Guide

How to choose a courier aggregator in India.

Eight checks that separate a genuinely cheaper shipping setup from a lower headline rate.

There is no single best courier aggregator in India for every seller: the right one depends on your weight profile, destination pincodes, COD share and volume. Judge any platform on eight things — the landed rate card, weight-slab rules, pincode reach, RTO handling, COD remittance cycle, claims policy, who answers the phone, and how easy it is to leave. RoutikQ is built for sellers who want all eight visible before they book, with no platform fee on the free plan.

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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 03

    Test your actual pincodes

    National coverage claims are averages. Run your ten busiest destination pincodes through the serviceability check before you commit.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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, Ekart, Amazon Shipping, Shadowfax, India Post.
  • 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.
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FAQ

Shipping questions, answered plainly.

A platform that connects you to several courier companies through one account. You compare rates and delivery estimates for a shipment, book the one you want, and manage tracking, returns and reconciliation in one dashboard instead of one per courier.

There is no single answer, and any platform that gives you one is simplifying. Price depends on weight, dimensions, origin and destination pincode, whether it is prepaid or COD, and the courier's current surcharges. That is exactly why comparing per shipment beats picking one courier for everything.

Couriers bill in steps, not grams. A 520g parcel is usually charged as a 1kg parcel. Volumetric weight — the space the box occupies — can also override actual weight. Slab rules are where most unexplained shipping bills come from, so check them before you compare headline rates.

RTO means Return to Origin: a failed delivery coming back to you. You pay forward freight, return freight and you still have no sale. On COD orders it is the single biggest hidden cost in Indian ecommerce, which is why RoutikQ scores RTO risk before you book.

Requirements vary by platform and by what you ship. On RoutikQ you register with your PAN and business details, and we approve the account before you ship. Contact us if you are unsure what applies to your business.