How to reduce COD returns (RTO) in Pakistan

Every refused parcel costs you twice: the courier charge, and the ad money that brought in an order that never paid. Below is the routine, step by step, from the order coming in to the parcel coming back, with the exact words to use on the call.

What RTO means, and your own rate

RTO is return to origin: a parcel the courier could not deliver and brought back to you. On cash on delivery, the buyer pays nothing until the door, so an RTO earns nothing and still costs delivery.

You will see national return rates quoted online. Treat them with care. There is no audited figure for Pakistan, and every number comes from one courier’s or one seller’s mix of products, cities and ads. The only rate that matters is yours:

Return rate = parcels returned ÷ parcels dispatched × 100

Count it every week, and split it by product, city and courier. A 20% average can hide one product at 40% and the rest at 10%. Then put your rate into the COD profit calculator to see your real profit per order and the highest return rate you can afford before you start losing money.

Why COD parcels come back

Almost every return falls into one of these:

• Nobody meant to order. A fake order, a prank, or a wrong number.
• The buyer changed their mind. They ordered from an ad at night and cooled off by the time the rider called.
• It does not look like the photo. The buyer opens the bag, or hears the price, and the item is not what they expected.
• A surprise at the door. The total is higher than they remember because delivery was not mentioned.
• The rider could not find them. Half an address, a phone that is off, or nobody home.
• It took too long. A week later they bought it somewhere else, or forgot.

Each step below closes one of these.

Confirm every order before you book the courier

If you do only one thing from this page, do this. Before you book a parcel, reach the buyer and get a clear yes. A call works best for a first order. A WhatsApp message works for buyers who do not pick up unknown numbers, and leaves a written record.

• Confirm within a few hours of the order, while the buyer still remembers it.
• Call from a number that has your brand name saved on WhatsApp, so they know who it is.
• If there is no answer, try twice more over the next day, then send one WhatsApp message.
• Do not book an order you could not confirm. Hold it. A buyer who will not answer you for two days will not answer the rider either.
• Note on each order whether it was confirmed, and by call or message.

Be strictest in sale weeks, when orders come in fast. Our guide to the 11.11 sale in Pakistan covers getting ready for November.

What to say on the confirmation call

Keep it under a minute. Most buyers are happy to hear from you; it tells them a real shop is behind the order. Cover these, in this order:

1. Who you are and what they ordered. “Assalam o alaikum, main [brand] se bol raha hoon. Aap ne kal [product], size medium, order kiya tha.”
2. The full amount at the door. “Delivery mila ke total Rs [amount] banta hai, jo aap rider ko denge.” Say the delivery charge out loud. This is where most door surprises are prevented.
3. The address, read back. Ask for the landmark if it is missing.
4. When it will arrive. “In shaa Allah [2–4] din mein pohanch jayega. Rider isi number par call karega, please utha lijiye ga.”
5. A clear yes. “To main dispatch kar doon?” Wait for the answer.

If the buyer hesitates on size or colour, sort it now. A changed order on the phone costs nothing. The same change after the parcel is out costs a return.

Spot fake and impulse orders

Before you even call, look at the order. These are the usual signs:

• A name like “abc”, “test” or a film star, or a name that does not match the voice.
• A phone number with too few digits, or one that is switched off every time.
• An address with just a city, or “near masjid” and nothing else.
• Several orders for the same item from the same number in a few minutes, or the most expensive item with every size added.
• A number that refused a parcel from you before (see the list below).

None of these alone means the order is fake. They mean you confirm it more carefully, and perhaps ask for an advance. Impulse orders often come from ads aimed too wide. If one ad brings cheap orders that keep coming back, the ad is the problem, not the buyers. Cut it and keep the ads whose orders get delivered.

Get an address the rider can find

Pakistani addresses are often a house number, a street that changed its name, and a landmark everyone knows. The rider needs all three. On the confirmation call, ask for:

• House or flat number, street or gali, block or sector.
• Area or mohalla, and the city or town.
• A landmark: a school, a masjid, a well-known shop, a petrol pump.
• A second number, if the buyer has one, for when the first is busy.

Copy it to the courier’s booking exactly as confirmed. A rider who calls a number that is off and cannot find the house marks the parcel “consignee not available”, and it comes back.

If you also take orders in WhatsApp, a prefilled message from the WhatsApp order link generator asks for name, full address with landmark and size up front, so you are not chasing details later.

Photos and size charts that match the parcel

A buyer who refuses because “it is not like the picture” is telling you about your listing. Fix it there:

• Shoot the actual piece in daylight, with no filter that changes the colour. Add one photo on a person or in a hand, so the size is clear.
• Write measurements in inches, not just S, M, L: chest, length, and for shalwar or trousers, length and waist. Say what fabric it is and whether it shrinks.
• State whether a suit is stitched or unstitched, and how many pieces come with it.
• Mention the delivery charge on the product page, so nothing new appears at the door.

Look at your returns by product each week. If one item keeps coming back, check its photos and sizes first. If they are right and it still comes back, stop selling it.

Ship fast, and say when it will arrive

The longer a COD parcel takes, the more likely the buyer has moved on. Book confirmed orders the same day or the next morning, and tell the buyer the day it went out and the tracking number. A short WhatsApp message is enough: “Aap ka parcel aaj [courier] se nikal gaya hai, tracking number [number]. Rider ka call aaye to utha lijiye ga.”

Tell the truth about delivery time. If smaller towns take longer with your courier, say so on the call. A buyer expecting four days is calm on day four. A buyer promised two days starts doubting on day three.

Ask for an advance on risky orders

Cash on delivery is why buyers order from a shop they have never tried, so keep it as the default. For a few orders, an advance makes sense:

• High-value orders, where one refusal wipes out the profit on several sales.
• Buyers who refused a parcel from you before.
• Orders you could only half confirm, or far-off towns with long delivery times.

Ask for the delivery charge, or a part of the price, and take the rest on delivery. Say it plainly: “Order bara hai, is liye hum delivery charges pehle le rahe hain, baqi payment aap rider ko denge.” Genuine buyers rarely mind. Someone who was never going to accept the parcel usually goes quiet, which also saves you the trip.

On Storelala, the buyer can pay by JazzCash, Easypaisa or a debit or credit card at checkout, so a risky order can be paid up front. For a part advance, the buyer sends it by bank transfer or JazzCash or Easypaisa, and you note the transaction ID on the order before you book it. If advances become regular, open a JazzCash business account or Easypaisa merchant account so business money stays apart from your own.

Keep a list of refusers

A buyer who refused once is more likely to refuse again. Keep a simple sheet: phone number, name, city, date, and the reason the courier gave. Before you book any order, check the number against it.

• Read the courier’s reason before you add someone. “Refused” is the buyer. “Address not found” or “not available” may be the rider or the address, so call them first.
• For a number on the list, ask for an advance or do not ship.
• Look for patterns: one area, one product, one ad. That tells you what to fix.

What a return costs at the courier

When a parcel comes back, you usually pay the forward charge, and often a charge for the trip back as well. Terms differ by courier and by account type, and few couriers publish their return charges. One that does: Leopards Retail COD says it has no return fees, as of October 2026. For any other courier, ask for the return charge in writing before you sign up.

Our comparison of the best courier services in Pakistan covers what each courier publishes on returns and payout speed. To see what a parcel will cost to send by weight and city, use the courier charges calculator.

Track your return rate per courier, not just the rate card. A courier that is a little cheaper but delivers fewer of your parcels costs you more per delivered order. On Storelala, PostEx, Leopards and TCS are booked right from the order screen, so at the end of the week you can see which returns went with which courier.

When a return arrives, open it the same day. Check the item, repack it if it is fine, and put it back in stock. If something is missing or damaged, raise it with the courier straight away with photos. Our guide to packaging for an online business covers packing that survives the trip both ways.

Returns hurt more when you do not hold the stock. If you dropship, read dropshipping in Pakistan with COD for who pays for a refused parcel. If your orders come from short videos, the same confirmation routine applies; our guide to selling on TikTok in Pakistan covers turning comments into orders.

Questions sellers ask

What is RTO in e-commerce?

RTO stands for return to origin. It is a parcel that went out but was not delivered, because the buyer refused it, could not be reached or could not be found, so the courier brings it back to you. On cash on delivery, an RTO means no money comes in, and you usually pay the courier anyway.

What is a normal COD return rate in Pakistan?

There is no audited national figure. Numbers you see online come from one courier, one app or one seller’s mix of products and ads. Measure your own: parcels returned divided by parcels dispatched, every week, split by product, city and courier.

How do I stop fake COD orders?

Confirm every order by call or WhatsApp before you book the courier, and do not ship orders you cannot confirm. Watch for made-up names, incomplete addresses, numbers that are switched off, and repeat orders from a number that refused before.

Can I ask a customer for advance payment on a COD order?

Yes, for high-value orders or buyers who refused before, ask for the delivery charge or part of the price in advance by bank or wallet transfer, and take the rest on delivery. Keep it as an option, not a rule for every order, or you will lose buyers who only order on COD.

Who pays the courier when a COD parcel is returned?

Usually the seller. Most couriers charge for the trip out, and many charge for the trip back too. Terms differ by courier and account type, so ask your courier for its return charge in writing before you start.

Storelala is the Shopify alternative in Pakistan: your own store at yourbrand.storelala.com, cash on delivery, JazzCash, Easypaisa and cards at checkout, no marketplace commission, and free to start with no card needed. Start your store and confirm your first orders the right way.