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.
A car sold to a customer brings in cash on delivery; a car Tesla keeps for its robotaxi service earns its money gradually, one ride at a time.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
The snow was not, and material support to sustain the troops could only be had for cash on delivery.
From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2021
Its rent obligations jumped by $12 million while sales plummeted and vendors started refusing to ship inventory unless they were paid cash on delivery, according to the retailer’s bankruptcy documents.
From New York Times ● Oct. 15, 2019
According to Barneys’ court filings, merchandise shipments began to slow over the summer, with many vendors refusing to send their inventory unless they got cash on delivery.
From Reuters ● Aug. 13, 2019
Honesty, one price, cash on delivery, and business on business principles were his invariable rules.
From How to Succeed or, Stepping-Stones to Fame and Fortune by Orison Swett Marden
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.
