{"id":8013,"date":"2026-10-25T14:43:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T07:43:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adtek.agency\/glossary\/cod\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T14:43:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T07:43:30","slug":"cod","status":"publish","type":"mona_glossary","link":"https:\/\/adtek.agency\/en\/glossary\/cod\/","title":{"rendered":"COD (Cash on Delivery)"},"content":{"rendered":"

COD (cash on delivery) is a way of buying where the customer pays when the goods arrive instead of paying upfront at checkout. In Vietnamese ecommerce, the delivery company collects the cash and passes it back to the marketplace or the seller.<\/p>\n

What is COD?<\/h2>\n

The Cambridge dictionary describes cash on delivery as a method of payment in which the buyer pays for the goods at the time they receive them (Cambridge Dictionary, cash on delivery, accessed October 2026<\/a>). Vietnamese online sellers call a cash-collecting delivery “ship COD.”<\/p>\n

Not everyone searching “COD meaning” wants the payment sense. COD is also short for the Call of Duty game series, and “cod” in English is a fish. This entry covers the payment meaning only.<\/p>\n

How a COD order works<\/h2>\n
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  1. The buyer picks “Cash on delivery” at checkout.<\/li>\n
  2. The seller packs the order and hands it to the carrier.<\/li>\n
  3. The courier delivers and collects the cash. If the buyer refuses the parcel or several delivery attempts fail, the order becomes a failed delivery and goes back to the seller.<\/li>\n
  4. The collected cash is reconciled and paid out to the marketplace or seller.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Vietnam’s Law on E-commerce No. 122\/2025\/QH15, effective July 1, 2026, requires platforms with online ordering to show the payment method clearly so buyers agree to it before ordering (Article 12). Logistics providers that collect sales proceeds must give their payment account details so buyers can choose how to pay (Article 34) (Official Gazette, Law No. 122\/2025\/QH15, December 2025<\/a>).<\/p>\n

    How marketplaces handle failed COD deliveries<\/h2>\n

    On Shopee, an order moves to “Failed delivery” once it starts returning to the seller. The seller pays the return-leg shipping, from buyer back to seller (Shopee Seller Centre, Managing failed delivery orders, accessed October 2026<\/a>). According to Shopee’s PiShip guide, the seller’s share of that return fee is capped at VND 40,000 per order (VND 20,000 for express orders), and Shopee covers the rest for shops using PiShip (Shopee Seller Centre, PiShip shipping savings package, accessed October 2026<\/a>).<\/p>\n

    If a returned parcel arrives damaged or incomplete, the seller has 7 days from receiving it to file a claim with Shopee (per the failed delivery page above).<\/p>\n

    The cost of failed COD deliveries (hypothetical)<\/h2>\n

    A fashion shop sells a shirt for VND 300,000. It costs VND 120,000, and shipping is VND 30,000 each way, paid by the shop. This month there are 100 COD orders, and 15 fail.<\/p>\n