AutoHub – Car Dealer & Listing (SaaS)

AutoHub SaaS is a complete car listing and dealership marketplace platform built as a WordPress plugin. Turn your WordPress site into a fully monetized automotive marketplace where dealers and private sellers publish vehicle listings, manage their own showrooms, and pay you for the privilege — with subscription plans, listing limits, and featured placements handled automatically.
Whether you want to run a free local classifieds site or build a premium subscription-based dealer network with Stripe payments, AutoHub gives you everything out of the box — a polished seller dashboard, a powerful admin panel, a listing-credit billing system, and a fully filterable vehicle search built for automotive data.
Key Features
- Vehicle Listing Engine — Purpose-built for automotive data: make, model, trim, year, mileage, body type, fuel, transmission, drivetrain, engine size, doors, seats, colour, condition, and VIN. Every field is filterable and searchable.
- Advanced Search & Filters — Multi-criteria search with price and mileage range sliders, dependent make/model dropdowns, year ranges, and location radius. Results update without a page reload.
- Dealer Showrooms — Every seller gets a branded showroom page with logo, cover image, bio, contact details, opening hours, map location, and their full inventory.
- Listing-Credit Billing System — Each plan allocates a number of active listings and featured slots. Credits refresh on subscription renewal. Sellers who hit their limit are prompted to upgrade.
- Featured & Bumped Listings — Paid promotion slots that surface listings at the top of search results and on the homepage, with automatic expiry. A second revenue stream on top of subscriptions.
- Stripe Payment Integration (Extended License) — Full Stripe Checkout with monthly and annual billing cycles, free trials, promo codes, invoice PDFs, upgrade/downgrade flows, and webhook-driven lifecycle management.
- Feature Gates per Plan — Control exactly what each plan can access: active_listing_limit, featured_listings, photo_limit, video_upload, bulk_csv_import, dealer_badge, lead_export, listing_analytics, custom_showroom_url, priority_placement, and more.
- Lead & Inquiry System — Buyers send inquiries, request callbacks, or book test drives directly from a listing. Sellers manage every lead from their dashboard with status tracking.
- Media Galleries — Multiple photos per listing with drag-and-drop reordering, plus YouTube/Vimeo video embeds.
- Location & Map Search — Geolocated listings with map view, “near me” radius filtering, and per-listing map embeds.
- Vehicle Comparison Tool — Buyers select multiple vehicles and compare specs side by side in a single table.
- Saved Searches & Alerts — Buyers save filter combinations and get notified by email when a matching vehicle is listed. Strong retention driver for marketplace operators.
- Finance Calculator — On-listing monthly payment estimator with configurable interest rate, deposit, and term.
- Bulk CSV Import — Dealers with existing inventory import hundreds of vehicles at once via mapped CSV, with scheduled re-sync to keep stock current. Plan-gated.
- Custom Authentication System — Branded Login, Register, and Forgot Password pages. Google OAuth, email verification, two-factor authentication (2FA), CAPTCHA support (reCAPTCHA v2 or Cloudflare Turnstile), and disposable email blocking.
- Customizable Email Templates — Welcome emails, password resets, subscription confirmations, new-lead notifications, listing expiry warnings, admin notifications, and more. Full HTML editor with placeholders. SMTP support with TLS/SSL.
- Listing Moderation Queue — Optionally hold new and edited listings for admin approval before they go live. Essential for keeping a marketplace clean.
- Dealer Ratings & Reviews — Buyers leave star ratings and written reviews on seller profiles, with admin moderation.
- Light & Dark Theme — The seller dashboard supports both light and dark mode with a toggle. Admin can set the default theme.
- Branding Settings — Upload your own logo, set the default theme, and customize the platform appearance to match your brand.
- Auto-Create Default Pages — One-click setup creates all required WordPress pages with the correct shortcodes. No manual configuration needed.
- Import / Export Settings — Export your plan pricing, feature gates, and taxonomy configuration as JSON. Import on another site in seconds.
- Activity Log (Admin) — Chronological record of all user actions with event-type filters. Monitor everything happening on your platform.
- User Feedback System — Collect star ratings and written feedback from users. Track feedback status as Open, Reviewed, or Resolved.
- System Info Panel — View PHP version, WordPress version, active plugins, memory limits, and other server diagnostics at a glance.
Regular or Extended License?
Both licenses include the full listing engine, seller dashboard, admin panel, and search system. The key difference is monetization.
Regular License ($49 – Lifetime, when purchasing from ModelTheme.com, Most Popular)
- Full vehicle listing engine with all automotive fields and taxonomies
- Advanced search, filters, map view, and comparison tool
- Dealer showrooms and seller profiles
- Custom authentication system (Login, Register, Forgot Password)
- Seller dashboard with listing manager and lead inbox
- Listing limits (admin-managed — assign allowances manually)
- Admin dashboard with all configuration panels
- Email templates and SMTP configuration
- 6 months of support when purchasing from ModelTheme.com, 1 domain (1 dev + 1 live allowed)
- No Stripe integration — cannot charge sellers or sell subscriptions
Extended License ($199 – Lifetime, when purchasing from ModelTheme.com, Most Popular)
- Everything in Regular, plus the full SaaS monetization stack:
- Stripe payment gateway integration (Checkout, webhooks, portal)
- Subscription management with monthly + annual billing
- Unlimited pricing plans builder with feature gates per plan
- Automated listing-credit refresh on successful payment
- Paid featured and bumped listing slots
- Free trial system (configurable per plan, one trial per user)
- Promo codes and discount coupons
- Invoice history page for sellers with Stripe-hosted PDF downloads
- Payment failure detection with grace period handling
- Subscription upgrade and downgrade flow
- Revenue dashboard widget in admin
- 6 months of support, 1 domain (1 dev + 1 live allowed)
In short: Choose Regular if you want to run a single dealership site or a free classifieds board. Choose Extended if you want to build a marketplace business and charge sellers for subscriptions and promotions.
Admin Dashboard Panels
- Overview — Bird’s-eye view of your platform: total sellers, active listings, active subscriptions, plan distribution chart, recent activity feed, and key statistics.
- Listings — Browse every vehicle on the platform. Filter by seller, status, make, or date. Approve, reject, feature, or remove listings.
- Moderation Queue — Pending listings awaiting approval, with side-by-side diff for edited listings.
- Featured Picks — Curate homepage and category spotlights. Manually promote standout inventory for marketing.
- Sellers & Dealers — Manage all seller accounts, verify dealers, assign badges, and adjust listing allowances manually.
- Membership Settings — Configure user registration, email verification, two-factor authentication, CAPTCHA protection (reCAPTCHA v2 / Cloudflare Turnstile), Google OAuth, and disposable email blocking.
- Vehicle Taxonomies — Manage makes, models, body types, fuel types, transmissions, and features. Bulk import a starter dataset or build your own.
- Branding — Upload your site logo, set the default dashboard theme (Light or Dark), and customize the platform’s visual identity.
- Subscriptions — View and manage all seller subscriptions. See status (active, trialing, cancelled), manually adjust listing credits, cancel or modify subscriptions.
- Orders — Complete payment records with order numbers (AUTO-YEAR-NUMBER format), amounts, billing periods, status, and gateway info. Future-proofed for multiple payment gateways.
- Default Pages — Assign WordPress pages to frontend views (Search, Submit Listing, Dashboard, Login, Register, Pricing, etc.). One-click auto-create with correct shortcodes.
- Pricing Plans — Create unlimited subscription tiers. Set price, listing allowance, featured slots, billing interval, free trial days, and toggle each feature gate per plan.
- Payment Settings — Configure Stripe API keys (Test and Live mode), webhook URL and signing secret, webhook health indicator with success rate tracking, and test connection button.
- Email Notifications — Customize every email template with a built-in HTML editor. Configure SMTP settings (host, port, encryption, credentials). Send test emails. Set sender name and address.
- Leads — Platform-wide view of every buyer inquiry, with export. Useful for spotting your highest-performing sellers.
- Activity Log — Chronological record of every user action on the platform. Filter by event type: listing published, listing edited, lead sent, login, registration, and more.
- User Feedback — View all user-submitted feedback with star ratings (1-5) and written messages. Track feedback through 4 statuses: Total, Open, Reviewed, Resolved.
- Import / Export — Export your complete configuration (plans, gates, taxonomies) as JSON. Import on another installation to replicate your setup instantly.
- System Info — Diagnostic panel showing PHP version, WordPress version, active plugins, server details, memory limits, and other environment information.
- License — Activate and manage your product license. View license type, domain, and expiry status.
Seller Dashboard Panels
- Dashboard — Seller home screen with quick stats: active listings, remaining allowance, current plan, total views, new leads, and shortcuts to every tool.
- Add Listing — The core tool. A guided multi-step wizard: (1) Select make, model, and year, (2) Enter specifications and condition, (3) Upload photos and video, (4) Set price and description, (5) Choose location and contact preferences, (6) Publish or promote.
- My Listings — Manage all inventory in one table. Filter by status (live, pending, sold, expired), edit inline, mark as sold, renew, or promote to featured.
- Bulk Import — Upload a CSV of inventory with column mapping and a validation preview before anything goes live. Plan-gated.
- Leads & Inquiries — Inbox of every buyer message, callback request, and test drive booking, with status tracking and reply.
- Showroom Settings — Configure the public dealer page: logo, cover image, bio, address, opening hours, and contact channels.
- Analytics — Per-listing views, saves, and inquiry counts over time, so sellers can see what’s working. Plan-gated.
- Billing & Subscription — View current plan details, remaining listing allowance, next renewal date, and invoice history with PDF download links. Manage subscription via Stripe Customer Portal.
- Account Settings — Update profile information, change password, configure two-factor authentication, and manage account preferences.
Requirements
- WordPress — Version 5.8 or higher (6.x recommended)
- PHP — Version 7.4 or higher (8.0+ recommended)
- SSL Certificate — Required for Stripe payments and API calls
- Permalinks — Must be set to any structure other than “Plain”
- Maps API Key — Required for location search and map views
- Stripe Account — Required only for the Extended License (to accept payments)
FAQ
Q1: Do I need coding skills to set up AutoHub?
A1: No. AutoHub is a WordPress plugin with a visual admin panel. Install the plugin, create your pricing plans, and click “Auto-Create Pages” — your marketplace is ready. No code required.
Q2: Does it work with my existing theme?
A2: Yes. It works with any theme but we recommend the theme that comes with the saas
Q3: How does the listing allowance work?
A3: Each pricing plan includes a number of active listings and featured slots. When a seller subscribes and pays, their allowance refreshes each billing cycle. Sellers who reach the limit are prompted to upgrade or remove an old listing.
Q4: Can sellers import existing inventory?
A4: Yes. Bulk CSV import with column mapping lets a dealer bring in their full stock at once, and it can be gated to higher-tier plans.
Q5: Can I run this as a single dealership rather than a marketplace?
A5: Yes. Restrict registration and use it as a single-inventory site — the Regular License covers this use case without any payment setup.
Q6: What payment methods are supported?
A6: AutoHub uses Stripe Checkout, which supports credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and dozens of local payment methods depending on your region. Stripe handles all PCI compliance.
Q7: Can I offer free trials?
A7: Yes. Free trial days are configurable per plan. Stripe handles the trial period — sellers enter payment details but are not charged until the trial ends. Each user can only use one trial (enforced via user meta).
Q8: What happens if a payment fails?
A8: AutoHub listens for Stripe’s invoice.payment_failed webhook and handles it with a grace period. The subscription is not immediately cancelled, giving the seller time to update their payment method.
Q9: Is it multilingual / RTL ready?
A9: WPML/Polylang compatibility and RTL support. Worth stating explicitly given your Arabic translation work; it’s a real differentiator on automotive listings in MENA markets.
Q10: Is the seller dashboard responsive?
A10: Yes. The entire seller dashboard is fully responsive and works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. It also supports light and dark mode.
Q11: Can I white-label the platform?
A11: You can upload your own logo, customize email templates, set the default theme, and brand the authentication pages. The user-facing experience carries your brand, not ours.
Q12: How do I get support?
A12: Open a ticket at modeltheme.com/support. We respond within 24 hours on business days. Your license includes 6 months of support, extendable at renewal.
Q13: Will I receive future updates?
A13: Yes. All licenses include lifetime updates. New features and improvements are delivered through the standard WordPress update mechanism.


