Cash on Delivery for Custom Embroidery: How It Works and Why It Takes Longer

Paying online for something that does not exist yet is a fair thing to be nervous about. Cash on Delivery solves that for you. It creates a different problem for us, and the way we handle it is the reason a COD order starts later.

How a Cash on Delivery order runs

1. You place the order and choose Cash on Delivery at checkout.
2. We message you on WhatsApp from +91 95285 83327 to confirm the details. For a custom piece that means the exact spelling, letter by letter.
3. On custom pieces the order begins with a 10% advance. We tell you how to pay it in that same conversation.
4. An artisan stitches your piece by hand. It is checked, packed and handed to the courier, and you get a tracking number by email.
5. The courier brings the parcel to your door.

Our product pages say it in three short lines: "Custom orders begin with a small 10% advance. Pay the balance on shipping. Prepaid orders ship first."

Why there is an advance on custom pieces

A sunflower tee that comes back to us can be sold to the next person. A tee that says AARAV cannot.

Our returns policy says the same thing from the other side: personalised pieces cannot be returned for a change of mind, because they cannot be resold. The 10% advance is a small commitment from you before an artisan spends hours on a piece that only one person in the world will want.

Why it takes longer

The stitching takes the same hours either way, by the same artisan. What differs is everything around it: the confirmation before, and the courier after. In our records COD parcels spent about seven days in transit, against about four for parcels paid for online.

An unconfirmed COD order does not move, however long it waits. If you ordered COD and have heard nothing for two days, we may have the wrong number. Message us and it starts moving the same day.

Which one should you choose

Pay online if any of these is true:

• There is a date involved. A birthday does not wait for a courier.
• The parcel is going to someone else. With COD, the courier asks whoever opens the door for the money. See sending a gift directly.
• You simply want it sooner. Prepaid orders ship first, and the banner at the top of our site shows the current offer on prepaid orders.

Choose Cash on Delivery if this is your first order from us and you would rather see the parcel before the full amount leaves your account. That is a reasonable way to buy from a studio you have not tried before, and we do not mind it.

The piece itself is identical: same cloth, same artisan, same check before packing.

If your COD order seems stuck

• Check WhatsApp first. Our messages come from +91 95285 83327. If the number you gave at checkout is not on WhatsApp, tell us which one is.
• Then check the stage. Where is my order shows the six stages and what you should have received at each.
• Changed your mind? Say so early. Changing or cancelling an order is simple before the stitching starts.

Frequently asked questions

Do you offer Cash on Delivery?

Yes. Choose Cash on Delivery at checkout. We confirm the order with you on WhatsApp before we start stitching.

Why is there a 10% advance on custom orders?

Because a piece stitched with your name cannot be sold to anyone else. The advance is a small commitment before an artisan spends hours on it.

Is Cash on Delivery slower than paying online?

Yes. In our recent orders, parcels paid for online arrived about 7 days after checkout and Cash on Delivery parcels about 10 to 11 days after checkout.

I ordered Cash on Delivery and have heard nothing. What should I do?

Look for a WhatsApp message from +91 95285 83327. If there is none after two days, message us with your order number. The order waits until it is confirmed.

Is the piece different if I pay Cash on Delivery?

No. The cloth, the artisan and the quality check are the same. Only the timing changes.