Setting up shipping for your online store in India, the right way

Shipping is where online selling becomes real. A great store can still disappoint customers if parcels arrive late, charges are confusing or tracking is missing. The good news: with the right setup, shipping in India can run almost on autopilot.

Step 1: Decide what you will charge customers

There are three common approaches:

• Free shipping on everything. Simple and attractive, but you must build the cost into your prices.
• Flat-rate shipping. One fixed charge per order. Easy to understand.
• Free shipping above a minimum order value. The most popular option. It encourages customers to add one more item to qualify.

Whatever you choose, show it clearly on product pages and in the cart. Surprise charges at checkout are one of the biggest causes of abandoned carts.

Step 2: Choose between direct couriers and an aggregator

You can sign up with courier companies directly, but most growing brands use a shipping aggregator such as Shiprocket, which connects you to many couriers through one dashboard.

Aggregators let you:

• Compare rates across couriers for each order
• Book pickups and print labels in bulk
• Offer COD with remittance handled for you
• Send automatic tracking updates to customers
• Manage returns and non-delivery reports in one place

For most brands shipping fewer than a few thousand orders a month, an aggregator is simpler and often cheaper.

Step 3: Connect it to your store

Shopify and WooCommerce both integrate with popular aggregators. Once connected, new orders sync automatically, so you can book shipments without copying addresses by hand.

Make sure your product weights and package sizes are accurate. Couriers charge by the higher of actual or volumetric weight, and wrong weights lead to surprise charges later.

Step 4: Plan for cash on delivery

COD remains important in India, but it comes with risks:

• RTO (return to origin): customers refuse the parcel and you pay shipping both ways.
• Delayed cash: COD money reaches you later than prepaid payments.

Ways to reduce COD problems:

• Confirm COD orders by WhatsApp or call before shipping
• Add a small COD charge, or offer a discount for prepaid orders
• Restrict COD to certain pin codes or order values
• Watch for repeat refusers and block them

Step 5: Keep customers informed

Customers feel far more relaxed when they know where their order is. Make sure they receive:

1. An order confirmation straight away
2. A shipping confirmation with a tracking link
3. Delivery updates (the aggregator can send these automatically)

Adding a simple “Track your order” page to your store also cuts down on “Where is my order?” messages.

Step 6: Write a clear shipping policy

Your shipping policy should cover delivery times by region, shipping charges, COD availability and what happens if a parcel is delayed or lost. It builds trust with customers, and payment gateways usually require it.

Step 7: Build a daily routine

Order processing works best as a routine: check new orders, confirm COD orders, book pickups, pack, hand over to the courier and share tracking. Done daily, it takes minutes. Left for a few days, it becomes a mountain.

Want this handled for you?

Our store management service includes order processing: fulfilling orders, booking couriers and sharing tracking with your customers, every day. You pack the parcels; we take care of the rest. Get a quote.