A checkout for how India pays: COD, part payment and prepaid discounts (2026)
Set up an online checkout for Indian shoppers: cash on delivery rules, part payment, a discount for paying online, PIN code autofill, one-tap pay and coupons.
By the Arta team · · 3 min read
In short
Many Indian shoppers still choose cash on delivery, so a good checkout keeps COD for those who want it, gives everyone else a reason to pay online, and holds back the orders most likely to come back. On an Arta site you can offer a discount for paying online, take a part of the payment now and the rest at the door, set COD rules or switch COD off, offer to switch a COD order to online payment, let returning shoppers pay in one tap, fill city and state from the PIN code, and run coupons with rules. A shopper who leaves at checkout gets one WhatsApp reminder 30 minutes later.
Why the checkout matters more in India
Cash on delivery builds trust with a shopper who has never bought from you, but a parcel refused at the door comes back (RTO) and costs you the return. The checkout is where you balance the two: keep COD open for real buyers, make paying online the easier choice, and ask for a small commitment where the risk is higher.
Every setting, and when to use it
**Discount for paying online**
- What the shopper sees
- A lower price for paying by UPI or card, in ₹ or %, as you set it
- Use it when
- You want more orders paid upfront
**Part payment** (partial COD)
- What the shopper sees
- Pay a part now and the rest at the door. You set the amount by order value, in ₹ or %, up to half the order
- Use it when
- Products cost more, so a refused parcel costs more
**COD rules**
- What the shopper sees
- Cash on delivery only where you allow it: order value limits, blocked PIN codes, numbers or products
- Use it when
- Some areas, numbers or products return too often
**COD off**
- What the shopper sees
- Online payment only
- Use it when
- You only want prepaid orders
**COD to prepaid**
- What the shopper sees
- Right after a COD order, an offer to pay online instead
- Use it when
- You want to turn cash orders into paid ones
**One-tap pay**
- What the shopper sees
- Returning shoppers pay without typing an address, after confirming their number
- Use it when
- You have repeat buyers
**PIN code autofill**
- What the shopper sees
- Type 560001 and Bengaluru, Karnataka fills itself in
- Use it when
- Always: fewer typing mistakes, fewer wrong addresses
**Coupons**
- What the shopper sees
- Percent or ₹ off, free shipping, or buy some, get some free
- Use it when
- Launches, first orders, festivals
| Setting | What the shopper sees | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| **Discount for paying online** | A lower price for paying by UPI or card, in ₹ or %, as you set it | You want more orders paid upfront |
| **Part payment** (partial COD) | Pay a part now and the rest at the door. You set the amount by order value, in ₹ or %, up to half the order | Products cost more, so a refused parcel costs more |
| **COD rules** | Cash on delivery only where you allow it: order value limits, blocked PIN codes, numbers or products | Some areas, numbers or products return too often |
| **COD off** | Online payment only | You only want prepaid orders |
| **COD to prepaid** | Right after a COD order, an offer to pay online instead | You want to turn cash orders into paid ones |
| **One-tap pay** | Returning shoppers pay without typing an address, after confirming their number | You have repeat buyers |
| **PIN code autofill** | Type 560001 and Bengaluru, Karnataka fills itself in | Always: fewer typing mistakes, fewer wrong addresses |
| **Coupons** | Percent or ₹ off, free shipping, or buy some, get some free | Launches, first orders, festivals |
Coupons with rules
A coupon can have a minimum order, an end date, a total number of uses and a limit per phone number. It can be for first orders only or for online payment only, and it can be shown at checkout or applied by itself.
The shopper who leaves at checkout
If a shopper gives their number and leaves without ordering, the store sends one friendly WhatsApp reminder 30 minutes later. It isn't sent if that number had a reminder in the last 24 hours, and a shopper can reply STOP.
Buy now, without leaving the page
On an Arta site, Buy now opens the checkout over the product page, with the page still behind it, so the shopper never loses what they were looking at.
Where the money goes
Online payments on your Arta site settle in your own Razorpay account; a brand owner's store on Arta Brands takes them on Arta's Razorpay instead, with no keys to add. Any shipping charge or COD fee you charge your shopper is yours to keep, as your margin is. For products from Arta's catalogue, Arta's suppliers pack each order and Arta ships it and tracks it to the door.
Questions
Can I turn off cash on delivery on my Arta site?
Yes, as long as another way to pay stays on. You can also keep COD on and limit it by order value, PIN code, phone number or product.
How does part payment work?
The shopper pays a part online and the rest at the door. You choose how much, by order value, as a rupee amount or a percentage up to half the order. It needs your Razorpay keys.
Can I give a discount for paying online?
Yes. Set a discount in rupees or a percentage, and shoppers see the lower price when they choose UPI or card.
Does the store remind shoppers who leave at checkout?
Yes. One WhatsApp reminder goes 30 minutes later, never more than one a day to the same number, and shoppers can reply STOP.
Sources
- Arta Sites · checked 25 October 2026
- Arta: how it works · checked 25 October 2026
