Installment Service for a Marketplace
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services are booming in the retail sector. Experts forecast that interest-free credit for purchases will soon replace traditional credit cards, and according to some studies, offering installment options can increase a business's average transaction value by up to 40%.
DBS Technologies is a Russian fintech solutions developer. In this case study, we describe how we assisted in the development and testing of an installment service for a major marketplace.
Objective
The customer approached us to enhance certain functionalities of their BNPL service for a major e-commerce platform. Our task was to implement an online installment application mechanism with a partner bank and assist in design improvements.
Our tasks included:
- developing new application screens based on the customer's design specifications;
- updating existing screens to match the new design layouts;
- implementing the functionality for installment repayment using either a new or linked bank card;
- creating a user-friendly dashboard with payment schedules, repayment history, and other features;
- optimizing the application's performance for improved speed;
- introducing unit testing;
- developing a Backend for Frontend (BFF) architecture;
- implementing CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) with code checks and vulnerability assessments for dependencies, as well as using linters and code formatting tools.
Solution
We assisted in solving a wide range of tasks, from minor enhancements to implementing key application features such as credit product application, payment processing, and user account management. To ensure application security, we eliminated direct frontend access to the backend. We also optimized resource-intensive frontend requests to improve overall performance.
As part of the project, we participated in the development of a Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) process, utilizing code and dependency vulnerability checks and linters. This allowed for automatic code validation against predefined standards and early detection of potential errors before deploying to the server.
Additionally, our team introduced frontend unit testing, significantly enhancing development quality. This made it easier to make code changes without risking damage to existing functionalities. As a result, the customer's product became more reliable and resilient to changes.
Quality assurance was a priority from the project's outset. We aimed to increase development speed without compromising efficiency. The work began with requirements analysis and test documentation writing. We developed a test plan and decided to use checklists.
The project highlighted the need for load testing. We chose a tool in which the customer's team had considerable expertise, enabling easy maintenance and quick updates of load tests in the future.
Challenges Encountered
Throughout the project, we faced occasional issues with the test environment or the partner bank's service. Our team used Storybook, a tool that allowed us to continue working in case of failures, develop components in isolation, and not wait for the test environment or service to be recovered. This significantly reduced downtime and increased productivity.
Results
The project was completed within the schedule, and the application will gradually be made available to the entire audience. Users can already make purchases on installment, which will increase both the number of purchases and the average order value in the future.
SimbirSoft Expertise
React, TypeScript, Python, Node.js, Fastify, Docker, Fiddler, Postman, JMeter