// build_guide

// How to build D2C Fashion Store with Try-Before-You-Buy Programme

Try-before-you-buy reduces D2C fashion return anxiety and lifts conversion 3–4×. The key technical challenge is Razorpay payment authorisation (hold on card at order, capture only for kept items after 7 days) plus a reverse logistics workflow. Next.js API Routes avoid a separate backend for this scale. Neon serverless Postgres scales to zero cost between order spikes.

Complexity 7/10E-Commerce
// recommended_stack
FrontendNext.js (App Router, SSG for product pages)
BackendNext.js API Routes
DatabasePostgreSQL
AuthNextAuth.js
HostingVercel + Neon (serverless Postgres)
ExtraRazorpay (hold + capture)
ExtraShiprocket
ExtraCloudinary (product photos)
ExtraResend
// cost_and_timeline
USD min
$11,000
USD max
$17,000
INR min
10.3L
INR max
15.9L

Typical E-Commerce projects cost $3,500–$9,500 USD and take 812 weeks with an Indian dev team. See the full cost guide →

// timeline_breakdown
2 weeksCatalogue, cart & Razorpay authorise flow
3 weeksTry Box workflow, countdown & keep/return UI
2 weeksReverse logistics, partial capture/refund & notifications
1 weekAdmin inventory, shipping labels & analytics
// mvp_features[]

## What to build in the MVP

Product catalogue with size guide, photos (Cloudinary) and inventory
Try Box selector: pick up to 5 items per box
Razorpay card authorisation hold at order placement
Automated 7-day trial window with SMS/email reminders
Keep/return decision UI with partial capture and refund
Reverse pickup booking via Shiprocket API
// risk_flags[]

## Engineering risks to plan for

!Razorpay card authorisation (not capture) has a 7-day maximum hold; design the return window to fit within this constraint.
!Reverse logistics quality from Shiprocket varies by PIN code — build a fallback to manual pickup booking in the admin panel.
!Inventory management across try boxes in transit is complex; treat each Try Box as an order with item-level state from day one.
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// related_resources