Cash on delivery

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A British cash on delivery registered letter from 1940s London showing 4s 7d due on delivery. British cash on delivery cover 1940s.jpg
A British cash on delivery registered letter from 1940s London showing 4s 7d due on delivery.

Cash on delivery (COD), sometimes called payment on delivery, [1] cash on demand, payment on demand or collect on delivery [2] is the sale of goods by mail order where payment is made on delivery rather than in advance. If the goods are not paid for, they are returned to the retailer. [3] Originally, the term applied only to payment by cash but as other forms of payment have become more common, the word "cash" has sometimes been replaced with the word "collect" to include transactions by checks, money orders, credit cards or debit cards.

Contents

Advantages and disadvantages for retailers

Advantages of COD for online or mail order retailers:

Disadvantages of COD for online or mail order retailers:

Limits

Most operators impose a limit on the amount of money that can be collected per delivery or per day using COD services. Limits may be higher for non-cash payments. Canada Post, for instance, applies a limit of C$1,000 for cash, but C$5,000 for payment by check or money order. [4]

Cash on delivery order management

Cash on Delivery (COD) is a widely practiced payment method in e-commerce, allowing customers to make payments for their orders in cash upon delivery. Managing COD orders involves a straightforward and reliable process to ensure seamless transactions between online retailers and customers. [5]

Order Processing and Payment Status:

Accounting

Cash accounting is an advantageous approach for eCommerce businesses handling Cash on Delivery (COD) payments, allowing revenue recognition only when the payment is received. With real-time revenue recognition, this method ensures accuracy in financial reporting, simplifies the accounting process, and provides a transparent view of the company's financial performance. By recording revenue upon successful collection of payment, cash accounting facilitates efficient management of COD orders, benefiting both the business and its stakeholders. [6]

Popularity in the developing world

In some countries COD remains a popular option with internet-based retailers, since it is far easier to set up for small businesses and does not require the purchaser to have a credit card. Many small businesses prefer cash payment to credit card payment, as it avoids credit card processing fees. Some shops also offer discounts if paid in cash, because they can offer a better price to the consumer.

COD is a widely used model in India. [7] The overwhelming majority of e-shopping transactions in the Middle East are COD. Sixty percent of online transactions in the UAE and Middle East are done by cash on delivery [8] and this has also led to the growth of courier companies offering a COD service. [9]

Cash on delivery is also the most preferred method in Eastern and Central Europe, where a large number of consumers refuse to pay in advance before receiving the product. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debit card</span> Card used for financial transactions, usually without a credit line

A debit card, also known as a check card or bank card, is a payment card that can be used in place of cash to make purchases. The card usually consists of the bank's name, a card number, the cardholder's name, and an expiration date, on either the front or the back. Many of the new cards now have a chip on them, which allows people to use their card by touch (contactless), or by inserting the card and keying in a PIN as with swiping the magnetic stripe. These are similar to a credit card, but unlike a credit card, the money for the purchase must be in the cardholder's bank account at the time of the purchase and is immediately transferred directly from that account to the merchant's account to pay for the purchase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point of sale</span> Time and place where a retail transaction is completed

The point of sale (POS) or point of purchase (POP) is the time and place at which a retail transaction is completed. At the point of sale, the merchant calculates the amount owed by the customer, indicates that amount, may prepare an invoice for the customer, and indicates the options for the customer to make payment. It is also the point at which a customer makes a payment to the merchant in exchange for goods or after provision of a service. After receiving payment, the merchant may issue a receipt for the transaction, which is usually printed but can also be dispensed with or sent electronically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accounts receivable</span> Claims for payment held by a business

Accounts receivable, abbreviated as AR or A/R, are legally enforceable claims for payment held by a business for goods supplied or services rendered that customers have ordered but not paid for. The accounts receivable process involves customer onboarding, invoicing, collections, deductions, exception management, and finally, cash posting after the payment is collected. These are generally in the form of invoices raised by a business and delivered to the customer for payment within an agreed time frame. Accounts receivable is shown in a balance sheet as an asset. It is one of a series of accounting transactions dealing with the billing of a customer for goods and services that the customer has ordered. These may be distinguished from notes receivable, which are debts created through formal legal instruments called promissory notes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interac</span> Canadian interbank network

Interac is a Canadian interbank network that links financial institutions and other enterprises for the purpose of exchanging electronic financial transactions. Interac serves as the Canadian debit card system and the predominant funds transfer network via its e-Transfer service. There are over 59,000 automated teller machines that can be accessed through the Interac network in Canada, and over 450,000 merchant locations accepting Interac debit payments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Online shopping</span> Form of electronic commerce

Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser or a mobile app. Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of the retailer directly or by searching among alternative vendors using a shopping search engine, which displays the same product's availability and pricing at different e-retailers. As of 2020, customers can shop online using a range of different computers and devices, including desktop computers, laptops, tablet computers and smartphones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Receipt</span> Written acknowledgment that a person has received money or property in payment

A receipt is a document acknowledging that a person has received money or property in payment following a sale or other transfer of goods or provision of a service. All receipts must have the date of purchase on them. If the recipient of the payment is legally required to collect sales tax or VAT from the customer, the amount would be added to the receipt, and the collection would be deemed to have been on behalf of the relevant tax authority. In many countries, a retailer is required to include the sales tax or VAT in the displayed price of goods sold, from which the tax amount would be calculated at the point of sale and remitted to the tax authorities in due course. Similarly, amounts may be deducted from amounts payable, as in the case of taxes withheld from wages. On the other hand, tips or other gratuities that are given by a customer, for example in a restaurant, would not form part of the payment amount or appear on the receipt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheque</span> Method of payment

A cheque, or check, is a document that orders a bank to pay a specific amount of money from a person's account to the person in whose name the cheque has been issued. The person writing the cheque, known as the drawer, has a transaction banking account where the money is held. The drawer writes various details including the monetary amount, date, and a payee on the cheque, and signs it, ordering their bank, known as the drawee, to pay the amount of money stated to the payee.

An e-commerce payment system facilitates the acceptance of electronic payment for offline transfer, also known as a subcomponent of electronic data interchange (EDI), e-commerce payment systems have become increasingly popular due to the widespread use of the internet-based shopping and banking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revenue recognition</span>

The revenue recognition principle is a cornerstone of accrual accounting together with the matching principle. They both determine the accounting period in which revenues and expenses are recognized. According to the principle, revenues are recognized when they are realized or realizable, and are earned, no matter when cash is received. In cash accounting—in contrast—revenues are recognized when cash is received no matter when goods or services are sold.

A direct debit or direct withdrawal is a financial transaction in which one organisation withdraws funds from a payer's bank account. Formally, the organisation that calls for the funds instructs their bank to collect an amount directly from another's bank account designated by the payer and pay those funds into a bank account designated by the payee. Before the payer's banker will allow the transaction to take place, the payer must have advised the bank that they have authorized the payee to directly draw the funds. It is also called pre-authorized debit (PAD) or pre-authorized payment (PAP). After the authorities are set up, the direct debit transactions are usually processed electronically.

A payment gateway is a merchant service provided by an e-commerce application service provider that authorizes credit card or direct payments processing for e-businesses, online retailers, bricks and clicks, or traditional brick and mortar. The payment gateway may be provided by a bank to its customers, but can be provided by a specialised financial service provider as a separate service, such as a payment service provider.

B2B e-commerce, short for business-to-business electronic commerce, is the sale of goods or services between businesses via an online sales portal. In general, it is used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a company's sales efforts. Instead of receiving orders using human assets manually – by telephone or e-mail – orders are received digitally, reducing overhead costs.

The term mobile commerce was originally coined in 1997 by Kevin Duffey at the launch of the Global Mobile Commerce Forum, to mean "the delivery of electronic commerce capabilities directly into the consumer’s hand, anywhere, via wireless technology." Many choose to think of Mobile Commerce as meaning "a retail outlet in your customer’s pocket."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Credit card</span> Card for financial transactions from a line of credit

A credit card is a payment card issued to users (cardholders) to enable the cardholder to pay a merchant for goods and services based on the cardholder's accrued debt. The card issuer creates a revolving account and grants a line of credit to the cardholder, from which the cardholder can borrow money for payment to a merchant or as a cash advance. There are two credit card groups: consumer credit cards and business credit cards. Most cards are plastic, but some are metal cards, and a few gemstone-encrusted metal cards.

PayPal Credit, formerly named Bill Me Later (BML), is a proprietary payment method offered on the websites of many well-known merchants, including those of Wal-Mart, Home Depot, USPS, eBay, B&H Photo Video, Best Buy, Overstock.com, JetBlue Airways, Liquidation Channel, Jewelry Television and Hotels.com. The site, which offers consumers a line of revolving credit through Synchrony Bank, allows purchases to be made online without using a credit card. The company was one of the first recipients of the Red Herring Global 100 Award by the publication Red Herring.

Customer to customer markets provide a way to allow customers to interact with each other. Traditional markets require business to customer relationships, in which a customer goes to the business in order to purchase a product or service. In customer to customer markets, the business facilitates an environment where customers can sell goods or services to each other. Other types of markets include business to business (B2B) and business to customer (B2C).

Online Banking ePayments (OBeP) is a type of payments network, developed by the banking industry in conjunction with technology providers. It is specifically designed to address the unique requirements of payments made via the Internet.

E-commerce or electric commerce in Southeast Asia is the buying and selling of products and services over the internet in the countries of Southeast Asia. These practices reached Southeast Asia during the dot-com mania in the 1990s. After the dot-com bust, local e-companies have seen promising growth in this sector.

There are many types of e-commerce models', based on market segmentation, that can be used to conducted business online. The 6 types of business models that can be used in e-commerce include: Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Consumer-to-Business (C2B), Business-to-Business (B2B), Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C), Business-to-Administration (B2A), and Consumer-to-Administration

Card transaction data is financial data generally collected through the transfer of funds between a card holder's account and a business's account. It consists of the use of either a debit card or a credit card to generate data on the transfer for the purchase of goods or services. Transaction data describes an action composed of events in which master data participates. Transaction focuses on the price, discount and method of payment interaction between the customer and the organization. They are based on volatility as each transaction data changes every time a purchase is made, one time it could be $10, the next $55. Since debit and credit cards are commonly used to pay for goods and services, they represent a strong percentage of the consumption expenditure in the country.

References

  1. https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/payment-on-delivery
  2. "Cash on Delivery (COD)".
  3. Cash On Delivery – COD Investopedia , 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  4. Collect on Delivery (COD). Canada Post, 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013. Archived here.
  5. "Cash on Delivery | Uvodo Help Center". help.uvodo.com. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  6. "Cash on Delivery: What is COD and how does it work? | Small Businesses". uvodo.com. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  7. Jalote, Pankaj; Natarajan, Pari (2019). "The Growth and Evolution of India's Software Industry". Communications of the ACM. Vol. 62, no. 11. pp. 64–69. doi:10.1145/3347863 . Retrieved 2020-08-28.
  8. Hamid, Triska (2014-05-14). "Cash on delivery the biggest obstacle to e-commerce in UAE and region". Plugged In. The National . Abu Dhabi. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014.
  9. "Cash on Delivery: Courier Perspective". Parzel Express. 2014-11-17. Archived from the original on 2014-12-14.
  10. Georgi Kolev (2023-08-25). "Na voljo je osebni prevzem s plačilom s kartico". Hiška 24 (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2023-08-25.