FakePal: An Online Payment Service

Version: 1.0.0
Django Version: 5.0.2
Python Version: 3.10
Deployment: AWS EC2
Database: SQLite

Project Overview

FakePal is a secure online payment service built using the Django framework. The application supports essential functionalities such as user registration, direct money transfers, payment requests, and transaction tracking. While FakePal simulates a real online payment system, it does not connect to actual bank accounts. Instead, each user is provided with a simulated account balance upon registration.

The project is fully implemented and hosted on AWS, and it includes a responsive front-end designed with Bootstrap 5 and Crispy Forms, ensuring compatibility across desktop and mobile devices.

Key Features

1. User Registration and Login:

   • Users can register an account and are automatically provided with a starting balance of £1000.
   • After registration, users can log in to access the platform's features.

2. Direct Money Transfers:

   • Users can transfer funds to other users within the system.
   • Each transaction is handled securely using Django's @transaction.atomic decorator to ensure ACID properties.

3. Payment Requests:

   • Users can request payments from others, which can be accepted, declined, or canceled.
   • Notifications are provided for all actions related to requests.

4. Transaction and Request Tracking:

   • Users can view all their transactions and requests at any time, with each entry timestamped using an Apache Thrift service.

5. Administrative Functions:

   • Admins can manage all users, view all transactions, and register new administrators.

6. Currency Conversion:

   • A RESTful web service handles currency conversion, although the rates are hard-coded for simplicity.

7. Security:

   • Full HTTPS communication for all interactions.
   • Protection against XSS, CSRF, and SQL injection through Django’s middleware and ORM.

8. Cloud Deployment:

   • The application is deployed using Nginx and Gunicorn on AWS, with automated service management to ensure continuous availability.

Installation and Setup

Local Development

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-repo/fakepal.git
   cd fakepal

2. Set Up a Virtual Environment:

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install Dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Run Migrations:

   python manage.py migrate

5. Create Superuser (optional):

   python manage.py createsuperuser

6. Run the Development Server:

   python manage.py runserver

7. Access the Application:

You can access the application from here.

Usage

User Actions

• Register/Login: Create an account or log in to an existing one.
• Transfers: Send money to other users within the platform.
• Requests: Request payments from other users and manage received requests.
• Notifications: Keep track of transaction statuses through the notification system.

Admin Actions

• Manage Users: View and manage all registered users.
• View Transactions: Monitor all transactions and requests across the platform.
• Register Admins: Add new administrators to the system.

Testing

Unit tests have been provided to ensure the functionality of the application. To run the tests:

python manage.py test

Documentation

Detailed documentation is provided and generated using Sphinx. For a complete guide to the project, refer to the documentation included in the project files.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.