Spark & Stitch
A UPI-first apparel e-commerce platform built with Cashfree payments, Cloudinary media optimization, and an affiliate partner program — tuned for conversion and developer velocity.
High payment failure rates & slow image loading
Spark & Stitch launched as a modern direct-to-consumer apparel brand targeting young Indian buyers. At ₹500–₹2,000 price points, 85%+ of their target audience preferred paying via UPI apps (PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm).
However, their standard card-focused gateway had bloated checkout steps that resulted in dropped carts. Furthermore, high-resolution photography made product pages sluggish on mobile 4G connections.
They needed a streamlined, UPI-first checkout flow with Cashfree, high-performance media delivery via Cloudinary, and an automated affiliate program to accelerate word-of-mouth growth.
Goals
- Deploy frictionless UPI-first checkout via Cashfree
- Cut image payloads by 50%+ without visible quality loss
- Build partner affiliate portal with automated monthly payouts
- Ensure idempotent webhook order verification
- Achieve sub-1.5s product page loads on mobile
Constraints
- 4-week delivery timeline
- Must handle high peak traffic from influencer campaigns
- Non-technical team managing products & orders
- Zero risk of double charges from network retries
Performance & conversion gains
Built for speed, margins, and viral growth
UPI-First Cashfree Checkout
Optimized 1-click UPI intent flows that open Google Pay, PhonePe, or Paytm directly, eliminating OTP steps and lowering payment processing fees.
Cloudinary Dynamic Media Engine
Automated format conversion (f_auto) and quality scaling (q_auto) reducing image weights by over 50% for instant mobile browsing.
Idempotent Transaction Pipeline
Secure webhook signature verification and idempotency keys to ensure zero duplicate orders during network blips.
Integrated Affiliate Portal
Custom partner dashboard with unique tracking links, conversion analytics, and automated commission disbursements via Cashfree Payouts.
Platform interfaces
Why we chose each tool
Node.js + Express
Full-stack backend handling product catalog, cart logic, order management, and webhook signature verification.
Cashfree Payments
UPI-first payment flow reduces MDR compared to card payments. Cashfree also handles the automated affiliate payout API.
Cloudinary
Product images serve WebP/AVIF automatically with responsive widths, reducing image weight by 45-60%.
Idempotent Order Processing
Idempotency keys prevent duplicate orders during webhook retries, ensuring strict transactional accuracy.
Affiliate Tracking System
Unique referral links with UTM parameters, server-side event tracking, and automated commission payouts.
4-week sprint schedule
Payment & UX Audit
Week 1
Mapped UPI conversion drop-offs and designed low-friction mobile checkout.
Backend & Cashfree
Week 2
Built Node.js APIs, cart state, webhook verification, and payout pipelines.
Frontend & Media
Week 3
Developed storefront templates, integrated Cloudinary optimization, and built affiliate dashboard.
Testing & Launch
Week 4
Validated webhook idempotency, tested simulated UPI timeouts, and deployed.
"The UPI checkout flow solved our payment drop-off problem overnight. Our customers love how fast product pages load on mobile, and the affiliate dashboard gave us an instant army of campus ambassadors.
Questions about this project
Why Cashfree instead of Razorpay for this project?+
How does the affiliate program work?+
How did you reduce image weight by 45-60%?+
How do you prevent duplicate payments from webhook retries?+
Can you build a similar e-commerce platform for our brand?+
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Need a high-converting e-commerce platform?
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