Cash on delivery for an Instagram shop: how to organise orders and delivery

How cash on delivery works

1. The customer picks a product and writes their name, phone number and address.
2. The order reaches you, and you confirm it with them if needed.
3. You prepare the order and hand it to the courier, or deliver it yourself.
4. The customer receives the order and pays the amount in cash on the spot.
5. The money reaches you according to your agreement with the courier or delivery company.

Set a delivery fee for each province

The delivery fee differs between provinces, and it is better for the customer to know it before ordering, not after. Write the fee and delivery time for every province you deliver to. An example for illustration only: Baghdad 5,000 IQD within one or two days, and other provinces with a different fee and time. Write your own fees.

If you do not deliver to a province, leave it out, so nobody orders from there and you have to apologise.

Ask for the full address once

The most common reason an order is delayed is an incomplete address. Let the customer write all of this in one step:

• Name.
• Phone number (starting with 07).
• Province.
• Area and nearest landmark.
• Notes, if any.

Reduce returned orders

• Show clear photos and correct details, so the customer is not surprised by the product on delivery.
• List only the colours and sizes you really have, and switch off what is gone.
• Write your exchange policy clearly: how many days, and when an exchange is possible.
• Confirm the order with the customer before sending it if the amount is large.

Record the status of every order

When orders pile up it is hard to remember where each one is. Use fixed statuses:

• New: it arrived and you have not confirmed it yet.
• Confirmed: you agreed with the customer.
• Shipped: it left with the courier.
• Delivered: the customer received it and paid.
• Returned: it was not received or was sent back.

How Tisawag helps

In a Tisawag store the customer chooses their province and sees the delivery fee and time, and writes their full address themselves, so the order reaches you ready on WhatsApp with an order number. You follow the statuses (new, confirmed, shipped, delivered, returned) from the dashboard, and when you mark an order as returned its pieces go back into stock. The customer can check their order by entering their phone number and order number, without messaging you.

The customer pays you directly on delivery, no money from your sales passes through Tisawag, and we take no percentage of it.

Common questions

Can I accept cash on delivery only?

Yes. In Tisawag payment is in cash at delivery, with a delivery fee for each province.

Who sets the delivery fee?

You do. You choose the provinces you deliver to, and the fee and time for each one.

Can the customer see where their order is?

Yes. They enter their phone number and order number on the order tracking page and see its status.

What happens to the stock if an order comes back?

When you mark the order as returned, its pieces go back into your stock.

Read also

• How to open an online store for your Instagram page in Iraq
• How to write a product price so customers do not ask "how much?"
• How to handle returned orders in an Instagram shop
• How to write a product caption so customers order
• How to answer customer messages on Instagram fast
• How to photograph your products with your phone, no studio