Cash on Delivery
COD still moves a significant share of UAE e-commerce, especially outside Dubai and among first-time buyers. We collect cash at the door on every shipment, reconcile the same day at our cashier in Ras Al Khor, and pay you out on a weekly cycle. Below is how it actually works in practice.
What is Cash on Delivery?
Section titled “What is Cash on Delivery?”Cash on Delivery (COD) is the payment method where the buyer pays for the order in physical AED cash when our driver hands the parcel over at the door. Our driver collects the cash, captures photo and signature proof, then reconciles to our cashier at end of shift the same day. Once reconciled, the amount enters your COD ledger and pays out on the next cycle. Service detail in Cash on Delivery and the operational flow in COD reconciliation.
Do you offer COD across all Emirates?
Section titled “Do you offer COD across all Emirates?”Yes. COD collection runs on every parcel we deliver across all seven Emirates, including remote zones served by sub-contracted carriers. The reconciliation cycle and the fee structure are the same regardless of where the order ships, so a COD order in Fujairah pays out on the same Tuesday as a COD order in JBR. POS-on-delivery (card terminal) is currently live in Dubai only.
Is there a COD limit per order?
Section titled “Is there a COD limit per order?”Yes. Standard ceiling is AED 5000 per order. Anything above that needs pre-approval from your account manager and a buyer ID check at the door (Emirates ID for residents, passport for visitors). Some categories (jewellery, gold, premium electronics, designer goods) have stricter category-specific ceilings tied to our cash-in-transit insurance. Tell us upfront if you ship high-AOV SKUs and we will pre-clear the limit on your account.
How do I get paid for COD orders?
Section titled “How do I get paid for COD orders?”Bank transfer in AED to your registered UAE business account. Every payout comes with a clear reconciliation report attached, listing every order in the cycle, every collection at the door, every refused delivery with the refusal reason, and every fee deducted. International bank accounts are supported on request, with bank charges passed through. Payment method options for the seller side are documented in payment methods.
When are payouts processed?
Section titled “When are payouts processed?”Weekly. The previous Monday-to-Sunday window of net COD lands in your account every Tuesday. Your payout cycle is set during onboarding, so the first payout date is on your account from day one. The reconciliation logic, the cycle close, and the dispute window are documented in COD reconciliation.
Is there a COD fee?
Section titled “Is there a COD fee?”Yes. The COD fee covers cash handling at the door, daily reconciliation at our cashier, the cash-in-transit insurance, and the bank transfer to you. Current rate: 2.5% of order value, with a minimum of AED 5 per order. Refused-at-door COD orders are not billed the COD fee, only the standard last-mile delivery rate and the returns fee. Full breakdown in COD fee.
What if the customer refuses to pay?
Section titled “What if the customer refuses to pay?”Refusal at the door means we leave with the parcel. The seller is not charged the COD service fee on a refused order, but the standard last-mile fee (the trip happened) and the return fee (the parcel comes back to our warehouse) still apply. The refusal is logged in your dashboard with the reason captured by the driver: “buyer not home”, “buyer changed mind”, “address wrong”, “wrong item ordered”, and so on. Pattern detail in returns process.
Can the customer pay partially?
Section titled “Can the customer pay partially?”No. We collect the full amount or we leave with the parcel. Half-paid orders create reconciliation gaps that are ugly for both sides and impossible to resolve cleanly later. If a buyer wants to pay partial because they only want some of the items, we ask them to refuse the order; you re-list the available items on the storefront and re-ship. Cleaner for the books, cleaner for the buyer relationship.
Do drivers accept card on delivery?
Section titled “Do drivers accept card on delivery?”Yes, in Dubai. Our drivers carry portable POS terminals that accept all major UAE-issued cards (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay). The other Emirates are on the rollout plan. Card-on-delivery counts toward the same payout cycle as cash, with the same reconciliation report. We charge no extra fee for POS-on-delivery beyond the standard COD service fee, so the buyer’s payment method does not change your unit economics.
Can I see my real-time COD balance?
Section titled “Can I see my real-time COD balance?”Yes. Your SamVertex account shows the real-time COD balance between payouts, updated as drivers close their shifts and reconciliation completes. Each payout cycle ships with a downloadable statement (CSV and PDF) that reconciles to the per-order detail. Detail in COD reconciliation.
What if COD cash is lost or stolen?
Section titled “What if COD cash is lost or stolen?”Cash is insured from the moment our driver collects at the door to the moment it lands in your bank payout. If a reconciliation gap is traced to driver error, theft, or in-transit loss, we cover it from our side; the seller is never out of pocket on a SamVertex-side incident. Buyer-side fraud (counterfeit notes, switched items at the door) is a separate flow handled through disputes.
Do you accept currencies other than AED?
Section titled “Do you accept currencies other than AED?”No. We collect AED only at the door. UAE retail buyers pay in AED, and accepting foreign currency at the door creates exchange disputes, reconciliation gaps, and customer-service problems we will not absorb. If a buyer offers USD or another currency, the driver politely declines and asks the buyer to source AED, otherwise the parcel returns and the order is treated as a refusal.
Can a customer pay part cash and part card?
Section titled “Can a customer pay part cash and part card?”Yes, in Dubai where our drivers carry POS terminals. The driver can split the total collection between cash and card; both pieces are reconciled to the same order, both pay out in the same cycle. The full amount has to be collected before the parcel is handed over (no part-pay-then-deliver). Useful for higher-AOV orders where the buyer is not carrying enough cash on hand.