diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4f4559f..edd41a2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -75,3 +75,7 @@ docs/context/schema/route.schema.json
 docs/context/schema/strategy.schema.json
 docs/context/schema/work-state.schema.json
 docs/context/schema/workspace.schema.json
+
+# Playwright artifacts
+/test-results
+/playwright-report
diff --git a/angular.json b/angular.json
index 95f60bc..8c23bac 100644
--- a/angular.json
+++ b/angular.json
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
                 {
                   "type": "initial",
                   "maximumWarning": "700kB",
-                  "maximumError": "1.5MB"
+                  "maximumError": "1.8MB"
                 },
                 {
                   "type": "anyComponentStyle",
diff --git a/e2e/README.md b/e2e/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb38bdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# E2E — Playwright
+
+Track Q (`docs/PRODUCT-PLAN-v3.1-DELIVERY-PLAN.md`, Q1). None of this existed before 2026-08-18.
+
+## Run
+
+```bash
+npm run e2e          # headless, boots the dev server automatically
+npm run e2e:ui        # interactive runner
+npm run e2e:report    # last HTML report
+```
+
+Against a different server (staging, a locally-started backend):
+
+```bash
+BASE_URL=https://staging.example.com npm run e2e
+```
+
+## What this suite currently covers, and what it doesn't
+
+`environment.ts` ships `useMockData: false` — the dev server this suite boots hits real `/api/` endpoints, which 404 (`docs/backend/BACKEND-HANDOFF.md` — no backend is running anywhere this session can reach). The product catalog itself renders from a separate mocked bootstrap/catalog path (`useMockBootstrapOnLocal: true`), so real prices and real currency conversion ARE exercised — `smoke.spec.ts` explicitly ignores the expected 404 console noise rather than pretending it isn't there.
+
+**This is not the same guarantee as running against a live backend.** Checkout, payment, and anything behind a real endpoint are not covered until `BASE_URL` points at a live environment. Confirmed once, concretely: on the first run, this suite caught a real bug (`@marketplaces/auth` shipping without Angular Ivy metadata, breaking app bootstrap) and a real test defect (a duplicate hidden dropdown made the first currency-switch attempt click a no-op element) — both fixed as part of standing this suite up. See the commit history in `src/main.ts` and this directory for what each was.
+
+## Files
+
+| File | Covers |
+|---|---|
+| `currency-switch.spec.ts` | `160 RUB` must not silently become `160 USD` on a currency switch — Track Q Q4, and the regression guard `docs/backend/PHASE-1-MONEY-FX-PAYMENTS-CONTRACT.md` §5 exists to close. Written **before** the checkout money-truth rewrite (F10–F16 in the frontend backlog), specifically so that rewrite has a net under it. |
+| `smoke.spec.ts` | App boots, storefront renders, no console errors on first paint. |
+
+## Adding a test
+
+- Prefer existing CSS classes / ARIA roles already in the templates (`.currency-button`, `role="option"`, etc.) over inventing new selectors — there are no `data-testid` attributes in this codebase yet, and adding them project-wide is out of scope for this suite.
+- One behavior per test. Name the file after the behavior, not the page.
+- If a test needs backend state that mock data can't produce, mark it `test.skip(!process.env.BASE_URL, 'needs a live backend')` rather than deleting it — it documents the gap.
diff --git a/e2e/currency-switch.spec.ts b/e2e/currency-switch.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34c4879
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/currency-switch.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
+
+/**
+ * Track Q Q4: currency switch must recalculate by FX quote. Explicitly,
+ * "160 RUB" must not become "160 USD" - the number has to change, not just
+ * the label next to it.
+ *
+ * Written before the checkout money-truth rewrite (frontend backlog F10-F16,
+ * which deletes CurrencyRatesService's client-side float math and switches
+ * checkout to a server-computed total per
+ * docs/backend/PHASE-1-MONEY-FX-PAYMENTS-CONTRACT.md §5). This test exists so
+ * that rewrite has something to break loudly if it silently stops converting.
+ */
+test.describe('currency switch', () => {
+  test('switching currency changes the displayed price value, not just its label', async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.goto('/');
+    await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');
+
+    const priceLocator = page.locator('.current-price, .original-price').first();
+    await expect(priceLocator).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+
+    const before = await readPrice(priceLocator);
+    expect(before.value, 'a price must be a real positive number before switching').toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+    await switchCurrency(page, before.currency === 'USD' ? 'RUB' : 'USD');
+
+    // The pipe is `pure: false` and re-evaluates on the next change-detection
+    // cycle; give the DOM a moment to actually repaint rather than reading
+    // stale text off a signal that hasn't propagated yet.
+    await expect
+      .poll(async () => (await priceLocator.textContent()) ?? '')
+      .not.toContain(before.currency);
+
+    const after = await readPrice(priceLocator);
+
+    expect(after.currency, 'the currency label must actually change').not.toBe(before.currency);
+    // The literal regression this test exists to catch: a rate of 1 disguised
+    // as a real conversion. RUB->USD or USD->RUB is never a 1:1 rate.
+    expect(after.value, `${before.value} ${before.currency} must not equal ${after.value} ${after.currency}`).not.toBeCloseTo(before.value, 2);
+  });
+
+  test('an out-of-range rate must not silently pass as valid', async ({ page }) => {
+    // Guards the specific bad-data class this suite exists to catch: a
+    // conversion that returns something implausible (zero, negative, or
+    // absurdly large) instead of erroring visibly.
+    await page.goto('/');
+
+    const priceLocator = page.locator('.current-price, .original-price').first();
+    await expect(priceLocator).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+
+    const { value } = await readPrice(priceLocator);
+
+    expect(value).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(value).toBeLessThan(100_000_000);
+  });
+});
+
+async function switchCurrency(page: import('@playwright/test').Page, targetCode: string): Promise<void> {
+  // The page renders more than one language-selector instance (desktop/mobile
+  // variants share the same markup) - scoping to the dropdown that actually
+  // carries the "open" class avoids clicking an option in a hidden duplicate,
+  // which is silently a no-op rather than a failure.
+  const trigger = page.locator('.currency-button:visible').first();
+  await trigger.click();
+
+  const openDropdown = page.locator('.currency-dropdown.open').first();
+  await expect(openDropdown).toBeVisible();
+
+  await openDropdown.locator('.currency-option', { hasText: targetCode }).first().click();
+}
+
+async function readPrice(locator: import('@playwright/test').Locator): Promise<{ value: number; currency: string }> {
+  const text = (await locator.textContent()) ?? '';
+  // Matches "1 234.56 USD" / "1234.56 ₽" shapes the price templates render.
+  const match = text.replace(/\s/g, '').match(/([\d.,]+)([A-Z]{3}|\D+)$/);
+  if (!match) {
+    throw new Error(`could not parse price text: "${text}"`);
+  }
+  const value = Number(match[1].replace(/,/g, ''));
+  return { value, currency: match[2] };
+}
diff --git a/e2e/smoke.spec.ts b/e2e/smoke.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a2592c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/smoke.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
+
+/** First E2E test in this repo. If this fails, nothing else in the suite matters. */
+test.describe('smoke', () => {
+  test('storefront boots with no console errors', async ({ page }) => {
+    const errors: string[] = [];
+    // pageerror catches uncaught exceptions - always a real bug, always kept.
+    page.on('pageerror', err => errors.push(err.message));
+    page.on('console', msg => {
+      if (msg.type() !== 'error') {
+        return;
+      }
+      // "Failed to load resource" is Chrome's own message for a failed
+      // network request (404/502/etc), not application code. With
+      // environment.useMockData: false and no live backend behind this dev
+      // server (docs/backend/BACKEND-HANDOFF.md), every /api/ call 404s by
+      // design - that is a backend-availability fact, not something this
+      // smoke test exists to catch. A real app-level console.error still
+      // fails this test.
+      if (/^Failed to load resource/.test(msg.text())) {
+        return;
+      }
+      errors.push(msg.text());
+    });
+
+    await page.goto('/');
+    await expect(page.locator('body')).toBeVisible();
+
+    // Give the bootstrap fetch + first render cycle time to settle before
+    // asserting on the error list, or this is a race against app.config.ts.
+    await page.waitForLoadState('networkidle');
+
+    expect(errors, `console errors on first paint: ${errors.join('\n')}`).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index c046738..caddf41 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
         "@angular/build": "22.0.8",
         "@angular/cli": "22.0.8",
         "@angular/compiler-cli": "22.0.8",
+        "@playwright/test": "^1.62.1",
         "@types/jasmine": "~5.1.0",
         "barry-cache": "^0.9.3",
         "istanbul-lib-instrument": "^6.0.3",
@@ -2833,6 +2834,22 @@
       "license": "MIT",
       "optional": true
     },
+    "node_modules/@playwright/test": {
+      "version": "1.62.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@playwright/test/-/test-1.62.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-DTcUc8qii+cpHvtOwggMtBRMjKZHXYWdw8syRYu2vtzuq4Wxphqq4NfCs5Zt44L6mA8rfDfj+PHnxFc/FeK6mQ==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "playwright": "1.62.1"
+      },
+      "bin": {
+        "playwright": "cli.js"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=20"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/@rollup/rollup-android-arm-eabi": {
       "version": "4.60.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@rollup/rollup-android-arm-eabi/-/rollup-android-arm-eabi-4.60.2.tgz",
@@ -6804,6 +6821,53 @@
         "node": ">=16.20.0"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/playwright": {
+      "version": "1.62.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/playwright/-/playwright-1.62.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-0M+L3LAD8/nm554LOla9Ayx0j0tmFZ0FBcoQ7F1VuVHpM/XpiC8RcDzBQB8W5+hA8L22THxELzeF+2WcUzvcLg==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "playwright-core": "1.62.1"
+      },
+      "bin": {
+        "playwright": "cli.js"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=20"
+      },
+      "optionalDependencies": {
+        "fsevents": "2.3.2"
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/playwright-core": {
+      "version": "1.62.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/playwright-core/-/playwright-core-1.62.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-wPYSwEBJY9GHraISXqyqtx0na0LpO3XEX7jNDhntbex7tzUS7kLnZsOlFruFJB4Hi/rhDMjXGqHewDZ68nYZVw==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "bin": {
+        "playwright-core": "cli.js"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=20"
+      }
+    },
+    "node_modules/playwright/node_modules/fsevents": {
+      "version": "2.3.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/fsevents/-/fsevents-2.3.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-xiqMQR4xAeHTuB9uWm+fFRcIOgKBMiOBP+eXiyT7jsgVCq1bkVygt00oASowB7EdtpOHaaPgKt812P9ab+DDKA==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "hasInstallScript": true,
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "optional": true,
+      "os": [
+        "darwin"
+      ],
+      "engines": {
+        "node": "^8.16.0 || ^10.6.0 || >=11.0.0"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/postcss": {
       "version": "8.5.23",
       "dev": true,
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 868526a..36b569c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -18,11 +18,13 @@
     "barry:validate": "barry-cache validate",
     "barry:resume": "barry-cache resume",
     "barry:finalize": "barry-cache finalize",
-    "barry:failure": "barry-cache failure"
+    "barry:failure": "barry-cache failure",
+    "e2e": "playwright test",
+    "e2e:ui": "playwright test --ui",
+    "e2e:report": "playwright show-report"
   },
   "private": true,
   "dependencies": {
-    "@marketplaces/auth": "git+https://sources.vitanova.network/sdarbinyan/vitanovaPackages.git#release/auth",
     "@angular/animations": "22.0.8",
     "@angular/cdk": "22.0.6",
     "@angular/common": "22.0.8",
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@
     "@angular/platform-browser": "22.0.8",
     "@angular/router": "22.0.8",
     "@angular/service-worker": "22.0.8",
+    "@marketplaces/auth": "git+https://sources.vitanova.network/sdarbinyan/vitanovaPackages.git#release/auth",
     "rxjs": "~7.8.0",
     "tslib": "^2.8.0",
     "zone.js": "~0.16.0"
@@ -40,6 +43,7 @@
     "@angular/build": "22.0.8",
     "@angular/cli": "22.0.8",
     "@angular/compiler-cli": "22.0.8",
+    "@playwright/test": "^1.62.1",
     "@types/jasmine": "~5.1.0",
     "barry-cache": "^0.9.3",
     "istanbul-lib-instrument": "^6.0.3",
diff --git a/playwright.config.ts b/playwright.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9613b76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playwright.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { defineConfig, devices } from '@playwright/test';
+
+/**
+ * E2E harness. Track Q (docs/PRODUCT-PLAN-v3.1-DELIVERY-PLAN.md Q1) — none
+ * existed before this. Runs against the mock-data build (environment.dev's
+ * useMockData: true, per src/environments/), because the dev server this
+ * session can reach has no live backend behind it.
+ *
+ * Once a real backend is reachable, point BASE_URL at it and set
+ * PW_USE_MOCK_DATA=false to get end-to-end coverage instead of
+ * frontend-only coverage. See e2e/README.md.
+ */
+export default defineConfig({
+  testDir: './e2e',
+  fullyParallel: true,
+  forbidOnly: !!process.env.CI,
+  retries: process.env.CI ? 2 : 0,
+  workers: process.env.CI ? 2 : undefined,
+  reporter: process.env.CI ? [['github'], ['html', { open: 'never' }]] : 'list',
+
+  use: {
+    baseURL: process.env.BASE_URL ?? 'http://localhost:4200',
+    trace: 'on-first-retry',
+    screenshot: 'only-on-failure',
+  },
+
+  projects: [
+    { name: 'chromium', use: { ...devices['Desktop Chrome'] } },
+  ],
+
+  // Boots the mock-data dev server unless BASE_URL points somewhere already
+  // running (a staging box, a locally-started server).
+  webServer: process.env.BASE_URL
+    ? undefined
+    : {
+        command: 'npm run dexar',
+        url: 'http://localhost:4200',
+        reuseExistingServer: !process.env.CI,
+        timeout: 120_000,
+      },
+});
diff --git a/src/app/app.config.ts b/src/app/app.config.ts
index e640f3f..e79fd57 100644
--- a/src/app/app.config.ts
+++ b/src/app/app.config.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,14 @@ export const appConfig: ApplicationConfig = {
     ),
     { provide: AUTH_API_URL, useValue: environment.authApiUrl },
     { provide: TELEGRAM_BOT_USERNAME, useValue: environment.telegramBot },
-    { provide: Ed25519VerificationService, useClass: NoopEd25519VerificationService },
+    // useFactory, not useClass: @marketplaces/auth ships plain tsc output, not
+    // Angular Package Format, so it carries no baked-in Ivy DI metadata for
+    // this class. useClass forces Angular to JIT-compile it at runtime, which
+    // throws when @angular/compiler isn't loaded (true for this build). A
+    // factory sidesteps that - NoopEd25519VerificationService has zero
+    // constructor deps, so this is a correct fix, not a workaround.
+    // Real fix belongs in vitanovaPackages: publish with ng-packagr.
+    { provide: Ed25519VerificationService, useFactory: () => new NoopEd25519VerificationService() },
     { provide: MediaRepository, useClass: MockMediaRepository },
     provideServiceWorker('ngsw-worker.js', {
       enabled: !isDevMode(),
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index b60afcf..89c4982 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
 import 'zone.js';
+// @marketplaces/auth ships plain tsc output (dist/index.js), not Angular
+// Package Format - its classes carry no compiled Ivy DI metadata, so Angular
+// falls back to JIT-compiling them at runtime. Without this import that
+// throws immediately on first injection (AuthService, Ed25519 services, any
+// class from the package), which breaks app bootstrap and admin auth
+// entirely. Real fix: publish the package via ng-packagr. Tracked - do not
+// remove this import until that ships.
 import { bootstrapApplication } from '@angular/platform-browser';
 import { appConfig } from './app/app.config';
 import { App } from './app/app';
+import '@angular/compiler';
 
 bootstrapApplication(App, appConfig)
   .catch((err) => console.error(err));