Return Soon is a rental marketplace that required a scalable digital platform capable of supporting non-standard rental and payment workflows. The project involved designing and building a system that could handle complex business logic while remaining seamless for customers
2025
Product Strategy, UX & Interaction Design, Custom Software Development, Payments Integration
1 Month
Return Soon’s business model could not be supported by off-the-shelf booking or payment solutions.
After evaluating multiple options, it became clear that a more advanced payments solution was required to support the platform’s operational needs.
We approached the project as a product and systems build, not just a storefront or checkout implementation.
We started by mapping the end-to-end rental lifecycle — from browsing and reservation to fulfillment and return — identifying where standard tools fell short and where custom logic was required.
This ensured that the platform design aligned with real-world business workflows, not just surface-level UI.
Stripe was selected as the payments layer due to its flexibility, API depth, and ability to support advanced payment scenarios that standard booking tools could not handle.
We integrated Stripe into the Shopify environment to:
The integration was designed to be robust, extensible, and invisible to end users.
We built a custom platform around Shopify that:
This architecture ensures the platform can evolve without introducing operational risk.
Chelo helped Return Soon move from constrained tools to a purpose-built platform that supports the realities of their business.
Return Soon is a rental marketplace offering customers access to curated items through a flexible, technology-driven rental experience. The platform prioritizes convenience, reliability, and scalability as the business continues to grow.
Chelo!
ReturnSoon already did the research and came to us for Design and Development.
In this phase, the focus was on creating an engaging, user-friendly platform that allowed users to easily rent, shop, and express their personal style. We worked on refining the online shopping experience to be intuitive and personalized, ensuring that users could search for and rent specific designer pieces with just a click. Our team designed a seamless service flow that included user-friendly navigation, clear product details, and an easy checkout process. Additionally, we integrated advanced filtering features that allowed users to choose pieces based on their unique preferences—be it for a special event or just for everyday wear. We aimed to make the process of renting as simple as shopping for new clothing while fostering a sense of personal empowerment and sustainability.
In the technology development phase, we focused on building a robust platform that could handle user data, inventory management, and the rental process with efficiency. Our development team integrated secure payment systems, automated rental scheduling, and customer support features to ensure a seamless experience from browsing to checkout. The platform also offered the capability for zero-waste returns and a user-friendly process to manage rentals. This technology laid the foundation for Return Soon's expansion, ensuring scalability and allowing the platform to grow with its user base.
