How can a small online seller in India offer cash on delivery?

Why cash on delivery still matters

Many customers trust a new seller more when they can pay after they see the order. For a seller who is just starting, cash on delivery also removes the biggest delay: there is no payment account to open before the first order can be taken.

The trade-off is that you carry the risk of a refused or failed delivery, and you have cash to keep track of. Both are manageable with a few clear rules.

Decide your rules first

• Where you deliver: a distance from your shop, particular pincodes, or everywhere you can reach.
• What delivery costs: one flat charge, a different charge for different areas, or free above a certain order value.
• The smallest order you will deliver, so a single low-value item does not cost you more than it earns.
• Whether customers can also collect from you, which avoids delivery entirely.

Limit the risk

Most cash-on-delivery losses come from orders that were never firm. A minimum order value, a delivery area you can actually serve, and a quick call before you dispatch a large or unusual order all help. For made-to-order items, many sellers ask for part of the money upfront and say so clearly before the customer orders.

Write your rules down where customers can see them, so the conversation at the door is never the first time they hear them.

Keep “delivered” and “paid” separate

An order that has arrived is not always an order that has been paid, especially when someone else carries it. Track the two separately: mark the order delivered when it arrives, and mark the cash collected when the money is in your hand. At the end of the day, the cash you hold should equal the cash marked collected.

If a rider carries several orders, settle up with them once a day against the list of orders they delivered. A short count every evening is far easier than untangling a week of cash, and it keeps the conversation with your rider friendly.

Tell customers how it works

Customers relax when they know what to expect. Say on your page and in your replies which areas you deliver to, what delivery costs, whether there is a minimum order, and roughly when the order will arrive. Ask them to keep change ready for larger amounts, and tell them who will be bringing the order. If you also offer collection, say where and when they can pick up.

Clear rules up front mean fewer surprises at the door, fewer refused orders, and fewer messages asking where an order is.

How Gritticon OMS handles cash on delivery

In Gritticon OMS, cash on delivery works from the first order and needs no setup. Publishing your shop does not wait for a payment company.

You set a delivery charge, a minimum order, free delivery above an amount, a delivery radius in kilometres or all-India shipping, and different charges by pincode. You can offer delivery, collection or both. You arrange your own rider or courier; Gritticon OMS does not book one.

At checkout the customer gives their name, phone and address, chooses delivery or collection, and then chooses how to pay. On each order, Delivered and Cash collected are separate buttons.

Adding online payments later

When cash orders are routine and customers start asking to pay online, you can connect your own Razorpay account. The money goes to that account, and cash on delivery stays available for customers who prefer it.