In Nigerian e-commerce, delivery is often where a sale is won or lost. Customers want to know what delivery will cost and when it will arrive before they pay, and many still want the option to pay on delivery. Shopify can handle this well, if you set it up deliberately.
Start With Your Delivery Reality
Before you touch settings, decide how you will actually deliver: your own riders for local orders, a courier partner for other cities, or a mix. Your shipping rates must cover the real cost to you, including packaging, or every sale quietly loses money.
Setting Up Shipping Rates in Shopify
- Flat rates — one price per order or per delivery area. Simple and easy for customers to understand.
- Weight-based rates — useful if your products vary a lot in weight.
- Price-based rates — such as free delivery above a set order value, which can lift your average order size.
- Local delivery or pickup — for customers who live near you and prefer to collect.
Delivery prices that differ by city or state are common in Nigeria. How finely you can split rates depends on your Shopify settings and plan, so if you need state-by-state pricing, a developer can configure it or connect a shipping rates app.
Offering Cash on Delivery
Shopify lets you add manual payment methods, including cash on delivery and bank deposit, alongside your online payment provider. Many Nigerian shoppers like the reassurance of paying when the goods arrive.
Cash on delivery also carries risk: customers who are not available, refuse delivery or cannot pay on arrival cost you the delivery and the time. Ways to reduce this:
- Confirm every cash on delivery order by phone or WhatsApp before dispatching.
- Limit cash on delivery to areas you can serve reliably.
- Ask for a small upfront payment on high-value orders.
- Offer a discount or priority dispatch for customers who pay online.
Be Clear About Delivery on Your Store
- Show delivery costs and estimated times on product pages or in the cart, not only at the last step.
- Publish a clear delivery and returns policy page.
- Send customers tracking details or a dispatch message on WhatsApp.
Common Mistakes
- Setting delivery rates too low to cover real costs.
- Hiding delivery fees until the final checkout step.
- Offering cash on delivery everywhere with no confirmation step.
- No stated delivery timeline, which causes repeat “where is my order” messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Shopify show different delivery prices for different locations?
Yes, Shopify supports different shipping rates for different delivery zones. How finely you can split them depends on your settings, and a developer can set up more detailed pricing for you.
Can I offer cash on delivery on Shopify?
Yes. Shopify supports manual payment methods such as cash on delivery, which you can offer next to your online payment provider.
Should I offer free delivery?
Free delivery above a minimum order value is a popular way to increase order size, as long as your product margins can absorb the cost.
How do I reduce failed cash on delivery orders?
Confirm each order with the customer before dispatch, restrict the option to reliable delivery areas, and consider a small upfront payment on larger orders.
Need shipping and checkout set up the right way for Nigeria?
See our Shopify developer services or book a consultation.