🧩 The Business Challenge
The client wanted to expand their existing e-commerce platform by enabling users to sell their used mobile phones directly through the site. However, they didn’t want to rebuild the system from scratch or create a completely new workflow. The goal was simple but non-trivial:
Allow users to submit their used phones, get condition-based pricing, go through an approval process, and—once approved—have the device listed for resale and integrated into the existing logistics and payment ecosystem.
This meant integrating several new features—form submission, dynamic calculation, approval flow, payout and pickup coordination—into an existing WordPress site without disrupting its current structure.
đź’ˇ The Solution: A Hybrid, Extendable System
Rather than force-fitting everything into WordPress or building something completely separate, I built a modular React-powered frontend that interacts seamlessly with the WordPress backend.
This allowed us to create a modern user experience (smooth form handling, real-time price calculation, clear status updates), while still leveraging the robustness of WordPress for data management, product listing (via WooCommerce), and admin workflows.
⚙️ Key Features Implemented
1. Sell Phone Submission Flow
- Brand/Model Selection: Users can choose the brand, model, and variant of their phone.
- Condition Form: Users provide phone condition info—screen, body, battery, functionality, and included accessories.
- Seller Details: Pickup address and bank account for payout are securely collected.
- Dynamic Pricing Preview: Users see the estimated price based on phone condition, market demand, and depreciation rate.
- Submission & Notification: After submission, users get a confirmation notification.
2. Phone Evaluation Logic
- Device condition and accessories factor into a calculated base value.
- Market demand index is used to adjust prices dynamically.
- Year-based depreciation model is applied to reduce overvaluation.
3. Admin Workflow Integration
- Admins receive listing notifications.
- Admins can approve or reject listings.
- Approval triggers:
- Down payment payout request to 3rd-party service.
- Schedule pickup with courier partner.
- Notification to user.
- Rejection triggers:
- Notification to user.
- Approval triggers:
- Pickup and payout status are updated automatically via webhook notifications from 3rd parties.
- Admins can manually adjust statuses (e.g., mark item as “Picked Up” or “Under Inspection”).
- Final decision:
- If purchased: Full payout is triggered, and the phone is automatically listed as a “SecondHand” product on WooCommerce.
- If returned: Return pickup is scheduled, and a smaller payout is issued if applicable.
4. 3rd-Party Integration
- Pickup API: Schedule and track courier pickups.
- Payout API: Send money to sellers upon approval.
- Webhook Handling: System listens for status updates and syncs phone listing states in real time.
5. Used Phone Product Listing
- Once approved and verified, the phone is auto-submitted to WooCommerce.
- It appears in the main storefront, tagged as “SecondHand.”
- Users can buy these directly via the existing WooCommerce checkout flow.
🧠Why This Matters
This isn’t just a technical implementation—it solves a very specific business problem:
How do you add a C2B resale capability to an existing e-commerce store without reinventing everything?
The hybrid approach made this possible—React for speed and UX, WordPress for content and commerce stability, and clean integration with logistics and finance providers.
The result:
âś… Modern user experience
âś… Seamless backend integration
âś… Extendable and modular system
âś… Minimal disruption to existing platform