Plan Your Events, Funnels, and ROI Metrics for Fintech

When your product isn’t a one-click checkout—but a regulated funnel with Signup → KYC → Deposit → Loan/Earn—two things decide whether you can scale spend confidently:

1. A tight, enforceable tracking plan (events + properties + IDs), and
2. Consistent definitions for funnels, cohorts, and ROI metrics across every tool (Amplitude, AppsFlyer, Meta/Google).

This guide gives you the blueprint—with vendor-current practices you can point your devs to right now.

New to CDPs and identity resolution? Start with our guide on Bridging Data Silos: How Identity Resolution and CDPs Are Transforming Marketing Attribution for strategic context.

1) Start with a Tracking Plan You Can Enforce

A tracking plan is a living spec for what to track and how to name it. Don’t leave this as a spreadsheet in Drive—enforce it at ingest so bad events can’t sneak in. Segment’s Tracking Plan + Protocols lets you define events/properties and automatically flag or block payloads that don’t match the spec, keeping your schema clean as code changes ship.

Core Fintech Events (Suggested)

Instrument once (via Segment) and fan-out to Amplitude (behavior), AppsFlyer (paid attribution), and ad platforms (Conversions APIs):

Tips That Remove Future Pain

One canonical name per action: Never multiply synonyms (e.g., kyc_approved ≠ identity_verified). Segment Protocols will catch drift and type mismatches in real time.

Always send a stable user_id after login and persist event_id on commerce-like events for ad-platform deduplication later.

Define required properties upfront: Amount, currency, transaction_id, campaign parameters—lock these in your tracking plan so downstream tools get clean, consistent data.

2) Identity You Can Trust (So Funnels Actually Add Up)

If the same person appears as three different “users” (mobile anonymous, web anonymous, logged-in), funnels and cohorts break. Use deterministic identity as soon as possible (login/email/account ID), and let your analytics merge pre-login activity to the known profile:

Amplitude will retro-merge anonymous to identified once the user logs in—key for truthful pre-login → post-login funnels.

Segment’s identity/Protocols guardrails keep the userId and event schema consistent as code evolves.

Identity Implementation Checklist

• ✅ Call identify() with consistent user_id on all login events
• ✅ Use alias() to join pre-login anonymous sessions to authenticated profiles
• ✅ Verify retro-merge in Amplitude by tracking a test user journey from anonymous browsing through signup
• ✅ Document your identity strategy in your tracking plan (when/how user_id is assigned)

3) Define Funnels the Way Finance Would Audit Them

In Amplitude, build funnels with clear, verifiable steps and the same properties you enforce in your plan:

Primary Performance Funnel

signup_completed →
kyc_approved →
deposit_completed

Break down by utm_source / campaign to see paid quality.

Use Microscope → Build Cohort on any funnel step to save audiences for lifecycle analysis or retargeting (e.g., users who reached KYC but never deposited). Amplitude’s Funnel & Cohort features make this a two-click workflow.

Retention & Monetization

N-day retention anchored on signup_completed and returning event as any revenue-relevant action (deposit_completed, loan_approved, earn_paid_out). Amplitude’s cohort-driven retention patterns help isolate behaviors that predict long-term value.

Cohort splits by KYC outcome, risk band, or first-deposit method to understand quality—not just volume.

Example Funnel Variations

Conversion quality funnel:

signup_completed →
kyc_approved (< 24 hours) →
deposit_completed (< 7 days)

Monetization funnel:

deposit_completed →
loan_requested OR earn_enrolled →
loan_approved OR earn_paid_out

Channel comparison:

• Same funnel, filtered by utm_source = ‘facebook’ vs ‘google’ vs ‘organic’
• Compare conversion rates AND average deposit amount by channel

4) Tie Paid Attribution to Real Value (AppsFlyer → Product Analytics)

Let AppsFlyer remain your source of truth for paid attribution (UA + retargeting), and make sure post-install events (e.g., deposit) are mapped so LTV/ROAS in AppsFlyer aligns with product reality. Their LTV and cohort dashboards clarify UA vs. retargeting windows—and why counts may differ from other networks.

AppsFlyer Configuration Best Practices

Send revenue-bearing events to AppsFlyer with the right parameters (amount, currency, transaction ID). Their in-app events and ROI360 guidance cover mapping and deduping ad-revenue or subscription flows.

Forward AppsFlyer source/campaign to Amplitude (via Segment or native connectors) so your funnels and LTV dashboards can be sliced by acquisition source, not just channel. (This is how you show quality by source, not just volume.)

Key Events to Send to AppsFlyer

5) Close the Loop to Ad Platforms with Server-Side Truth

You want Meta/Google optimizing to KYC-approved and Deposit—not just clicks.

Meta Conversions API (CAPI)

Send the same conversion from browser and server with a shared event_id + matching event_name so Meta deduplicates correctly (prevents double counting).

Example: When a user completes a deposit:

• Browser pixel fires DepositCompleted with event_id: "abc123"
• Server sends same event with event_id: "abc123" via CAPI
• Meta sees matching event_name + event_id and counts it once

Google Enhanced Conversions / Offline Conversions

Send hashed first-party identifiers (SHA-256 email/phone/address) to improve match rate and bidding accuracy, including for lead → down-funnel events.

Example flow:

1. User signs up (lead event with hashed email to Google)
2. User completes KYC (conversion event with same hashed email)
3. User deposits (offline conversion with value, matched by hashed email)

This server-side pattern (often via Segment sources + your domain) lifts delivery where client-side tags get blocked and aligns platform optimization with the same events you use in analytics. (It also keeps your governance intact because events originate from your SSOT.)

6) Make ROI Math Boring (In a Good Way)

Standardize the metrics and where they live:

Authoritative Metrics (Warehouse/Amplitude)

Conversion rates by source/campaign:

• Signup → KYC → Deposit conversion rates
• Break down by utm_source, utm_campaign, and device type

ARPD (Average Revenue per Depositor) and Deposit Rate by Day 1/7/30

LTV by source: AppsFlyer LTV joined to product revenue tables

Payback period / ROAS: Using the same deposit_completed facts you send to ad platforms

Reconciliation Notes You’ll Need to Publish Once

Attribution windows: AppsFlyer UA vs. retargeting LTV windows differ and can cause expected deltas. Document these windows so stakeholders understand why numbers vary between dashboards.

Cohort clocks: AppsFlyer cohorts start from install; others may index by calendar day, so comparisons are apples-to-apples.

Consent/ATT impacts: iOS users who opt out of tracking won’t appear in attribution tools but will show in product analytics. Document expected variance.

7) Your “Good Data” Checklist (Copy/Paste to Your Runbook)

• ✅ Schema enforced: Segment Protocols attached to all sources; violations visible (and ideally blocked) in real time.
• ✅ Identity working: Anonymous → identified retro-merge verified in Amplitude on test journeys.
• ✅ Funnels published: Amplitude boards for Signup→KYC→Deposit, plus retention and LTV by source.
• ✅ AppsFlyer aligned: Post-install events mapped with revenue parameters; ROI360 rules set where applicable.
• ✅ CAPI/EC live: Meta dedup rate healthy (event_id), Google EC hashing tested in sandbox.

Example: Event → Destination Mapping (For Your Dev Ticket)

Common Fintech Tracking Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Mistake #1: Not Tracking KYC as a Distinct Event

Why it matters: KYC approval is often your first true “qualified user” signal. Without tracking it separately, you can’t measure:

• Time to KYC completion (friction indicator)
• KYC → Deposit conversion (quality metric)
• Ad platform optimization to qualified users (vs. just signups)

Fix: Always track kyc_submitted and kyc_approved as distinct events with provider, attempt count, and risk score.

Mistake #2: Inconsistent event_id Between Browser and Server

Why it matters: Meta CAPI deduplication fails if event_id doesn’t match between client and server events, leading to inflated conversion counts and wasted ad spend.

Fix: Generate event_id client-side and pass it to your server endpoint for the CAPI call. Or generate server-side and return to client before pixel fires.

Mistake #3: Not Segmenting by First Deposit Amount

Why it matters: A $10 depositor and a $10,000 depositor have vastly different LTV profiles. Blended metrics hide which channels drive high-value users.

Fix: Add deposit_amount_band property (e.g., “$1-$100”, “$100-$1000”, “$1000+”) and build cohorts/funnels by band.

Mistake #4: Ignoring the “Approved but Never Deposited” Cohort

Why it matters: Users who pass KYC but don’t deposit represent a huge retention opportunity—and your current onboarding may have friction.

Fix: Build an Amplitude cohort of kyc_approved users who never triggered deposit_completed, then analyze their behavior patterns and test re-engagement campaigns.

Fintech-Specific Metrics Dashboard Template

Acquisition Metrics

• Signup start rate by source/campaign
• Signup completion rate (started → completed)
• Cost per signup by channel

Qualification Metrics

• KYC submission rate (signup → kyc_submitted)
• KYC approval rate (submitted → approved)
• Time to KYC approval (median, p90)
• KYC approval rate by country/risk_score

Monetization Metrics

• Deposit rate (kyc_approved → deposit_completed) at D1, D7, D30
• Average first deposit by source/campaign
• Deposit completion time (initiated → completed)
• Repeat deposit rate at 30/60/90 days

Product Engagement

• Loan request rate (deposit → loan_requested)
• Loan approval rate (requested → approved)
• Earn enrollment rate (deposit → earn_enrolled)
• Product mix (% users using loans vs. earn vs. both)

LTV & ROI

• LTV by cohort (grouped by signup month + source)
• Payback period by channel
• ROAS at 30/60/90 days
• Retention curves by first deposit amount band

Ready to Implement?

This tracking plan is the “what” and “how to measure.” For the step-by-step implementation roadmap, see our 90-Day CDP Launch Plan covering Segment + Amplitude + AppsFlyer + Conversion APIs rollout.

Want Help Building This?

MetaCTO specializes in implementing analytics infrastructure for fintech and regulated industries. We can:

• Audit your current tracking and identify gaps in identity, schema, or attribution
• Build your tracking plan with Segment Protocols enforcement
• Wire Amplitude funnels and cohorts to match your business KPIs
• Configure AppsFlyer post-install events and LTV measurement
• Implement Meta CAPI and Google Enhanced Conversions with proper deduplication
• Train your team to maintain and evolve the system

Curious about costs? See our CDP Cost Guide for App Startups for software pricing and implementation budget ranges.

Contact us to discuss your fintech analytics requirements.

Additional Resources

Tracking Plan & Schema

• Segment Tracking Plan Best Practices
• Segment Protocols: Schema Enforcement
• Event Naming Conventions

Identity Resolution

• Segment Identity Resolution
• Amplitude User Identification
• Amplitude Anonymous to Identified Merging

Funnels & Cohorts

• Amplitude Funnel Analysis
• Amplitude Cohort Management
• Building Retention Cohorts

Attribution & LTV

• AppsFlyer In-App Events
• AppsFlyer ROI360
• AppsFlyer LTV & Cohort Reports

Conversion APIs

• Meta Conversions API Deduplication
• Google Enhanced Conversions
• Google Offline Conversions
• Google Enhanced Conversions Implementation

This guide complements our CDP strategy overview and 90-day implementation plan. Together, they provide the complete roadmap from strategy to execution.