When we built a delivery and home services app for Karaikudi, a lot of advice pushed us to remove cash on delivery. It is messy, riders carry cash, reconciliation is hard.
We kept it, and made it a permanent option. Here is why.
Design for the town you are in
In Karaikudi, many customers are ordering from an app for the first time. Paying before they see the rider is a big ask. Removing cash would not have moved them to UPI. It would have moved them back to a phone call.
Make cash traceable instead
- Every amount is stored in whole paise, so payouts add up to the last rupee.
- The price is shown before the customer confirms. No surprises at the door.
- A handover code closes each order, so the customer knows the right person arrived.
- Cash collected is tied to the order and the rider, so the day's numbers are clear by evening.
The same thinking went into Shoppyti. There, the cash on delivery limit grows as a buyer's orders are delivered, and resets if an order comes back. Trust is earned, and the system remembers it.
