One of the most effective ways to show recruiters you can build real-world applications is to demonstrate a Software as a Service (SaaS) app with secure billing.

Why? Because SaaS is the backbone of modern startups in the US. Recruiters and hiring managers want developers who not only code features but also understand subscription models, payments, and scalability.

In this post, I’ll share how I build a SaaS app with Django and Stripe Payments, step by step.

Step 1: Setting Up Django

I begin by creating a clean Django project structure:

django-admin startproject saas_project
cd saas_project
python manage.py startapp billing

Key best practices here:

• Use virtual environments (venv or Poetry).
• Configure environment variables for SECRET_KEY and API keys.
• Use PostgreSQL instead of SQLite for production readiness.

Step 2: Designing the User Model

Every SaaS app needs user authentication. Django makes this easier with a custom user model:

from django.contrib.auth.models import AbstractUser
from django.db import models

class CustomUser(AbstractUser):
   is_subscribed = models.BooleanField(default=False)
   stripe_customer_id = models.CharField(max_length=255, blank=True, null=True)

This allows me to track subscriptions tied to Stripe.

Step 3: Installing & Configuring Stripe

Install Stripe SDK:

pip install stripe 

In settings.py, add:

import stripe

stripe.api_key = "your_stripe_secret_key"

Step 4: Creating a Checkout Session

Here’s a simple Stripe checkout integration:

import stripe
from django.conf import settings
from django.shortcuts import redirect
from django.views import View

class CreateCheckoutSessionView(View):
   def post(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
       checkout_session = stripe.checkout.Session.create(
           payment_method_types=['card'],
           customer_email=request.user.email,
           line_items=[{
               'price': 'price_12345',  # Stripe price ID
               'quantity': 1,
           }],
           mode='subscription',
           success_url=settings.DOMAIN_URL + '/success/',
           cancel_url=settings.DOMAIN_URL + '/cancel/',
       )
       return redirect(checkout_session.url, code=303)

Recruiters love to see Stripe integration because it signals you can build revenue-ready apps.

Step 5: Handling Webhooks (Subscription Events)

Stripe uses webhooks to notify apps of billing events. For example, updating a user’s subscription:

import stripe
from django.http import HttpResponse
from django.views.decorators.csrf import csrf_exempt
from django.conf import settings
from .models import CustomUser

@csrf_exempt
def stripe_webhook(request):
   payload = request.body
   sig_header = request.META['HTTP_STRIPE_SIGNATURE']
   event = None
   try:
       event = stripe.Webhook.construct_event(
           payload, sig_header, settings.STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET
       )
   except stripe.error.SignatureVerificationError:
       return HttpResponse(status=400)
   if event['type'] == 'checkout.session.completed':
       session = event['data']['object']
       user = CustomUser.objects.get(email=session['customer_email'])
       user.is_subscribed = True
       user.stripe_customer_id = session['customer']
       user.save()
   return HttpResponse(status=200)

Step 6: Deploying & Scaling

To make it recruiter-ready, I always:

• Use Docker + Gunicorn + Nginx for production.
• Deploy to Heroku, AWS, or DigitalOcean.
• Add monitoring (Sentry, New Relic) for performance.

Recruiter Takeaway

By building a SaaS app with Django + Stripe, I show that I:

• Understand subscription models (critical for US startups).
• Can handle secure payment integrations.
• Build apps that are deployable and scalable in production.

Conclusion

Building SaaS apps isn’t just about coding—it’s about understanding business models. With Django and Stripe, I’ve developed projects that prove I can help startups and enterprises go from idea → product → revenue.

If you’re a recruiter or founder looking for a Python/Django developer who can build scalable SaaS apps, feel free to connect with me via my Portfolio Website or GitHub .