Cash on Delivery: What Is It and How Does It Work?

Retailers are making online shopping convenient and risk-free by offering cash-on-delivery payments. Here’s what you need to know about this payment option.

While digital wallets and tap-to-pay dominate headlines, cash isn’t going anywhere, especially in regions like Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Latin America, where cash on delivery (COD) remains a preferred payment method. 

In fact, FIS Global reports that COD still accounts for over 15% of online transactions in countries like Vietnam and the Philippines. 

As mobile commerce and retail apps make shopping easier than ever, COD gives customers added peace of mind by letting them pay only once they receive the product. For merchants, it’s an opportunity to build trust and boost conversions in markets where trust in digital payments is still growing.

What is cash on delivery (COD)?

Cash on delivery, or COD, is also known as “collect on delivery” and “cash on demand,” and is a payment method in which customers pay for mailed goods only after they receive and decide to keep them. If the customer chooses not to keep the items, they are returned to the retailer.

With cash on delivery, the retailer typically pays for the cost of shipping, since they don’t know if the customer will pay for the goods or not once received and must ensure return. The sale isn’t final until after the goods are delivered and the customer pays.

Cash on delivery vs. cash in advance

Cash on delivery differs from cash in advance in a key way. With COD, the retailer carries the costs and risk associated with shipping products to customers without a guarantee of customer payment. 

The customer places an order without prepaying (although many retailers offering cash on delivery require customers to place a deposit or card on file so they can be charged immediately if they decide to keep the goods). 

Cash-in-advance payments require customers to pay for items before receiving them. In most cases, customers still have the option to return items if they’re not satisfied with them. However, unlike with COD, the merchant doesn’t ship any goods until they are first paid for.

How cash on delivery works

1. Customer places an order
2. Retailer accepts or declines the order
3. The order gets delivered
4. Customer pays for their order

Here’s a step-by-step look at how cash on delivery works for non-perishable goods.

1. Customer places an order

A customer orders online through a catalog, over the phone, or in-store. In some cases, the customer pays shipping fees and/or a deposit, but they don't pay for the ordered goods upfront when choosing cash on delivery.

2. Retailer accepts or declines the order 

The retailer reviews the order and decides whether to accept it based on their policies. Once approved, the retailer prepares the non-perishable goods for shipping to the customer.

3. The order gets delivered

When the delivery arrives, the customer examines the shipment and makes a decision: accept delivery and keep all or some of the items, or decline the order and return the products. Some merchants give customers a specific time limit to make this decision.

📚 Read: Ship to Customer: Increase Sales with Buy In-Store, Ship to Home

4. Customer pays for their order 

If keeping any of the ordered products, customers must select a payment method. Most retailers have an ecommerce payment platform that allows customers to select the items they want to keep and either charge their credit or debit card on file or add new payment information. 

Acceptable forms of payment may vary by merchant, but some may also accept cash, check, or mobile wallets. Once payment is complete, the sale is finalized.

💡 PRO TIP: When you use different platforms to run your online and retail stores, inventory discrepancies are more likely to happen as a result of both systems not being in sync with one another. This can lead to more frequent inventory counts to reconcile differences between your ecommerce platform and POS system’s inventory quantities, and helps ensure stock levels are accurate.

4 types of payment methods for COD

1. Mobile payments
2. Cash
3. Check
4. Online card payments

While “cash” is in COD’s name, it’s not the only payment method merchants accept for this service. 

1. Mobile payments

When a postal worker or delivery person has a mobile card reader on their person, they can process payments for delivered goods via a mobile POS system. Typically, mobile payments are useful for deliveries from restaurants or on-demand services.

📌 GET STARTED: Shopify Payments is one of the fastest ways to start accepting payments in-person, online, and on the go. It’s included in all Shopify POS plans, so you can skip lengthy third-party activations and go from setup to selling faster.

2. Cash

Couriers and local delivery drivers can also accept cash payments, although this practice is increasingly uncommon. Further, this payment method presents a safety risk, as it can make couriers targets for crime.

3. Check

For some retailers, checks may be an acceptable alternative to cash. Even so, this form of payment tends not to be the most reliable: There may be payment delays while waiting for the check to clear, extra administrative burden during your accounting process, and a risk of nonpayment if the check bounces after the customer has received the product. 

4. Online card payments

If you want to give customers several days to decide whether or not to keep products, online card payments are an option. Payment processing solutions offer a level of security unavailable with checks or cash. Shopify payments is one example.

Pros of cash on delivery

Are you considering offering cash on delivery payments at your business? Weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

Cash on delivery is beneficial to consumers for several reasons:

• Consumers can try products risk-free. Before paying for a purchase, it can be helpful to inspect items to see if they meet expectations. If the product is clothing, for instance, the buyer may have ordered various sizes, colors, or styles. Being able to pick the best fit risk-free minimizes financial outlay, since they won’t have to pay for everything in advance. This can make customers more willing to consider a purchase.
• Improves cash flow. Consumers are better able to track their cash flow and budget if only paying for products they plan to keep—versus paying for items upfront that (depending on the merchant’s return policy) may not be able to be returned for a full or partial refund if paid for upfront. With COD payments, consumers don’t have to rack up unnecessary debt if they order more than they intend to keep. 
• Payment flexibility. Paying with COD can offer customers more payment option flexibility, which could make them more loyal to your brand and influence them to buy more over the long term. 

💡 PRO TIP: Sending digital receipts via email is a great way to organically collect customer contact information at checkout and build an email list to fuel your retention marketing. Just make sure they’ve opted in to hearing from you before sending them anything.

Cons of cash on delivery

COD payments bring some disadvantages to consumers and retailers alike, including:

• Waitlists and stockouts. If customers place bulk orders to try items in different sizes or colors, generally there’s a greater chance that items other shoppers want will be out of stock while the merchant processes returns. The resulting waitlists and stockouts can create a frustrating customer experience.
• No payment guarantees. COD is risky for retailers because they are producing and sending goods without a guarantee they are going to be paid for them. 
• Cash flow management challenges. COD payment on delivery can create cash flow management issues for retailers because they don’t receive cash at the time of order that could be invested in other parts of the business.
• Lost profits. COD can expose retailers to increased returns and exchanges, which sometimes can be expensive to sellers if they are paying for return shipping, processing, and restocking expenses such as repackaging. These costs can add up, making COD a payment model that potentially results in lost profits.

3 examples of cash on delivery

1. Ellana Cosmetics
2. Stitch Fix
3. Food and grocery deliveries

Popular retailers are embracing COD as a way to make online shopping more convenient and less financially risky for consumers. Examples of businesses implementing cash on delivery include:

1. Ellana Cosmetics

Ellana Cosmetics started as a small beauty brand in the Philippines selling at local markets. Most customers in the Philippines prefer to pay with cash on delivery (COD), and their website couldn't handle COD payments properly.

Some challenges Ellana Cosmetics faced:

• High checkout failure rates due to inability to customize the checkout experience for cash transactions
• Revenue recognition issues since COD means payment isn't collected upfront
• Limited ability to implement product bundling to increase average order value

After switching to Shopify as a platform, the brand was able to:

• Customize their checkout process specifically for COD transactions
• Reduce checkout failures by 40%
• Implement upselling features that increased average order value by 17%
• Better manage inventory across multiple sales channels

👉 Read Ellana Cosmetics’ story

2. Stitch Fix

Styling service Stitch Fix offers a form of cash on delivery. Customers fill out a style questionnaire and what kinds of clothes they’re looking for and their typical budget, and a stylist selects items that meet this criteria. 

Stitch Fix customers don’t know what they are getting in their shipment and are charged a $20 styling fee per shipment. The fee can be used as a deposit toward items the customer decides to keep.

When customers make their decision, they go to Stitch Fix’s website, make their selection, provide feedback on how their next shipment could improve, and check out with the payment method on file. 

Stitch Fix customers pay for what they want to keep and return what they don’t. The $20 styling fee isn’t returned if they don’t keep anything.

3. Food and grocery deliveries

Food delivery is one of the most common examples of cash on delivery. Customers place a food order over the phone, online, or through an app. If they choose not to prepay online or over the phone, they must pay the delivery driver upon receipt of the order. 

Customers can pay in cash, via a mobile card reader, or with any other method deemed acceptable by the restaurant. If they don’t pay, they don’t get their food. 

Cash on delivery can pose risks for restaurants because these businesses are investing time, money, and ingredients to prepare dishes without knowing for sure whether the recipient is able to pay.

Challenges with cash on delivery 

Poor cash flow

When you offer COD, you get paid later. You have to pay for products, packaging, and shipping before getting any money from customers. It can tie up your cash flow and makes it hard to run your business day-to-day or grow. 

No payment guarantee

With COD, customers might change their minds when the package arrives. They can refuse to pay, leaving you with returned items and wasted shipping costs. 

Unlike when customers pay ahead of time, COD doesn't make them commit, which can lead to more returns and problems.

Cash handling

Dealing with actual cash creates more work. Delivery people need to carry money, give change, and keep track of everything, which increases risks of theft, lost money, or mistakes. It also makes retail accounting slower, especially for larger businesses or those with many locations.

Higher shipping costs

Shipping companies usually charge extra fees for COD because they have to collect and process the cash. 

If a delivery fails, because a customer doesn't want it or isn't home, you still pay the shipping costs. Businesses end up paying both the original shipping cost and the return shipping.

Customer unavailability

Setting up COD deliveries takes time. If customers aren't home or ready to pay, orders might need rescheduling or returning. Missed or late deliveries happen frequently, especially when exact timing or communication is difficult.

How to manage COD orders with Shopify POS

Shopify POS lets store owners use COD as a payment option—for both deliveries to customers' homes and in-store sales. This helps keep track of all orders in one place, no matter how customers buy. 

Here's how to handle COD orders in Shopify POS and the Shopify dashboard.

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.
2. In the Manual payment methods section, select Create custom payment method.
3. Select a suggested method like Cash on Delivery (COD).
4. In the Additional details field, add context for the customer (e.g., “Pay the driver in cash when your order is delivered”).
5. In the Payment instructions field, include step-by-step instructions on how the customer should prepare to pay.
6. Click Activate.

👉 For more personalized COD experiences, you can explore apps related to COD in the Shopify App Store.

Implement cash on delivery at your store

For innovative tech-embracing retailers, cash on delivery presents an opportunity to make online shopping more appealing to customers. The convenience of not carrying debt is a big draw for shoppers. 

By offering flexible payment options like COD payments, you also have a chance to strengthen customer brand loyalty and build a long-term relationship that positively impacts profitability through customer lifetime value.

Cash on delivery FAQ

What is the meaning of cash on delivery?

Cash on delivery is when a customer pays for a product with cash (or another acceptable payment method) upon delivery, rather than at the time the order is placed.

Is cash on delivery still used?

Cash on delivery is still used, especially in regions like Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Latin America, where it remains a preferred payment method. According to FIS Global, COD still accounts for over 15% of online transactions in countries like Vietnam and the Philippines.

What are the benefits of cash on delivery?

Cash on delivery allows consumers to try products risk-free before paying and improves their cash flow by only paying for items they plan to keep. It also offers customers payment flexibility, which could make them more loyal to a brand and influence them to buy more over the long term.