How to connect Steadfast Courier to your Multipurc store and build a workflow that cuts failed deliveries and keeps COD payments reconciled.
Steadfast Courier is widely used by Bangladeshi online sellers, especially for Cash on Delivery parcels. Connecting it to your store removes double data entry, but the real gains come from a disciplined workflow around it. This guide covers both.
> Steadfast sets its own delivery charges, COD fees, coverage and payout schedule, and these can change. Confirm current terms with Steadfast directly.
Part 1: Setup
Open a merchant account
Register as a merchant on Steadfast's official website or app. Provide your business name, pickup address, phone and settlement details. Ask Steadfast how to get API credentials for website integration.
Connect it to Multipurc
The Steadfast Courier plugin is included in every Multipurc plan, according to the pricing page.
- Open Shipping → Couriers in your store admin.
- The Steadfast card shows Needs setup.
- Click Configure, enter your API credentials and save.
- Confirm the status shows Active.
Set your customer-facing delivery charges
Your courier contract and your storefront delivery charge are separate. Set customer charges in Shipping → Zones, for example Inside Dhaka and Outside Dhaka, priced to cover your actual courier and COD cost.
Part 2: The daily workflow
1. Confirm before you book
Most failed deliveries can be predicted. Before booking a COD parcel:
- Call the customer and confirm the product, size, total amount and address.
- Ask for a landmark if the address is vague.
- If the number is unreachable twice, hold the order.
On Pro and Elite, the Fake Order Tracking plugin checks a phone number against courier delivery history (via courier.com.bd) to flag risky COD orders before you ship.
2. Pack and label
- Print invoices from Orders: tick the orders and click Download invoice.
- Use waterproof packaging; weigh each parcel.
- Write the order number on the outside if your process needs it.
3. Book from the dashboard
With the plugin active, parcel booking, tracking and delivery status are handled through the integration. Check the plugin's How use guide in Integrations for the current steps. Before submitting, verify the COD amount, which is the most expensive mistake to fix later.
4. Hand over before cut-off
Agree a pickup time with Steadfast. Parcels booked after the cut-off may wait a day, and in busy seasons that day matters.
Part 3: Reducing failed deliveries
Failed deliveries cost twice: the delivery charge and the return charge, plus stock stuck in transit. Practical fixes:
Set expectations at checkout. State delivery times for inside and outside Dhaka on a Delivery Info page (CMS → Pages) and on product pages.
Message after shipping. An SMS such as "Your order #1045 has shipped; the rider will call you" reminds customers to keep their phone on. BD Bulk SMS and BulkSMSBD plugins are available on all plans.
Act on "hold" or "pending" statuses the same day. Check tracking every evening. If a parcel is on hold because the customer didn't pick up, call them yourself. A call from the shop often works where the rider's call didn't.
Track your return reasons. Keep a simple list: wrong size, changed mind, not reachable, address problem. If "changed mind" dominates, your confirmation call may be too weak; if "wrong size", fix your size charts.
Consider advance payment for risky orders. For high-value or far-away COD orders, ask for the delivery charge in advance. With SSLCommerz configured, customers can pay online by card or mobile banking.
Part 4: Returns that come back
When a returned parcel arrives:
- Open it the same day and check the condition.
- Log it under Orders → Returns (RMA number, reason, refund if any, status).
- Restock resaleable items immediately.
- Note the customer's number. Repeated refusals are worth remembering.
Part 5: Reconciling COD payouts
Steadfast pays out COD collections after deducting its charges, on its own schedule. Weekly:
- Download or view the payout statement.
- Match each delivered order number against the statement.
- Check Reports → Transactions in Multipurc for any order still pending.
- Report mismatches to Steadfast promptly; it's much harder to trace weeks later.
A simple weekly scorecard
| Metric | This week | Last week | |---|---|---| | Parcels booked | | | | Delivered | | | | Returned | | | | Return rate % | | | | COD amount expected | | | | COD amount received | | |
Watching the return rate week by week tells you whether your confirmation and packaging changes are working.
Using Steadfast alongside other couriers
Multipurc also supports Pathao and REDX. Some sellers use one courier for Dhaka and another for outside Dhaka, or keep a backup for Eid rush periods. Set up each in Shipping → Couriers and pick per order.
Summary
Connecting Steadfast takes minutes. Lower return rates come from confirming orders, communicating after shipping, following up on held parcels, and reconciling payouts every week.