If you plan to sell online in Bulgaria, one thing will shape your checkout, your cash flow and your returns more than anything else: cash on delivery (COD). In Bulgaria and Romania, many buyers do not pay when they order. They pay the courier when the parcel arrives. This guide explains how COD works in Bulgarian e-commerce, how the money reaches you, and what keeps refused parcels low.
Why cash on delivery is the norm in Bulgaria and Romania
For a brand from the UK, Germany or the US, card payment at checkout is the default. In Bulgaria and Romania it is one option among several, and for many shoppers it is not the first choice. A few reasons explain why COD stays so strong:
- Trust. A buyer who has never heard of your brand takes no risk. They see the parcel before they pay.
- Habit. For many people, paying the courier is simply how online shopping works, so they look for it at checkout.
- Easy collection. Couriers run large networks of offices and lockers, so buyers can collect and pay close to home or work.
So if your checkout offers card payment only, you risk losing the buyers who would have ordered with COD. The real task is to offer it without losing money on parcels that are never paid for.
How COD money reaches the merchant
Bulgaria: from the courier straight to your bank account
For orders in Bulgaria, the buyer pays the courier when the parcel is handed over. The courier then transfers the money directly to your bank account. It does not pass through MY Fulfillment. For a foreign brand this matters: your revenue does not sit with your fulfillment partner, and you do not wait for anyone to pass it on.
Our software creates the waybill in one click and tracks each parcel, along with the COD amount paid out for it.
Receipts and parcel contents
Two courier details are worth knowing. With Speedy, the courier issues the fiscal receipt for the COD amount, provided the shipment lists the items line by line. With Pigeon Express, the contents are printed on the label item by item. Details like these are easy to miss from abroad, and a fulfillment center in Bulgaria should take care of them for you.
Romania: a Romanian order form and prices in lei
For Romania, buyers order through a form in Romanian with prices in lei. Your stock stays in our warehouse in Bulgaria, and parcels travel with Romanian couriers: Cargus, Sameday, FAN Courier and GLS. Both countries are in the EU, so there is no customs between them. How COD payouts work for Romanian orders is set out in your quote.
Couriers and delivery options Bulgarian buyers expect
Bulgarian buyers choose the courier and the delivery method themselves, right when placing the order: a courier office, a parcel locker or their own address. Our system works with Econt, Speedy, Pigeon Express and BOX NOW at the same time, so you can offer all four.
| Courier | Pickup points | Towns and villages covered |
|---|---|---|
| Econt | 635 offices and lockers | 212 |
| Speedy | 1,326 points: 461 offices and 865 lockers | 252 |
| Pigeon Express | 442 points: 194 offices and 248 lockers | 168 |
| BOX NOW | 966 lockers | 178 |
Figures as of 13 October 2026.
Why phone confirmation matters for COD orders
A cash-on-delivery order is a promise, not a payment. Some buyers order on impulse, type a wrong phone number or pick the wrong office. Others order twice by mistake, or forget about the order by the time the parcel arrives. Each of these orders costs you packing, transport and stock tied up for days, and it may still come back unpaid.
That is why our call center for Bulgaria calls the buyer before the order is packed. The call does three things:
- It confirms that the buyer placed the order and still wants it.
- It checks the delivery details: office, locker or address, and phone number.
- It stops doubtful orders before they are shipped.
The same team calls shoppers who left items in their cart and helps them finish the order. For Bulgaria, both services are included in the price. Together with careful picking and packing, this helps us keep returns under 3% and wrong shipments under 1%.
How refusals and returns are handled
Even with confirmation, some COD parcels will come back. The usual reasons are:
- the buyer changed their mind and refused the parcel;
- the buyer did not collect it from the office or locker;
- the buyer was not at home when the courier came.
In each case no money is collected, and the parcel comes back to our warehouse. Our team processes returned and uncollected parcels, and the terms are set out in your quote. You can see how each part of the service is charged on our terms page.
Speed helps here too. We call, pick, pack and hand orders to the courier, often on the same day. New stock that reaches our warehouse by 12:00 Bulgarian time ships out on the day it arrives. In Burgas, orders received by 14:00 on a working day are handed to the courier the same day, and delivery within Bulgaria is on the next working day. The shorter the wait, the less time a buyer has to change their mind.
A checklist for foreign brands entering Bulgaria
- Offer cash on delivery at checkout, next to card payment.
- Let buyers choose the courier and office, locker or address delivery.
- Confirm every COD order by phone before it is packed.
- Ship fast, on the same day where possible.
- Track every parcel and every COD payout.
- Plan for returns from day one and know what they cost you.
- For Romania, use an order form in Romanian with prices in lei.
Working with a 3PL in Bulgaria
You can build all of this yourself: a local team, courier integrations, a call center and a warehouse. It is usually faster to start with a 3PL in Bulgaria that already runs it. MY Fulfillment provides e-commerce fulfillment for Bulgaria and Romania from warehouses in Sofia and Burgas. We store, pack and ship your orders, and the call center for Bulgaria is included. Stock receiving is free, storage is free at 400+ shipments a month, and you start in days, not weeks.
We connect with Shopify, WooCommerce, CloudCart, ConvertBuilder and SIMVOLY, and can add our order form to any other website with one line of code. See how it works and what sets us apart on our advantages page.
Tell us your products, monthly volume and target countries, and we will send a free personal quote within 24 hours. Request your quote.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need cash on delivery to sell online in Bulgaria?
In practice, yes. Many buyers in Bulgaria and Romania prefer to pay the courier when the parcel arrives, especially when they order from a brand they do not know yet. A checkout with card payment only risks losing them.
Who receives the money when a buyer pays on delivery?
For orders in Bulgaria, the courier transfers the money directly to your bank account. It does not pass through MY Fulfillment. For Romania, how COD payouts work is set out in your quote.
Do you confirm cash-on-delivery orders by phone?
Yes. For Bulgaria, our call center confirms orders by phone and calls abandoned carts, and this is included in the price.
What happens when a buyer refuses a parcel?
No money is collected and the parcel comes back to our warehouse. Our team processes returned and uncollected parcels, and the terms are set out in your quote. We keep returns under 3%.
Which couriers can buyers in Bulgaria choose?
With MY Fulfillment, buyers can choose Econt, Speedy, Pigeon Express or BOX NOW, and delivery to an office, a locker or their own address, right when placing the order.
Can I sell in Romania from a warehouse in Bulgaria?
Yes. Romanian buyers order through a form in Romanian with prices in lei, and parcels travel with Cargus, Sameday, FAN Courier or GLS. Both countries are in the EU, so there is no customs.