How to start selling cash on delivery with your online store

Why cash on delivery?

The cash on delivery (COD) model is the most widely used in Latin America for online sales. The customer places the order, you deliver the product, and collect payment at that moment.

No payment gateways, no card declines, no friction.

The numbers confirm it: 25% of online shoppers in LATAM abandon their cart because they don't trust the site enough to enter their card details. With COD, that problem disappears. Cash on delivery still accounts for 15% to 17% of transactions in markets like Colombia, Peru, and Mexico.

What you need before getting started

Before creating your store, have the following ready:

• Photos of your products — square images of at least 800x800px in JPG, PNG, or WebP format
• Defined prices — sale price and, if applicable, compare-at price to show discounts
• Delivery zone — decide whether you'll offer home delivery, store pickup, or both
• Contact method — a WhatsApp number or email where your customers can reach you

Step 1: Create your account

Signing up is free and takes less than 2 minutes. You only need:

• An email address
• To set your country and currency

When you sign up, you get the Starter plan which includes up to 15 products, 120 orders per month, and 3 categories — enough to validate your business without spending a penny.

Step 2: Add your products

From the admin panel, go to Products → Add Product. Each product needs:

• Product name (required)
• Sale price
• At least one image (you can upload up to 5 per product)
• Description with a rich text editor
• Category to organize your catalog

Tips for better products

• Use the compare-at price to visually show discounts (e.g.: $50 → $35)
• Add a SKU if you manage inventory
• Enable inventory tracking so stock is automatically deducted with each order
• If you sell products with options (size, color), use variants — each one can have its own price and stock

Step 3: Organize your catalog

Categories allow your customers to easily filter products. Create categories from the Categories → Add Category menu.

Each category appears as a filter in your public catalog. Think about how your customers search: "T-shirts", "Accessories", "Deals", etc.

Step 4: Configure your checkout

The checkout is optimized to maximize conversions for COD. By default, the form asks for:

• Customer name
• Phone number (required — it's your main contact channel)
• Delivery address
• Payment method (cash COD is enabled by default)

You can also enable:

• Bank transfer — add your account details as instructions
• Shipping methods — set up store pickup and/or home delivery with different costs

The phone number is required by default because in the COD model it's your main tool for confirming orders and coordinating deliveries.

Step 5: Customize your store

With the visual Page Builder you can design your store without touching code:

• Choose from over 20 pre-designed sections (hero, testimonials, features, FAQ, etc.)
• Set global colors and typography that apply across the entire store
• Customize the header and footer with your logo
• Preview on desktop, tablet, and mobile before publishing

Your store is generated with a unique URL like mystore.whatalo.com. If you need a custom domain (www.mystore.com), it's available on paid plans.

Step 6: Share your store and start selling

Your store is ready. Share it on:

• Instagram (link in bio)
• Facebook and Facebook Ads
• TikTok and TikTok Ads
• WhatsApp (send the direct link to customers)
• Any social network or messaging channel

If you use paid advertising

Set up the Meta Pixel and/or TikTok Pixel integration from the integrations section. This allows the advertising platforms' algorithms to optimize your campaigns by finding buyers similar to those who already buy from you.

Step 7: Manage your orders

When a customer buys, the order appears in Orders with all the information:

• Customer data (name, phone, address)
• Products and quantities
• Order total
• Order status and payment status

Typical flow of a COD order

1. Pending → The customer just placed the order
2. Confirmed → You verified the order (call/WhatsApp)
3. Processing → The order is on its way
4. Completed → Delivered and paid

You can add internal notes to each order (visible only to you) and enable WhatsApp notifications to be instantly notified of every new order.

Want to go further?

Once you have your first sales, take advantage of the advanced tools:

• Order Bumps — offer complementary products at checkout with a single click
• Quantity offers — "Buy 3, pay for 2" applies automatically
• Abandoned carts — recover customers who didn't complete their purchase with recovery links
• Google Sheets — automatically export orders to a spreadsheet
• Webhooks — connect with tools like n8n, Zapier, or Make to automate your operations

Summary

The key to success with COD is delivery speed. The faster you deliver, the more trust you build, and the more customers come back.