Shipping with cash on delivery in Egypt

How COD works, in one minute

The courier delivers the parcel and collects the cash from your customer. It deducts its fees, then transfers the rest to you on a schedule. That schedule is called remittance, and it is the number most sellers forget to ask about.

Your real cost is the shipping rate, plus the COD fee, plus the fee on returned parcels, plus the cost of waiting for your cash.

Couriers that collect cash on delivery

Computed live from our data. Providers are sorted by the fastest published remittance first. Where a fee or schedule is not published, it shows as not published, and you should ask for it in writing.

What to compare

1. Base rate for your usual zone and weight. Some couriers publish a rate card ^[1], others quote per merchant.
2. COD fee. It is usually a percentage of the collected amount, a fixed fee, or both, sometimes with a minimum. Ask which applies.
3. Remittance days and method. How many days after delivery do you get paid, and is it a bank transfer, a wallet or a pickup of cash? Does the schedule run on working days only?
4. Return fee. Whether you pay the full shipping rate again for a returned parcel, a reduced rate, or nothing.
5. VAT. Some price lists exclude 14% VAT ^[1][4], so add it before comparing.
6. Coverage. Check the governorates you actually sell to. Remote areas often cost more or are excluded ^[2].

Open-package policy

Open-package means the customer may open the parcel and inspect it before paying. Policies vary: some couriers allow it, some allow it only on request, some do not allow it at all. Customers often expect it, so a courier that refuses it can raise your refusal rate.

Few couriers publish this clearly. The list below shows those that do.

Returns and refused parcels

• Set your return policy first. Egypt's Consumer Protection Agency publishes the rules that apply to sellers ^[3]. Read them, or ask an adviser, before you promise anything to customers.
• Ask the courier how many delivery attempts it makes and after how long a parcel is returned to you.
• Ask how returns are priced and how long the parcel takes to come back to you.
• Confirm who is responsible for lost or damaged parcels and what compensation is paid.
• Keep a record of the waybill number, the customer phone number and the delivery attempts. You will need them in a dispute.

Ways to cut the cash-flow gap

• Pick the courier with the shortest remittance when two couriers cost the same.
• Ask for a weekly or twice-weekly payout instead of waiting for a full cycle.
• Confirm customers by phone or WhatsApp before dispatch to lower refusals.
• Offer an online payment option next to COD. A gateway that supports wallets and InstaPay moves the payment before the parcel leaves.

Checklist before you sign

1. Get a written rate card with VAT stated.
2. Get the COD fee formula and the minimum, if any.
3. Get the remittance days, the payout method and the payout day.
4. Get the return fee and the number of delivery attempts.
5. Get the open-package policy in writing.
6. Send five test parcels to different areas and measure delivery time and the first payout.
7. Check how the courier handles complaints and whether you get a live tracking page.

Quick answers

• Who pays the COD fee? Usually the seller, deducted from the collected cash. Confirm it in the contract.
• Can I ship to every governorate? Only where the courier covers. Check the coverage list before you advertise.
• What if the customer is not home? Couriers retry a set number of times and then return the parcel. Ask for the number and the fee.
• Is a rate card enough? It is a good start, but fuel surcharges, pickup fees and weight rules can change the final bill.

Questions to ask on the first call

1. How do you handle a customer who refuses at the door, and what do I pay?
2. Can I get a daily statement of collected cash and fees?
3. Do you offer pickup from my location, and is it free above a minimum volume?
4. What is the process for a disputed amount or a missing payout?