EOMS BD develops custom multi-vendor marketplaces for Bangladesh, similar in model to Daraz: vendors register and get their own dashboard, customers shop through one cart and checkout, and the platform calculates commission and manages vendor payouts. It is built on Laravel and Next.js with MySQL and Redis, delivered in phases, and quoted in writing line by line after your business model is understood.
- Vendor registration, approval and a private vendor dashboard
- Flexible commission rules, order splitting and per-vendor ledgers
- COD, bKash, Nagad, Rocket and courier integration, with settlement-aware payouts
- Admin roles for vendor management, moderation, support and finance
- Three milestone instalments; source code, database and domain owned by you
What a multi-vendor marketplace is
A multi-vendor marketplace is an online store where many independent sellers list and sell their products under one platform, while you, the marketplace owner, run the platform, set the rules and earn a commission on each sale. Daraz is the best-known example of this model in Bangladesh.
A single-vendor store has one seller, one stock and one payout. A marketplace adds a second layer: every vendor has their own products, stock, orders and earnings, and the platform has to keep all of that separate while presenting one smooth shopping experience to customers. That extra layer is where most of the design and engineering effort goes.
| Area | Single-vendor store | Multi-vendor marketplace |
|---|---|---|
| Sellers | You only | Many vendors, each with their own account |
| Products and stock | One catalogue, one stock | Each vendor manages their own listings and stock |
| Orders | One order, one shipment | One cart may be split across several vendors |
| Money | All revenue is yours | Revenue is divided into vendor earnings and platform commission |
| Admin work | Managing products and orders | Approving vendors and products, resolving disputes, paying vendors |
Vendor registration and the vendor dashboard
Vendors sign up through a registration form, the marketplace team reviews and approves them, and each approved vendor gets a private dashboard to manage products, stock, orders and earnings.
- Registration: the vendor submits shop name, contact details, payout details and any business documents you require.
- Review: your team checks the application in the admin panel and approves, rejects or asks for more information.
- Shop setup: the approved vendor adds a logo, shop description and policies, creating a storefront page within the marketplace.
- Product listing: the vendor uploads products; you decide whether new listings go live immediately or wait for approval.
- Daily operation: the vendor sees their own orders, updates stock and statuses, and tracks earnings and payouts.
Which documents to collect and how strictly to verify vendors is a business and legal decision. Check the current rules for digital commerce and marketplace operators in Bangladesh with a legal adviser before launch, and the onboarding flow can be built to match.
Commission, order splitting and vendor payouts
The platform records the commission on every sale, keeps a running balance for each vendor and pays vendors out on a schedule you set. Getting this ledger right is the most important part of a marketplace build, because it is where trust with vendors is won or lost.
Commission models
- By category: different commission levels for different product categories.
- By vendor: negotiated terms for specific sellers.
- Fixed fee per order or item: a set amount rather than a share of the price.
- Combinations: for example a category level with vendor-specific overrides.
Order splitting and settlement
When a customer buys from three vendors in one checkout, the system creates one customer order and three vendor sub-orders, each with its own status and shipment. Commission is calculated per sub-order. With cash on delivery, money passes through the courier before reaching the platform, so each vendor's earnings should only become payable once the related delivery is settled and the return window has passed. Returns and refunds then adjust the vendor balance automatically.
- Per-vendor ledger showing sales, commission, refunds and payouts
- Payout requests or scheduled payouts, approved by your finance team
- Downloadable statements so vendors can reconcile their own records
- Optional integration with accounting software so commission income posts to your books, as described in e-commerce and accounting integration
Admin roles and marketplace control
A marketplace needs more than one kind of admin. Staff accounts with role permissions let you separate vendor approval, product moderation, customer support and finance, and an activity log records every action.
| Example role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Super admin | All settings, commission rules, staff management |
| Vendor manager | Reviewing and approving vendors, suspending accounts that break the rules |
| Catalogue moderator | Approving listings, fixing categories, removing prohibited products |
| Support | Handling customer questions, returns and disputes between buyers and vendors |
| Finance | Courier settlements, vendor balances and payout approval |
Clear product rules matter. Decide early which categories are allowed, how counterfeit or prohibited items will be reported and removed, and how disputes are resolved, then put those rules in your vendor terms.
The customer side: catalogue, checkout and delivery
For shoppers, the marketplace should feel like one store: one search, one cart and one checkout, even when products come from many sellers.
- Unified catalogue with categories, filters and search across all vendors
- Vendor storefront pages so customers can browse a single seller
- One cart and checkout, with the order split behind the scenes
- Cash on delivery, bKash, Nagad and Rocket (merchant approval required), and optional SSLCommerz for cards
- Courier integration with Steadfast, Pathao and RedX
- Customer accounts with order tracking per vendor shipment
- Optional Bangla and English versions, and an AI chatbot for common questions
Performance and scalability
Marketplaces grow in products, vendors and traffic all at once, so the architecture is chosen for speed from the start: a Laravel backend with a REST API, a Next.js/React frontend, MySQL for data and Redis for caching.
- Separated frontend and backend: the storefront is fast and can be scaled independently of the admin and vendor dashboards.
- Caching: Redis keeps frequently viewed data, such as categories and popular products, ready without repeated database queries.
- Database design: vendor, product and order tables are structured and indexed for catalogues that keep growing.
- Image handling: vendor uploads are resized and optimised so pages stay light.
- Hosting that grows with you: server specifications are shared before purchase, and the hosting sits in your own account so you can upgrade when traffic grows.
A phased build: launch lean, then expand
The safest way to build a marketplace is in phases: launch with the core that lets vendors sell and you get paid, then add advanced features once real vendors and customers show what is needed.
| Phase | Typical scope |
|---|---|
| Phase 1: core marketplace | Vendor registration and approval, vendor dashboard, catalogue, cart and checkout, order splitting, commission, payments, courier, admin roles |
| Phase 2: operations | Payout workflow refinements, vendor statements, detailed reports, returns and disputes tools |
| Phase 3: growth | Landing pages for campaigns, WhatsApp notifications, AI chatbot, bilingual site, accounting integration |
Each phase gets its own scope and timeline in the written quote, so you are never committed to features you have not yet validated.
Cost, payment terms and ownership
Marketplace cost depends on the commission and payout rules, the number of roles, integrations, languages and how much is included in the first phase. After understanding your model, EOMS BD sends a written, line-by-line quote showing first-year and every-year-after costs separately, with no hidden charges and no theme or plugin licence fees, because the system is custom.
- Three milestone instalments: an advance, after the homepage design is approved, and after the admin panel is complete, with work shown on a demo link at each stage. See milestone payments.
- Ownership: domain in your name, hosting in your account, and the full admin panel, source code, database and credentials handed over. Details: full source code and data ownership.
- Support: 6 months of free support after launch, 1 year of free bug fixing, free SSL for life and daily backups; new features priced by scope and agreed before work.
EOMS BD brings 15 years of e-commerce experience, 13 years as Head of IT in Saudi Arabia, clients in the USA, UK and Malaysia, and more than 150 e-commerce sites running in Bangladesh. Marketplace features we build include vendor registration, vendor dashboards, commission and payouts, on the same Laravel and Next.js stack described on our Laravel e-commerce development page. See our work in the videos below, then message us on WhatsApp at +880 1784-222255 or email info@eomsbd.com.
See our work and hear from our clients
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a marketplace and a normal online store?
A normal store has one seller and one stock. A marketplace hosts many independent vendors, each with their own products, stock, orders and earnings, while the platform owner earns commission and manages payouts. That extra vendor layer is what makes a marketplace more complex to build.
How is vendor commission calculated?
Commission rules are configured to suit your model, for example by category, by vendor, as a fixed fee per order, or a combination. The system calculates commission on each vendor sub-order and records it in that vendor's ledger alongside refunds and payouts.
How do vendor payouts work with cash on delivery?
With cash on delivery the courier collects the money first, so vendor earnings typically become payable only after the courier settles the delivery and any return window has passed. Your finance team then approves payouts from the admin panel, and vendors can download statements.
How much does a marketplace cost to build?
It depends on your commission and payout rules, the roles you need, integrations, languages and what goes into the first phase. EOMS BD sends a written, line-by-line quote listing first-year and every-year-after costs separately, with no hidden charges.
How long does it take?
A marketplace is larger than a single store, so it is planned in phases and each phase has its own timeline in the written quote. Launching a lean first phase and adding features later is usually the fastest route to real vendors and customers.
Will I own the marketplace code?
Yes. The domain is registered in your name, hosting is on your account, and the full admin panel, source code, database and credentials are handed over. There is no vendor lock-in, and this is written into the quote and contract.