In this article
Enabling cash on delivery on Shopify is a single toggle. Doing it in a way that doesn't bury you in returns is the part that matters — because unfiltered COD is where RTO comes from. Here's how to switch it on with the rules that keep it profitable.
The basic toggle — and why it's not enough
Shopify's native COD is on or off. It can't tell a clean order from a risky one, can't cap it, and can't gate it by pincode. That's fine at a trickle of orders and dangerous at scale.
Enable COD the right way
- Offer it selectively, not to every cart — COD verification for Shopify.
- Score each attempt and block the worst before they ship — Smart COD.
- Cap it by order value and by phone-per-day to kill duplicates.
- Gate risky pincodes to prepaid using your own return history.
- Take a partial advance on the middle band — partial COD, explained.
- Confirm before dispatch so refusals never leave the warehouse.
| Setting | Why it matters | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| Risk score | Filters the COD most likely to RTO | Smart COD |
| Per-phone cap | Stops same-day duplicate cash orders | COD rules |
| Pincode gating | Blocks the zones that returned before | Pincode rules |
| Confirmation | Cuts doorstep refusals | WhatsApp / order flow |
Common mistakes
- Offering COD on every order and every pincode.
- Shipping COD without confirming it first.
- Relying on a flat COD fee alone to deter bad orders — it doesn't.
How IndiSell sets up COD
IndiSell turns COD into scored, capped, gated rules out of the box, with confirmation and partial COD built in. The full picture.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn on COD in Shopify? Native COD is a single toggle in payment settings — but on its own it has no scoring, caps or pincode control.
How do I stop COD orders from causing RTO? Score each order, confirm before dispatch, cap per phone, gate risky pincodes, and take a partial advance on the middle band.
Should I charge a COD fee? A fee alone won't deter bad orders; pair it with verification and confirmation to actually cut returns.
Start here
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