Introduction
Want to boost customer loyalty and streamline your marketplace transactions? 🤔 A credit-based payment system might be your golden ticket! ✨ This system, popularized by platforms like MentorPass, offers a win-win for both marketplace owners and users.
This breakdown will equip you with the knowledge to implement a credit system for your own platform. Let’s dive in! 🚀
1. The Power of Credits: Why They Work 💪
Think of credits as the internal currency of your marketplace. 🪙 They simplify transactions and offer several compelling benefits:
- Bulk Purchasing: Ideal for corporate accounts to buy in bulk and distribute among team members. 🏢
- Reduced Transaction Fees: Process fewer transactions, saving on processing fees. 💰
- Increased Customer Loyalty: Reactivate users and foster loyalty by offering free credits. 🎉
2. Building Blocks: Database Essentials 🗄️
A robust database is the backbone of your credit system. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Users Table: Stores user information, credit balance, and purchase history. 🧑💻
- Transactions Table: Logs all credit purchases and redemptions. 📝
- Credit Packages Table: Lists available credit packages and their Stripe payment links. 📦
- Services Table: Details all services offered on your platform and their credit price. 🧰
- Sessions Table: Records each instance of a user booking and redeeming credits for a service. 📅
3. Setting the Stage: Configuring Stripe 💳
Stripe will be your trusted sidekick for processing payments. Here’s how to set it up:
- Create Products: Define each credit package as a product in your Stripe dashboard (e.g., Starter Pack, Pro Pack).
- Set Prices: Assign a price to each product and embed the number of credits associated with it in the metadata.
- Generate Payment Links: Create unique payment links for each credit package, allowing for pre-filled customer emails for a seamless checkout experience.
4. Building Your Marketplace: Glide to the Rescue 🏗️
Glide offers an intuitive, no-code solution to build a user-friendly interface for your marketplace.
- Design Pages: Create essential pages like Homepage, Services, My Reviews, and My Credits.
- Connect to Data: Seamlessly integrate your Airtable database with Glide to dynamically display information.
- Add Functionality: Use Glide’s actions and components to enable credit purchases, service bookings, and credit balance displays.
5. Automating the Flow: Make It Seamless with Make.com 🤖
Make (formerly Integromat) will be the invisible thread connecting Stripe and your Glide app.
- Trigger: Set up a Make scenario triggered by a successful checkout session in Stripe.
- Retrieve Data: Gather transaction details from Stripe, including credits purchased and receipt URL.
- Update Database: Send the collected data to your Airtable database to update user credit balances and transaction history.
- Instant Feedback: Use Glide’s “Add Row” action to instantly reflect credit purchases in the user’s account.
6. Bonus Tip: Dynamic Buttons for a Smoother Experience ✨
Enhance your user experience by dynamically displaying buttons based on a user’s credit balance.
- “Book Now” Button: Appears only if the user has enough credits to purchase the service.
- “Buy More Credits” Button: Appears if the user has insufficient credits, redirecting them to purchase more.
Resource Toolbox 🧰
- Webflow: Build a beautiful landing page for your marketplace. https://www.connorfinlayson.com/a/webflow
- Airtable: Create a flexible and powerful database to manage your marketplace data. https://www.connorfinlayson.com/a/airtable
- Make.com: Automate workflows between Stripe, Airtable, and Glide. https://www.connorfinlayson.com/a/make
- Glide: Build a user-friendly marketplace interface without code. https://www.connorfinlayson.com/a/glide
- Stripe: Process payments securely and reliably. https://stripe.com/
- Relume: (Resource not directly mentioned but relevant) Create personalized Loom videos for your marketplace. https://www.connorfinlayson.com/a/relume
Conclusion
By implementing a credit-based system, you can create a thriving marketplace that benefits both you and your users. Remember to prioritize a seamless user experience, leverage automation, and continuously iterate based on user feedback. Now go build something extraordinary! 🎉
