Enabling the COD gateway
WooCommerce includes a Cash on delivery payment method. Enable it under WooCommerce, Settings, Payments, and in its settings choose which shipping methods it applies to, so COD can be limited to a standard-delivery method and switched off for express. Restricting by pincode or order value needs a small plugin or a code snippet, and it is worth doing: COD on pincodes where it keeps failing is the main source of RTO.
Charging a COD fee
Couriers charge a COD handling fee, the higher of a flat amount or a percentage of the collected value, on every order including returns. WooCommerce does not add a COD fee by default; add one with a fee plugin, with a snippet that uses the cart fee API, or by offering a prepaid discount instead. Run your average order through the COD charges calculator before deciding how much of it to pass on.
- Enable: WooCommerce → Settings → Payments → Cash on delivery
- Limit to specific shipping methods in the gateway settings
- Fee: plugin, cart-fee snippet or prepaid discount
Shipping and collecting through RouteOneX
COD orders sync with the collectable amount set. Rate comparison shows each courier's COD fee next to freight for the destination, and seven of the eight couriers collect cash. Verify first-time or high-value COD orders before dispatch, and work failed attempts through NDR management so parcels are re-attempted rather than returned.
Remittance back to your books
Collected cash is remitted on a D+2 cycle into one RouteOneX wallet across all couriers, with order-level statements. Match them to WooCommerce orders and mark them paid, so your sales reports and your bank balance agree.