "did my payment go through."
- Readability and accessibility:
Key flows at grade 7 or below, and every error tested with a screen reader.
Taking it past the app
The same word list and error pattern would carry into chat and the phone system next, starting with the "did my payment go through" call path. After that: start, stop, and move service, and payment arrangements, where regulated language and customer stress are both at their highest.
Kendra Shrable · UX content & product design
Concept project. Harlow Valley Energy is fictional.