Shipping, Delivery & COD: How to Set Smart Rules That Don’t Kill Your Profit
Shipping, Delivery & COD: How to Set Smart Rules That Don’t Kill Your Profit
Shipping and COD can quietly eat your margins if you leave them “default”.
1. Decide Who Pays for Shipping (and When)
Options:
- Free shipping above a threshold (e.g., ₹699 / ₹999)
- Flat fee for low-value orders
- Region-based charges for remote areas
Principle: low-friction for customers, but mathematically sustainable for you.
2. Use PIN Code Logic, Not Hope
- Define serviceable locations clearly
- Block or adjust COD for risky areas
- Avoid promising 2-day delivery to remote regions
Your ShopSwift setup can include location rules and shipping integrations, so these decisions are implemented cleanly instead of manually.
3. Smarter COD to Reduce Return-to-Origin (RTO)
Ideas:
- COD only for certain products or order values
- Extra confirmation for large COD orders
- Prepaid-only for customised or perishable items
4. Set Clear, Honest Delivery Timelines
On product and checkout pages, communicate:
- Standard delivery ranges (e.g., 3–5 working days)
- City / state variations if needed
- Handling/processing time
Clear communication reduces support tickets and cancellations.
5. Track, Learn, Adjust
Watch:
- RTO percentage
- Average delivery time
- Frequent problem PIN codes
Update your rules inside your dashboard rather than rewriting your whole store.
