How to Set Up Shipping and Delivery for Your Online Store in Nepal (2026 Guide)

You can have the best products, the best prices, and a beautiful store — but if the parcel arrives late, damaged, or not at all, the customer never comes back. In Nepal, where cash on delivery (COD) still dominates online shopping, delivery isn't a back-office chore. It is the customer experience. Here's how to set it up properly, step by step, using the delivery tools built into your InstaPasal store.

[!IMPORTANT] Before touching any settings, decide three things: (1) Will you offer cash on delivery, online payment, or both? (2) Which areas can you realistically serve — inside the Valley, outside, or nationwide? (3) How many days do you actually need to deliver? Promise that number, not a better one.

Why Delivery Makes or Breaks Nepali eCommerce

• COD is the default trust signal. Most Nepali shoppers still want to see and hold the product before paying. Offering cash on delivery removes the biggest hesitation for first-time buyers — and you can accept online payments side by side for customers who prefer them.
• One late parcel costs more than one order. A disappointed customer doesn't just refuse the parcel; they tell their group chats. A delivered-on-time parcel quietly produces repeat orders.
• Reviews follow delivery. Happy unboxings turn into positive reviews on your store and social pages — free marketing you can't buy.

Step 1: Choose Your Delivery Model

There is no single "right" model in Nepal — pick the one that matches your products and margins:

• Own delivery (Valley first): If you sell in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, or Bhaktapur, hiring a rider or partnering with a local delivery person is usually fastest and cheapest for same-day or next-day drops.
• Courier for outside the Valley: For Pokhara, Biratnagar, Butwal, and beyond, established courier services cover most district headquarters in roughly 2–5 days. Compare rates per kilogram before you commit.
• Customer pickup: For high-value items, letting customers collect from your location builds personal trust and eliminates delivery risk entirely.

Start narrow — perfect delivery inside one city beats unreliable delivery across all seven provinces.

Step 2: Turn On Cash on Delivery

In your InstaPasal dashboard, go to Store → Payment and switch COD on. Your store now accepts cash on delivery at checkout, alongside any payment methods you've activated — including your store's Payment QR for direct bank/wallet transfers.

• COD on + QR visible covers both types of customers: the "I'll pay when it reaches me" majority and the "I'll transfer now for a discount" digital-first buyer.
• For expensive items, it's reasonable to ask for a partial advance (e.g., 20–30% by eSewa/Khalti transfer) to filter out joke orders — mention it in your policy.

Step 3: Set Your Delivery Time Slots

This is the feature most Nepali stores ignore — and it's a differentiator. In Store → Delivery, switch on Apply Delivery Time, then add your Delivery Time Slots for each day of the week — for example, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM on Sunday through Friday.

• Customers pick a slot that suits them at checkout, which cuts "where is my parcel?" calls dramatically.
• Slots turn delivery from "sometime today" into an appointment — the single biggest driver of successful first-attempt deliveries.
• Keep slots honest: if Sunday is your packing day, don't offer Sunday slots.

Step 4: Write Your Delivery/Shipping Policy

Also in Store → Delivery, fill in the Delivery/Shipping Policy box. This text appears on your storefront and settles arguments before they start. A good policy answers:

• Where do you deliver? (e.g., "Inside Ring Road daily; outside Valley via courier.")
• What does delivery cost? (e.g., "Rs 100 inside the Valley, Rs 150–300 outside depending on weight and district.")
• How long does it take? (e.g., "Same or next day inside the Valley; 2–5 days outside.")
• What about returns? (e.g., "Check the product in front of the delivery person; defective items replaced free within 3 days.")

Write it in simple English or Nepali — clarity beats formality. If you also need to publish full legal terms, you can add them as a custom page on your store.

Step 5: Handle Delivery Charges Intelligently

The shipping amount appears as its own line on the order invoice, so customers always see exactly what delivery costs — no surprises at the door. Two proven ways to price it:

• Flat and simple: One rate inside the Valley, one outside. Easy to understand, easy to quote on Facebook.
• Free above a threshold: "Free delivery on orders above Rs 3,000" nudges customers to add one more item — often paying for the delivery subsidy by itself.

Avoid hiding charges until checkout. Nepali customers abandon carts over surprise fees faster than over price.

Step 6: Package, Dispatch, and Follow Up

• Package for the journey, not the shelf. Waterproof plastic wrap is essential in the monsoon; bubble wrap anything fragile; seal with tape so the parcel can't be opened quietly in transit.
• Confirm before dispatch. A quick call or Viber message the day before delivery prevents the most common COD failure: the unreachable customer.
• Send proof. A photo of the packed parcel with the courier receipt builds confidence for outside-Valley orders.
• Follow up after delivery. Two days later, ask "Did everything arrive okay?" and politely request a review. This one message is where repeat orders are born.

Common Delivery Problems and Fixes

Conclusion

Delivery is the moment your store becomes real in the customer's hands. Turn on COD where it makes sense, publish honest time slots and a clear policy, package like a professional, and follow up after every parcel. Do that consistently and your delivery reputation becomes a marketing channel of its own — the same way a custom .com.np domain builds trust before the first click.

Set up your delivery settings today — it takes ten minutes and wins orders for months.

Open Your InstaPasal Dashboard →

Last updated: October 26, 2026