cash on delivery
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does cash on delivery mean? Cash on delivery refers to an arrangement in which payment for a purchase is made directly by the purchaser to the person who delivers the item.It is commonly abbreviated as C.O.D., which can also stand for collect on delivery. Cash on delivery and C.O.D. don’t necessarily always mean that actual cash (paper money) is required (though it often used to mean this). Sometimes, a check, money order, or credit card payment will be accepted for a cash on delivery order.Cash on delivery can be used as an adverb, as in We’re shipping it cash on delivery; as an adjective, as in Our cash on delivery orders are behind schedule; and in other variations. The abbreviation C.O.D. can be used as a noun, as in Sorry, we don’t accept C.O.D.s. Example: Most of our shipments are cash on delivery, and we have a high percentage of successful payments.
Etymology
Origin of cash on delivery
First recorded in 1850–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The snow was not, and material support to sustain the troops could only be had for cash on delivery.
From Salon • Dec. 21, 2021
The rebels, he added, demand cash on delivery.
From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2014
Flipkart solved these obstacles by doing the deliveries itself, letting customers inspect goods before buying, and accepting cash on delivery.
From Forbes • Jun. 13, 2012
Suppliers may demand cash on delivery, or require past bills paid immediately before continuing to do business with the city, said Bogdanoff, who is not involved in Stockton’s restructuring effort.
From BusinessWeek • Feb. 24, 2012
Services such as money delivery at private residences, cash on delivery parcels, &c., which other countries have enjoyed during several decades, are stubbornly denied to England.
From British Socialism An Examination of Its Doctrines, Policy, Aims and Practical Proposals by Barker, J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
