How to create an on-demand services application in France: the complete guide

A leak under the sink, a flat to clean before moving out, a hedge to trim, a sofa to carry upstairs: everyday service needs are many, and finding someone reliable quickly is often hard.

An on-demand services app solves that problem. The customer describes the need, picks a time slot and follows the visit; the provider receives jobs close to where they work; the operator keeps control of quality. This guide details what to plan to build it properly in France.

01Who an on-demand services app is for

The product brings together three profiles, each with their own screens and rights. Separating them from the start avoids an app that confuses everyone.

• The customer: an individual, sometimes a small business, who wants to book a repair, cleaning, gardening, help with a move or a personal service without making call after call.
• The service provider: a tradesperson, a freelancer or a small company that receives jobs, manages availability and follows payments.
• The operator: the team that runs the platform, approves providers, settles disputes and steers activity.

02The essential features

1. 01
   Detailed request. The customer picks a category, describes the need and adds photos. A photographed leak is easier to assess than a vague sentence.
2. 02
   Time slot. The customer gives their availability or picks from the providers’ slots, depending on the chosen model.
3. 03
   Matching and acceptance. The request is offered to qualified providers in the area, who accept or decline it. It is the same matching logic as a ride-hailing app, with longer lead times.
4. 04
   Quotes when needed. Cleaning can have a fixed price; a repair often needs a quote, which the customer accepts in the app before the visit.
5. 05
   Visit tracking. Request accepted, provider on the way, work in progress, completed: each status is visible on both sides.
6. 06
   Payment. The customer pays in the app through a payment provider; depending on the model, the platform keeps a commission and pays the rest to the provider.
7. 07
   Reviews and ratings. After each visit, the customer rates the provider. Reviews help the next customers and flag problems to the operator.
8. 08
   Invoices and history. Each visit produces an invoice and stays available: date, provider, amount, before and after photos.

03Verifying providers

Trust is the first selling point of a services platform: the customer opens the door to someone they do not know. Verification happens at sign-up, then over time.

• the provider’s identity and the existence of their business;
• their professional insurance, where their activity requires it;
• their qualifications, for trades where they are required;
• review monitoring, with the ability to suspend an account.

The documents to request vary by trade: the exact list should be drawn up with your legal adviser.

04The operator’s back office

The app that customers and providers see is only part of the system. The back office lets the operator run the platform day to day.

• providers: sign-ups, documents, approval, suspension;
• the areas covered and the service categories, with their pricing rules;
• ongoing requests, those still without a provider, and delays;
• disputes: contested work, late cancellation, refund;
• payouts to providers and commissions.

Codex builds management tools of this kind, such as AZ fulfillment, a platform that brings orders, stock and statistics together in one dashboard.

05What is specific to the French market

Launching in France involves a few points to settle before development:

• A French-language experience: clear wording, local date and address formats, customer service in the same language.
• GDPR: addresses, photos of homes and contact details are personal data, to be collected and stored with care.
• The status of providers: freelancers, companies or employees, the chosen model can have legal and tax consequences.
• Regulated trades: some activities require specific qualifications or obligations.

These topics are legal matters and should be checked with your legal adviser. They directly shape the sign-up journey, the contracts and invoicing.

06Mobile app, web or both?

Providers work in the field: a mobile app is their priority, with notifications and photos. Customers can start on a website or an app, depending on your acquisition channels. The back office runs in a browser.

Flutter or React Native share most of the code between Android and iOS. The article native or cross-platform app details the criteria.

07A useful first version, then improvements

A services platform must first succeed on a small scope. A reasonable first version contains:

• one city or area, and a few service categories;
• requests, matching, tracking and payment;
• provider verification and reviews;
• the back office for requests, providers and disputes.

Then come new areas and categories, subscriptions for regular services such as cleaning, a referral scheme or a space for business customers.

08Mistakes to avoid

• opening too many categories and cities at once, with too few providers in each;
• neglecting the provider side: without providers, there is no service;
• leaving disputes without a clear procedure or response time;
• putting off provider verification until later;
• publishing the app on a store account that is not in your name.

09What changes the budget

The cost depends on the scope, not on a standard rate. The main factors:

• the matching mode: chosen by the customer, proposed automatically or assigned by the operator;
• handling quotes and variable prices;
• payment, commissions and payouts to providers;
• the target platforms: Android, iOS, web;
• the level of verification and quality monitoring expected.

Codex sends a detailed quote after the scoping workshop. To prepare that meeting, read how to write a project brief.

10The steps with Codex

1. 01
   Discovery. A workshop to define your categories, your launch area, your pricing model and your matching rules. You leave with a clear scope, a schedule and a quote.
2. 02
   Design. The customer and provider journeys, the back-office screens and the technical architecture. You approve every screen before development.
3. 03
   Development. Short sprints with a demo at each step, and tests on sensitive cases: cancellation, contested work, failed payment.
4. 04
   Launch and support. Publication on the stores in your name, training for your operations team, then maintenance and new features.

Read next: SaaS ideas to launch in France, which apps to invest in for the Qatari market and the Codex mobile development service.

11Building it with Codex

Codex is a software studio founded in Algiers in 2014. More than 15 engineers and designers build products in French, Arabic and English, and the team has built more than 20 products in-house. The source code, the accounts and the data stay in your name. See the published projects and the certificates of completion.

The Marseille office is at Rue de la République, 13002. Algiers and Doha stay the other published offices.