1 Courier Network & PIN Code Coverage
DFCExpress connects merchants to India's most expansive domestic and international logistics infrastructure. Through integrated partnerships with top tier carriers—including BlueDart, Delhivery, DTDC, Shadowfax, Xpressbees, Ecom Express, and Gati—we cover:
- 28,000+ Serviceable PIN Codes across Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, and rural postal zones.
- Surface, Air Express & Heavy Cargo modes tailored for B2C e-commerce, D2C brands, and B2B industrial freight.
- Prepaid and Cash on Delivery (COD) active on 98%+ of reachable pincodes.
2 Pickup Scheduling & Cut-Off Hours
Pickups are automatically requested upon generating the shipment Air Waybill (AWB) in the merchant dashboard:
Orders manifested before 1:00 PM (Monday – Saturday) are scheduled for same-day courier pickup. Orders generated after 1:00 PM are queued for pickup on the next operational business day.
Merchants are requested to keep packaged parcels ready with attached barcode labels before the assigned rider arrives at the registered warehouse/pickup location.
3 Estimated Delivery Timelines (SLA)
Transit turnaround times depend on origin-destination zones, transport mode selected, and local transit conditions:
| Shipping Mode | Zonal Route | Estimated Transit Time |
|---|---|---|
| Intra-City / Hyperlocal | Within same metropolitan city | Same Day / Next Day (24 Hours) |
| Air Express | Metro to Metro (e.g., DEL ↔ BOM ↔ BLR) | 1 – 2 Business Days |
| Surface Regional | Within same state / neighboring state | 2 – 3 Business Days |
| National Surface Cargo | Rest of India (Tier 2 & Tier 3 zones) | 4 – 7 Business Days |
| Special Zones (NE & J&K) | North East & Island Territories | 5 – 9 Business Days |
4 Real-Time Tracking & Automated NDR Management
Every shipment receives a unique master AWB tracking number. Real-time GPS and hub milestone updates are broadcasted to merchants and end-customers via SMS and WhatsApp.
Automated Non-Delivery Report (NDR) Handling: When a delivery attempt fails due to customer non-availability, wrong address, or phone switch-off:
- An automated NDR notification is triggered within 30 minutes to both the merchant dashboard and the consignee via interactive WhatsApp/IVR.
- The customer or merchant can reschedule the delivery date or update the address in real time.
- A total of up to 3 re-attempt delivery attempts are executed before the parcel is marked for Return to Origin (RTO).
5 Cash on Delivery (COD) Collection & Remittance
For COD orders, the courier delivery agent collects the invoice cash or dynamic QR payment from the consignee upon delivery.
- Standard Remittance Cycle: COD amounts are remitted directly into the merchant's verified bank account within D+2 to D+4 business days following confirmed delivery.
- Early COD Plans: Eligible high-volume merchants can activate Next-Day Early COD remittance from the dashboard.
6 Proof of Delivery (e-POD & OTP Verification)
To ensure zero fraudulent delivery disputes, last-mile deliveries are authenticated via:
- OTP Verification: A secure 4-digit one-time password sent to the consignee's registered phone, entered by the delivery agent at doorstep.
- Electronic Proof of Delivery (e-POD): Digital recipient signature, timestamp, and geo-coordinates archived on the merchant dashboard for 180 days.
7 Merchant Packaging & Weight Compliance
To prevent transit friction, damage, or carrier penalties, all consignments must adhere to standard packaging guidelines:
- Use 3-ply or 5-ply corrugated cardboard boxes appropriate for package weight.
- Wrap fragile goods in minimum 2 layers of bubble wrap with internal foam cushioning.
- Secure all box seams with minimum 2-inch wide branded or tamper-evident adhesive tape (H-taping method).
- Affix the AWB shipping label flat on the top surface without wrapping around edges or covering barcodes with opaque tape.
