How to choose a courier aggregator in India.
Eight checks that separate a genuinely cheaper shipping setup from a lower headline rate.
Every aggregator markets the same three things: many couriers, low rates, one dashboard. Sellers still end up overpaying, because the money leaks in places the pitch never mentions — the slab your 520g parcel gets rounded into, the RTO you funded twice, the COD payout that arrived on no particular day.
Use the checklist below on any platform you are evaluating, including this one. Then run ten real orders through it. Nothing beats your own invoice.
- 01
Read the rate card past the headline
A low base rate means little if fuel surcharge, COD fee, ODA charges and GST are added later. Ask for the landed cost of one real parcel on one real lane, and compare that number.
- 02
Check the weight-slab rules
Find out the slab increments, how volumetric weight is calculated, and what happens when the courier re-weighs. The dispute process matters as much as the rate.
- 03
Test your actual pincodes
National coverage claims are averages. Run your ten busiest destination pincodes through the serviceability check before you commit.
- 04
Ask about RTO, not just delivery
Delivery success rate on prepaid tells you little about COD. Ask whether RTO risk is flagged before dispatch and what an NDR attempt actually involves.
- 05
Pin down the COD cycle
Cash flow lives or dies here. You want a stated cycle you can plan around, not a vague promise.
- 06
Read the claims policy before you need it
Know the window to raise a lost or damaged claim, what evidence is required, and how long an outcome takes.
- 07
Find out who answers
When a high-value parcel stalls, a ticket number is not support. Check whether there is a phone number and a human behind it, and the hours they work.
- 08
Check the exit
No lock-in, no minimum volume and no cancellation fee means you can test properly. If leaving is expensive, joining is risky.
How RoutikQ answers the same eight questions
- Landed cost, surcharges and the applied weight slab are shown before you confirm a booking.
- Six integrated couriers: Delhivery, Blue Dart, DTDC, Ekart, Amazon Shipping, Shadowfax.
- 27,000+ serviceable pincodes, checkable before you ship.
- RTO risk scored pre-dispatch; NDR calls at ₹10 and WhatsApp updates at ₹3, charged only when used.
- COD remittance cycle set by your plan and agreed with our team, so the date is known.
- Claims raised within 45 days of pickup or the courier's window, whichever is earlier; outcomes usually confirmed within 15 days.
- A real person on email, phone and WhatsApp, Mon–Sat 10am–7pm IST.
- No platform fee on the Free plan, no lock-in, cancel anytime.