How to start a services marketplace: connect buyers and sellers and earn on every order
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
A services marketplace lets buyers find and pay people who do work, such as designers, tutors, cleaners or tradespeople. The marketplace takes a fee on every order and pays the seller the rest. You can launch one under your own brand without building the payments side yourself.
How the money flows
- A buyer picks a seller and pays for the order on your platform.
- Your platform keeps its fee.
- The seller is paid out automatically.
Pick a niche
General marketplaces are crowded. A marketplace for one trade, one city or one community, such as wedding suppliers, local tutors or translators for a particular language, is easier to fill with good sellers and easier for buyers to trust.
Solve the chicken-and-egg problem
Most new marketplaces start by signing up sellers first, often by hand, so buyers find a full catalogue on day one. Starting in one place or niche and growing out from there usually works better than launching everywhere at once.
What it costs on SendPay
The SendPay Services Marketplace is a one-off £3,000. Buyers hire sellers, you take a fee on every order, and sellers are paid out automatically. Payments are powered by licensed partners, and SendPay tells you in writing what applies before you pay.
Build it
Create your own financial platform.
Pick a template, name it, brand it, preview every page before you pay. Your brand, your users, your fees.
Build my platform →Questions people ask
What would a marketplace earn?
Work out commission income from your own numbers.
Marketplace commission calculator →Read next
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. PayPal, Patreon and Substack are named as reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.