Rate Me

From challenge to results

1. 1

   Challenge

   In London, finding a reliable tradesperson available nearby takes time, while tradespeople struggle to find serious jobs in their area. The client wanted a platform that connects both sides quickly, with comparable offers and verified reviews.

2. 2

   Solution

   A single Laravel API serves both the Vue.js web app and the Flutter app. A credit system controls expert applications and accepts three payment channels (Stripe, Apple, Google). Scheduled tasks expire stale requests and refund applicants, purge expired data and anonymise deleted accounts.

3. 3

   Results

   Over 480 automated Pest tests, 99 REST API routes, 18 Filament admin resources and 8 dashboard widgets, 3 languages (EN/FR/RU).

Features

• 01Job requests with photos, trade, city and geolocated address
• 02Experts only see requests within their service radius (haversine distance)
• 03Credit-based applications: 8 credits per offer, at most 3 offers per request
• 04Clients compare the offers they receive and choose their expert
• 05Credit purchases via Stripe Checkout (web) and Apple / Google in-app purchases (mobile)
• 06Handling of refunds, Stripe disputes and admin-approved refund requests
• 07Per-request client / expert chat with unread message counters
• 08Expert directory with search, detailed profile, photo portfolio and reviews
• 09FCM push notifications and in-app notifications translated into English, French and Russian
• 10Sign-in by email with verification code, Google and Apple
• 11Built-in support through chat sessions with the admin team
• 12Personal data export, account deletion and automatic anonymisation after 12 months

Stack by layer

Technical architecture

• REST API secured with Sanctum tokens, with rate limiting (auth, OTP, reports, social login)
• Business service layer (orders, credits, reviews, notifications, IAP)
• Payments: Stripe Checkout + webhooks, Apple (x5c chain, ES256) and Google receipt verification, store webhooks
• Queues (database driver) for push and admin notifications
• Scheduled tasks: request expiry, data purge, account anonymisation
• S3 / R2-compatible image storage with server-side resizing
• Vue.js SPA served by Laravel under /app, multilingual Blade landing page, iOS universal links
• Deployment script with lock, maintenance mode, git fast-forward and health check
• Feature-based architecture: Repository → Provider → Page
• FCM push notifications that open the right screen, even when the app was closed
• Version check at launch: forced-update screen and maintenance screen
• Crash reporting with Crashlytics