How to Handle Pay on Delivery in Nigeria

Pay on delivery sells more, especially to first-time customers. It also sends your stock out before you have the money.

You can still offer it. You just should not offer it to everyone, on every order, with no rule.

Quick answer

Offer pay on delivery only inside areas you can control, confirm the order by call before dispatch, and do not release the goods until payment shows.

A workable rule

1. Limit where you offer it

Same-city delivery you can reach again is safer than interstate. If the parcel has to leave with a courier you cannot call back, take payment first.

2. Confirm before the rider leaves

Call the number. Repeat the item, the amount, and the address. A chat that goes quiet after “POD please” is not a confirmed order.

3. Cap the order size

A ₦8,000 accessory is a different risk from a ₦80,000 phone or a full carton. Set a ceiling. Above it, payment comes first.

4. Do not hand over goods for a screenshot

The rider or you should see the alert in the account, or collect cash, before the customer takes the item. “I have transferred” is not payment.

5. Count returned POD as a cost

Failed deliveries still cost dispatch, packaging, and sometimes damaged goods. If POD no-shows are common, stop offering it to new customers, or add a small confirmation fee.

What to avoid

• sending your last piece of a fast seller on POD
• letting the rider negotiate a new price at the gate
• marking the order paid before the money is actually in

How Fisco helps

Fisco keeps the order, the payment status, and the customer in one place, so a POD order is not just a WhatsApp voice note. For fee setup, see how to set delivery fees for your business in Nigeria.