[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"glossary":3,"guides":102,"guide:selling-online-with-cash-on-delivery":129,"showcase":171,"industry-pages":174},[4,10,14,18,22,26,30,34,38,42,46,50,54,58,62,66,70,74,78,82,86,90,94,98],{"slug":5,"term":6,"definition":7,"updated":8,"draft":9},"redirect-301","301 redirect","A 301 redirect permanently sends visitors and search engines from an old web address to a new one.","2026-10-08",false,{"slug":11,"term":12,"definition":13,"updated":8,"draft":9},"abandoned-checkout","Abandoned checkout","An abandoned checkout is a checkout a customer starts — entering at least their email — but leaves before placing the order.",{"slug":15,"term":16,"definition":17,"updated":8,"draft":9},"alt-text","Alt text","Alt text is a short written description of an image, read aloud by screen readers and used by search engines to understand what the image shows.",{"slug":19,"term":20,"definition":21,"updated":8,"draft":9},"average-order-value","Average order value (AOV)","Average order value is the average amount customers spend per order: total sales divided by the number of orders.",{"slug":23,"term":24,"definition":25,"updated":8,"draft":9},"barcode","Barcode (GTIN, EAN, UPC)","A barcode is a scannable number on a product's packaging. Global ones (GTIN, EAN or UPC) identify the same product in every store that sells it.",{"slug":27,"term":28,"definition":29,"updated":8,"draft":9},"canonical-url","Canonical URL","A canonical URL is the one address a site tells search engines to treat as the main version of a page that can be reached at several addresses.",{"slug":31,"term":32,"definition":33,"updated":8,"draft":9},"cash-on-delivery","Cash on delivery (COD)","Cash on delivery is a payment method where the customer pays in cash when the order arrives, usually to the courier, who then passes the money on to the store.",{"slug":35,"term":36,"definition":37,"updated":8,"draft":9},"checkout","Checkout","Checkout is the final step of buying online, where the customer enters their contact and delivery details, chooses delivery and payment, and places the order.",{"slug":39,"term":40,"definition":41,"updated":8,"draft":9},"conversion-rate","Conversion rate","Conversion rate is the share of visitors who do what you want — usually place an order — out of all visitors, written as a percentage.",{"slug":43,"term":44,"definition":45,"updated":8,"draft":9},"custom-domain","Custom domain","A custom domain is a web address you own, such as yourbrand.com, used for your store instead of an address provided by the platform.",{"slug":47,"term":48,"definition":49,"updated":8,"draft":9},"customer-segment","Customer segment","A customer segment is a group of customers who share something — location, purchases, spending or how recently they ordered — so you can treat them differently.",{"slug":51,"term":52,"definition":53,"updated":8,"draft":9},"discount-code","Discount code","A discount code is a word or code a customer enters at checkout to get a price reduction, free shipping or a free item.",{"slug":55,"term":56,"definition":57,"updated":8,"draft":9},"email-automation","Email automation","An email automation is an email, or a series, sent automatically when a customer does something — subscribes, leaves a checkout, places a first order.",{"slug":59,"term":60,"definition":61,"updated":8,"draft":9},"inventory","Inventory","Inventory is the stock a store has to sell: how many of each variant are on hand, where they are, and how that changes as orders and deliveries come in.",{"slug":63,"term":64,"definition":65,"updated":8,"draft":9},"meta-description","Meta description","A meta description is a short summary of a web page, written in the page’s code, that search engines often show under the page’s title in search results.",{"slug":67,"term":68,"definition":69,"updated":8,"draft":9},"fulfillment","Order fulfillment","Fulfillment is everything between an order being placed and the customer receiving it: picking, packing, handing it to delivery and confirming it arrived.",{"slug":71,"term":72,"definition":73,"updated":8,"draft":9},"payment-gateway","Payment gateway","A payment gateway is the service that takes card and wallet payments for an online store, checks them with the bank and sends the money to the store’s account.",{"slug":75,"term":76,"definition":77,"updated":8,"draft":9},"product-option","Product option","A product option is a choice a customer makes about a product — such as size, colour or material — whose values combine into the product’s variants.",{"slug":79,"term":80,"definition":81,"updated":8,"draft":9},"variant","Product variant","A variant is one specific version of a product — a particular size, colour or material — with its own price, stock and often its own photo.",{"slug":83,"term":84,"definition":85,"updated":8,"draft":9},"refund","Refund","A refund returns some or all of what a customer paid for an order, usually after a return, a cancellation or a problem with the order.",{"slug":87,"term":88,"definition":89,"updated":8,"draft":9},"shipping-zone","Shipping zone","A shipping zone is a group of places — countries or regions — that share the same delivery options and rates.",{"slug":91,"term":92,"definition":93,"updated":8,"draft":9},"sitemap","Sitemap (XML sitemap)","An XML sitemap is a file listing the pages of a website that should appear in search results, with when each last changed, so search engines find them.",{"slug":95,"term":96,"definition":97,"updated":8,"draft":9},"sku","SKU (stock keeping unit)","A SKU is a code a store gives each product variant it stocks, so every item — down to its size and colour — can be counted, found and reordered.",{"slug":99,"term":100,"definition":101,"updated":8,"draft":9},"ssl-certificate","SSL certificate","An SSL certificate lets a website load over a secure connection (https), so what visitors send — addresses, passwords, payments — is encrypted.",[103,114,120,125],{"slug":104,"title":105,"description":106,"topic":107,"author":108,"published":8,"updated":8,"draft":9,"readMinutes":109,"related":110},"how-to-start-an-online-store","How to start an online store","The steps to open an online store, in the order that saves you time — from what to sell and how you get paid to your first order.","Starting a store","Soooks",6,[111,112,113],"selling-online-with-cash-on-delivery","what-a-good-product-page-needs","product-photos-with-a-phone",{"slug":111,"title":115,"description":116,"topic":117,"author":108,"published":8,"updated":8,"draft":9,"readMinutes":118,"related":119},"Selling online with cash on delivery","How cash on delivery works for an online store, what it really costs, and how to cut refused orders and keep track of the cash.","Selling and payments",5,[104,112],{"slug":113,"title":121,"description":122,"topic":123,"author":108,"published":8,"updated":8,"draft":9,"readMinutes":118,"related":124},"Product photos with a phone","How to take clean, consistent product photos with a phone — light, background, angles, settings and editing — without a studio.","Store design",[112,104],{"slug":112,"title":126,"description":127,"topic":123,"author":108,"published":8,"updated":8,"draft":9,"readMinutes":109,"related":128},"What a good product page needs","The parts of a product page that help people decide to buy — photos, title, price, options, description, delivery and returns — and how to get each right.",[113,104,111],{"slug":111,"title":115,"description":116,"topic":117,"author":108,"published":8,"updated":8,"draft":9,"readMinutes":118,"related":130,"html":146,"toc":147,"sources":169,"words":170},[131,134,139,143],{"kind":132,"path":133,"title":105,"description":106},"guide","\u002Fguides\u002Fhow-to-start-an-online-store",{"kind":135,"path":136,"title":137,"description":138},"feature","\u002Ffeatures\u002Fshipping-and-delivery","Shipping and delivery","Set shipping zones and rates, local delivery by postal code, in-store pickup and delivery estimates, then fulfil orders by location with tracking.",{"kind":135,"path":140,"title":141,"description":142},"\u002Ffeatures\u002Fcash-on-delivery","Cash on delivery","Offer cash on delivery at checkout with no platform fee: customers pay the courier when the order arrives, and you mark it paid when the cash reaches you.",{"kind":144,"path":145,"title":32,"description":33},"term","\u002Fglossary\u002Fcash-on-delivery","\u003Cp>Cash on delivery (COD) means the customer orders online and pays the courier in cash when the parcel arrives; the delivery company then passes the money on to you. It wins the trust of people who will not pay a store they do not know yet, but it costs you in refused deliveries and in the time it takes for the cash to reach you. Confirming orders before you ship, showing every cost up front and checking every payment the courier sends you keep both under control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guide explains how COD works from order to cash, how it compares with other payment methods, and the habits that make it work for a small store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"how-cash-on-delivery-works\">How cash on delivery works\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>A COD order goes through the same steps every time:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The customer places the order\u003C\u002Fstrong> and chooses cash on delivery at checkout. Nothing is paid yet.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>You confirm the order\u003C\u002Fstrong> — ideally with a quick call or message — and prepare the parcel.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>You hand it to the courier\u003C\u002Fstrong> with the amount to collect written on the delivery note.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The courier delivers and collects the cash.\u003C\u002Fstrong> If the customer is out or refuses the parcel, it comes back to you.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The delivery company pays you\u003C\u002Fstrong> what it collected, usually in batches (weekly, for example), minus its delivery fees.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>You record the order as paid\u003C\u002Fstrong> once that money has reached you.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\u003Cp>The order is only finished at step 6, often days after the customer received the parcel. Until then the money is with the courier, not with you, and your books should say so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"why-customers-choose-it\">Why customers choose it\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Trust.\u003C\u002Fstrong> A new customer does not have to believe your store is real before they get something in their hands.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>No card needed.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Many people do not have a card, or do not use it online.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>They see the product first.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Some customers like to check the parcel before they pay.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>If many of your customers are buying from you for the first time, offering COD will usually win more orders than it loses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"what-it-costs-you\">What it costs you\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cdiv class=\"guide-table\">\u003Ctable>\u003Cthead>\u003Ctr>\u003Cth>\u003C\u002Fth>\u003Cth>Cash on delivery\u003C\u002Fth>\u003Cth>Bank transfer\u003C\u002Fth>\u003Cth>Card or wallet\u003C\u002Fth>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003C\u002Fthead>\u003Ctbody>\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>When you are paid\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>After delivery, when the courier pays out\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Before you ship\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>At checkout\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Who can use it\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Almost everyone\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Customers comfortable making a transfer\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Customers with a card or wallet\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Refused orders\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Your main risk: you pay delivery both ways\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Rare — they have already paid\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Rare — they have already paid\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Fees\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>The courier's delivery and collection charges\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Usually none\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>The payment provider's fee per payment\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Work for you\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Confirming orders, checking courier payments\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Checking your account before shipping\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>Little\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003C\u002Ftbody>\u003C\u002Ftable>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cp>The hidden cost of COD is the \u003Cstrong>refused order\u003C\u002Fstrong>: you have paid to send the parcel and often to have it brought back, and the product was out of stock for days. A store with many refusals can lose money on orders that looked profitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"how-to-reduce-refused-orders\">How to reduce refused orders\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Most refusals come from a few causes: the customer ordered on impulse, forgot, was surprised by the total, or the courier could not reach them. Each has a fix.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"confirm-before-you-ship\">Confirm before you ship\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Call or message every new customer to confirm the order, the address and the total before the parcel leaves. It takes a minute and filters out most impulse and fake orders. Ask for a phone number at checkout so you always have a way to reach the customer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Repeat customers who have paid before can skip this — that is a good reason to keep customer notes and tags.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"show-the-full-price-before-checkout\">Show the full price before checkout\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>The amount the courier asks for must be exactly what the customer expects. Show the delivery fee on the product page or in a banner, show the total before the order is placed, and repeat it in the confirmation email. A customer who is surprised at the door often says no.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"make-the-product-page-answer-the-questions\">Make the product page answer the questions\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Customers refuse parcels that are not what they imagined: the wrong size, a different colour, a smaller item. Clear photos, measurements and a size guide prevent this before the order is placed. See \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fguides\u002Fwhat-a-good-product-page-needs\">what a good product page needs\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"ship-fast-and-say-when-it-will-arrive\">Ship fast and say when it will arrive\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>The longer the wait, the more likely the customer has changed their mind or bought elsewhere. Ship as soon as the order is confirmed, say on the product page and in the confirmation how long delivery takes, and send the tracking or the courier's contact when it leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 id=\"watch-your-refusals\">Watch your refusals\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Note why each parcel came back. If refusals cluster around one product, one area or one kind of order (very large ones, for example), act on that: improve the product page, change delivery terms for that area, or ask for a bank transfer on very large orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"keeping-track-of-the-cash\">Keeping track of the cash\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>With COD, a delivered order and a paid order are not the same thing. Keep them apart:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Mark an order as paid only when the money has reached you\u003C\u002Fstrong>, not when the courier says it was delivered.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Check every payment from the delivery company against your orders.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Each payout should list the orders it covers; any delivered order that is missing from the payouts needs a follow-up.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Agree when the courier pays you\u003C\u002Fstrong> and keep to a routine — for example, check payouts against orders every week.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Keep refused and returned parcels on the order\u003C\u002Fstrong> so your stock count and your numbers stay right.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>On Soooks, an order paid by cash on delivery stays "payment pending" until you mark it as paid, and delivery is tracked separately from payment, so a parcel can be delivered while its payment is still pending. Cash on delivery and bank transfer orders carry no platform fee on any plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"setting-up-cash-on-delivery-on-soooks\">Setting up cash on delivery on Soooks\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>Switch on \u003Cstrong>cash on delivery\u003C\u002Fstrong> in your payment settings, and give it a label your customers recognise.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Make the \u003Cstrong>phone number\u003C\u002Fstrong> required at checkout so you can confirm orders.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Set up your \u003Cstrong>delivery areas and rates\u003C\u002Fstrong> so the total at checkout is the total at the door.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Edit the \u003Cstrong>order confirmation email\u003C\u002Fstrong> to repeat the amount to pay on delivery and when to expect the parcel.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>When the courier pays you, \u003Cstrong>mark the orders paid\u003C\u002Fstrong> — your reports then show the money you actually received.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\u003Ch2 id=\"in-short\">In short\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Offer cash on delivery if your customers expect it — it is often the difference between a sale and no sale. Then make it work: confirm every new order, show the full price up front, describe products well enough that nothing surprises the customer, ship quickly, and check every payment from your courier against your orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",[148,151,154,157,160,163,166],{"id":149,"text":150},"how-cash-on-delivery-works","How cash on delivery works",{"id":152,"text":153},"why-customers-choose-it","Why customers choose it",{"id":155,"text":156},"what-it-costs-you","What it costs you",{"id":158,"text":159},"how-to-reduce-refused-orders","How to reduce refused orders",{"id":161,"text":162},"keeping-track-of-the-cash","Keeping track of the cash",{"id":164,"text":165},"setting-up-cash-on-delivery-on-soooks","Setting up cash on delivery on Soooks",{"id":167,"text":168},"in-short","In short",[],1131,{"data":172,"meta":173},[],{"has_page":9},[175,189,200,213,227,239,253],{"slug":176,"title":177,"description":178,"updated":8,"label":179,"themes":180},"beauty","Online store themes for beauty and skincare brands","Themes and setup for selling skincare, cosmetics and beauty products online: ingredients, routines, shades and repeat orders.","Beauty & skincare",[181,185],{"slug":182,"name":183,"thumbnail":184},"aurora","Aurora","https:\u002F\u002Fthemes.soooks.com\u002Fapi\u002Ftheme-store-public\u002Faurora\u002Fart\u002Fthumbnail.jpg?v=2.3.1-94a9902d",{"slug":186,"name":187,"thumbnail":188},"crown","Crown","https:\u002F\u002Fthemes.soooks.com\u002Fapi\u002Ftheme-store-public\u002Fcrown\u002Fart\u002Fthumbnail.jpg?v=2.2.2-79af54de",{"slug":190,"title":191,"description":192,"updated":8,"label":193,"themes":194},"electronics","Online store themes for electronics and tech stores","Themes and setup for selling electronics and gadgets online: specifications, comparisons, search and filters for larger catalogues.","Electronics",[195,199],{"slug":196,"name":197,"thumbnail":198},"vertex","Vertex","https:\u002F\u002Fthemes.soooks.com\u002Fapi\u002Ftheme-store-public\u002Fvertex\u002Fart\u002Fthumbnail.jpg?v=2.2.2-9c320b4d",{"slug":186,"name":187,"thumbnail":188},{"slug":201,"title":202,"description":203,"updated":8,"label":204,"themes":205},"fashion","Online store themes for fashion and clothing brands","Themes and setup for selling clothes and accessories online: colour and size options, photos that show fit, size guides and easy exchanges.","Fashion & apparel",[206,207,211,212],{"slug":182,"name":183,"thumbnail":184},{"slug":208,"name":209,"thumbnail":210},"impact","Impact","https:\u002F\u002Fthemes.soooks.com\u002Fapi\u002Ftheme-store-public\u002Fimpact\u002Fart\u002Fthumbnail.jpg?v=2.2.1-2ac70934",{"slug":196,"name":197,"thumbnail":198},{"slug":186,"name":187,"thumbnail":188},{"slug":214,"title":215,"description":216,"updated":8,"label":217,"themes":218},"food-drink","Online store themes for food and drink brands","Themes and setup for selling coffee, food and drink online: menus and price lists, freshness, delivery areas and repeat customers.","Food & drink",[219,223],{"slug":220,"name":221,"thumbnail":222},"depot","Depot","https:\u002F\u002Fthemes.soooks.com\u002Fapi\u002Ftheme-store-public\u002Fdepot\u002Fart\u002Fthumbnail.jpg?v=3.2.2-33cf8377",{"slug":224,"name":225,"thumbnail":226},"ember","Ember","https:\u002F\u002Fthemes.soooks.com\u002Fapi\u002Ftheme-store-public\u002Fember\u002Fart\u002Fthumbnail.jpg?v=2.2.1-1ddcc50d",{"slug":228,"title":229,"description":230,"updated":8,"label":231,"themes":232},"home-decor","Online store themes for home and furniture brands","Themes and setup for selling furniture, decor and homeware online: room photos, dimensions, materials and delivery of large items.","Home & furniture",[233,234,235],{"slug":182,"name":183,"thumbnail":184},{"slug":196,"name":197,"thumbnail":198},{"slug":236,"name":237,"thumbnail":238},"haven","Haven","https:\u002F\u002Fthemes.soooks.com\u002Fapi\u002Ftheme-store-public\u002Fhaven\u002Fart\u002Fthumbnail.jpg?v=2.2.1-51ae3cb9",{"slug":240,"title":241,"description":242,"updated":8,"label":243,"themes":244},"stationery","Online store themes for stationery and print shops","Themes and setup for selling stationery, prints and paper goods online: product details, gift sets and simple, beautiful pages.","Stationery & print",[245,249],{"slug":246,"name":247,"thumbnail":248},"corner","Corner","https:\u002F\u002Fthemes.soooks.com\u002Fapi\u002Ftheme-store-public\u002Fcorner\u002Fart\u002Fthumbnail.jpg?v=1.2.1-70fa90e9",{"slug":250,"name":251,"thumbnail":252},"folio","Folio","https:\u002F\u002Fthemes.soooks.com\u002Fapi\u002Ftheme-store-public\u002Ffolio\u002Fart\u002Fthumbnail.jpg?v=2.2.1-a035fc5d",{"slug":254,"title":255,"description":256,"updated":8,"label":257,"themes":258},"tools-hardware","Online store themes for tools and hardware stores","Themes and setup for selling tools, hardware and supplies online: large catalogues, search, specifications and stock levels.","Tools & hardware",[259,260],{"slug":196,"name":197,"thumbnail":198},{"slug":220,"name":221,"thumbnail":222}]