Delhivery and XpressBees are two of the courier names Indian online sellers see most often. If you are deciding between them, you will find plenty of opinions and very few like-for-like facts.
This guide does two things. First, it sets out what each company publishes about itself on its own website and help pages, side by side, with a source for every row. Second, it gives you a simple method to decide for your own orders, because the right courier for one seller’s lanes is often the wrong one for another’s.
A note on our position. Courier Tales is a shipping platform, and both Delhivery and XpressBees are integrated courier partners on it. That is why this guide does not rank them, and does not make claims about speed, damage rates or reliability. Everything below is attributed to the courier’s own published pages as of October 2026. Policies change, so check the linked pages before you rely on any detail. Delhivery and XpressBees are trademarks of their respective owners.
What each company says it offers
Both companies describe themselves as logistics providers with more than one line of business.
Delhivery’s website describes its services as “express parcel, freight, warehousing, cross-border shipping, courier & supply chain for B2B, D2C & personal use”. Its ecommerce pages cover express parcel for business orders, part truckload (PTL) and full truckload for bulk freight, and a separate same-day intra-city local delivery service.
XpressBees’ website groups its services into B2C logistics, B2B logistics, international courier services and third-party logistics (warehousing and fulfilment). Its B2C section lists express parcel delivery, COD and digital payments, reverse logistics, D2C and quick-commerce delivery. Its B2B section lists less-than-truckload (LTL), part truckload, full truckload and RTO handling.
For most online sellers, the part that matters is the B2C parcel service: forward delivery, COD, failed-delivery handling and returns. The rest of this guide focuses there.
Side-by-side: what is published
Read this table as “what each company states”, not as a verdict. Where a company says nothing on a topic, that does not mean it lacks the feature. It means you need to ask, or check your contract.
| Topic | Delhivery (as published) | XpressBees (as published) | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2C parcel modes | Help Center rate card lists Surface (road) and Express (air “wherever feasible”) | Says it offers air and surface shipping; express parcel FAQ says same-day is “available in select metro cities for eligible shipments” | Delhivery rate card; XpressBees B2C and express parcel pages |
| Service coverage statements | According to its website, at the time of writing: “18,850+ pin codes covered” (D2C page) and “99.5% PIN Code coverage” (express parcel page) | According to its website, at the time of writing: “20,000+ pin codes” (home and B2C pages) and “over 19,000 pin codes” for express delivery (express parcel FAQ) | Delhivery D2C and express parcel pages; XpressBees home, B2C and express parcel pages |
| COD | Rate card says COD shipments carry “an additional cost for cash handling” | COD supported; COD page says charges “may vary based on order value, pin code, and your agreement” | Delhivery rate card; XpressBees COD page |
| COD remittance (direct account) | Help page: “within 48 hours” (page dated November 2023); D2C page: “within 2 days” | COD page: “remittance cycles ranging from daily to weekly”; B2C page: “within 2-4 business days” | Delhivery COD remittance help and D2C page; XpressBees COD and B2C pages |
| Volumetric weight | Surface and Express: L × B × H in cm ÷ 5000; charged on the higher of dead and volumetric weight; flyers on dead weight up to 1 kg | Not published on its website at the time of writing | Delhivery volumetric weight help |
| Weight limit for parcels | Not stated on the pages we reviewed | Express parcel FAQ: “parcels up to 30 kg for express delivery” | XpressBees express parcel page |
| Failed delivery (NDR) | Up to three reattempts on forward shipments, then the shipment moves to RTO | Mentions “automated NDR management”; number of attempts not published on its website at the time of writing | Delhivery NDR help; XpressBees B2C page |
| Reverse pickup | Reverse pickups (DTO) from delivered orders, in Surface or Express mode; quality check on reverse orders listed on its D2C page | Reverse logistics listed, with doorstep quality checks and photos; reverse coverage stated as “18,000+ pin codes” | Delhivery reverse orders help and D2C page; XpressBees reverse logistics page |
| Weight dispute process | Raise a claim on delivered shipments with weight (g), dimensions (cm) and package images | Not published on its website at the time of writing | Delhivery weight mismatch help |
| Lost or damaged claims | Damaged or missing items: claim “within 72 hours of delivery” with at least 2 images or 1 video showing the AWB; settled by credit note or certificate of fact | Reverse logistics FAQ says the team will assist “with claims as per agreed SLAs”; shipment liability terms not published on its website at the time of writing | Delhivery resolving claims help; XpressBees reverse logistics page |
| B2B / bulk freight | Part truckload and full truckload services | LTL, PTL and FTL; LTL FAQ says LTL is typically for “between 50 kg and 2,000 kg” | Delhivery PTL page; XpressBees LTL page |
| Public rate card in rupees | Not published as a public table; the rate card sits inside the seller account, and a business rate calculator is offered | Not published; site says contact the team or use its cost estimator | Delhivery rate card help; XpressBees home and COD pages |
| How a business signs up | “Sign up as a Business” form on its website (Delhivery One) | “Self Onboarding” client portal, or contact the sales team | Delhivery website; XpressBees B2C and express parcel pages |
Two things stand out from this exercise.
First, coverage numbers differ even between pages of the same company’s site. That is normal for marketing copy, which is updated at different times. It is also the best reason to ignore headline pincode counts and check your own pincodes.
Second, the terms you get depend on how you ship. The COD remittance cycles, weight dispute steps and claim windows above apply to a direct account with each courier. If you book through a shipping platform or aggregator, that platform’s own COD plan, dispute window and claim process usually apply to you instead. Read the platform’s terms, not just the courier’s.
How to decide for your own orders
A comparison table tells you what is possible. It cannot tell you which courier will deliver your parcels to your customers at the lowest total cost. Only your own data can. Here is a method you can run in a few weeks.
1. List your real lanes
Export the last 60 to 90 days of orders. Group them by pickup pincode and destination pincode, or by destination state if your volume is small. Note for each group:
- the number of orders
- the share that are COD
- the usual chargeable weight band (for example 0.5 kg, 1 kg, 2 kg)
- any returns or RTOs you already had
Sort by order count. For most sellers, a small number of lanes carries most of the volume. Those are the lanes worth testing carefully.
2. Check serviceability on those lanes
For each top lane, check whether each courier services the destination for prepaid, for COD and for reverse pickup. These can differ for the same pincode. Use the pincode serviceability checker or your courier panel.
If only one courier services a pincode for COD, that lane is already decided.
3. Compare delivered cost, not the headline rate
The freight rate is only part of what you pay. For each lane, work out the cost of one delivered order:
- freight for the chargeable weight slab (the higher of actual and volumetric weight)
- COD charge, if the order is COD
- an allowance for RTO: the return freight multiplied by your expected RTO share
- GST on the charges
Example (hypothetical numbers): Courier A quotes ₹60 freight and Courier B quotes ₹55 for the same 1 kg slab on a lane. If Courier B’s chargeable weight rounds your box up to the next slab, or your RTO share on that lane is higher with it, the cheaper headline rate can end up costing more per delivered order.
Use the shipping rate calculator for indicative charges, then confirm against the rates in your account. If volumetric weight is new to you, see our guide to volumetric weight and shipping charges.
4. Run a split trial
Pick your top lanes and send a similar mix of orders with each courier for two to four weeks. Keep the comparison fair: same packaging, same pickup location, similar COD share and similar order values.
Record the same measures for both:
| Measure | What to record | Courier A | Courier B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickup | Picked up on the scheduled day (yes/no) | ||
| Delivery time | Days from pickup to delivery | ||
| First attempt | Delivered on the first attempt (yes/no) | ||
| NDR | Orders with at least one failed attempt | ||
| RTO | Orders returned to origin | ||
| Weight | Orders with a weight discrepancy raised | ||
| Claims | Damage or loss claims raised and outcome | ||
| COD | Date COD money reached your bank |
Run at least one full COD remittance cycle before you decide. Our guide to reducing NDR and RTO explains how to read failed-delivery reasons, which can point to address or buyer issues as well as courier handling.
5. Decide lane by lane, then review
At the end of the trial, you will usually find one courier works better on some lanes and the other on the rest. Using both couriers by route is common. Set a default per lane or zone, keep the other as a fallback for pincodes the default does not service, and review every quarter or after any rate change.
If you also need to choose the platform you ship through, our guide on how to choose a courier aggregator covers coverage, true cost, COD and disputes in more detail.
Questions to ask either courier or your platform
Before you commit volume, get written answers to these:
- What is the volumetric divisor for my account and service mode, and how are weights rounded to slabs?
- Which zone does each of my top lanes fall into?
- What is the COD charge, and when exactly will COD money reach my bank?
- How many delivery attempts are made before RTO, and what does RTO cost?
- Is reverse pickup available on my lanes, and is quality check an option?
- How long do I have to dispute a weight discrepancy, and what evidence is needed?
- What is the liability per shipment for loss or damage, and is extra cover available?
Comparing both in Courier Tales
Courier Tales is a shipping platform for Indian online sellers, shipping within India. Delhivery and XpressBees are both integrated, alongside Ekart, Shadowfax and Amazon Shipping (surface). For each order, you can see the couriers that service it with estimated charges, then book single orders or in bulk. You can also set a courier priority for your account. Availability depends on pincodes and account settings.
When you ship through Courier Tales, its own terms apply: chargeable weight is the higher of actual and volumetric weight (L × B × H in cm ÷ 5000), COD remittance follows the plan you choose (default seven days after delivery), and weight discrepancies can be disputed within 48 hours with evidence. Reverse pickups are currently available with Delhivery in eligible pincodes.
To try the trial method above on your own lanes, create a Courier Tales account and compare both couriers on your next orders.
Frequently asked questions
Is Delhivery or XpressBees better for ecommerce?
Neither answer holds for every seller. Both publish B2C parcel services with COD and returns. The useful comparison is on your own pincodes, weights and COD share, measured over a trial of real orders.
Do Delhivery and XpressBees both offer COD?
Yes. Both list Cash on Delivery on their websites at the time of writing. COD charges and remittance timing depend on your contract, and if you ship through a shipping platform, on that platform's own COD plan.
Can I use both couriers at the same time?
Yes. Many sellers book each order with whichever courier works best for that lane, and keep the other as a backup. A shipping platform that shows both couriers per order makes this easier to manage.
Which courier has more pincode coverage?
Both publish coverage figures as marketing statements, and the figures differ between pages on the same website. Check serviceability for the exact pincodes you ship to instead of relying on headline numbers.
Sources
- Delhivery home page (site description), Delhivery (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Express Parcel, Delhivery (accessed 19 October 2026)
- D2C Brands (ecommerce logistics), Delhivery (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Part Truckload, Delhivery (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Rate Card, Delhivery One Help Center (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Calculating Volumetric Weight, Delhivery One Help Center (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Weight Mismatch, Delhivery One Help Center (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Resolving Claims (Lost & Damages), Delhivery One Help Center (accessed 19 October 2026)
- COD Remittance, Delhivery One Help Center (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Reverse Orders (DTO), Delhivery One Help Center (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Non-Delivery Report (NDR), Delhivery One Help Center (accessed 19 October 2026)
- XpressBees home page, XpressBees (accessed 19 October 2026)
- B2C E-Commerce Shipping, XpressBees (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Express Parcel Delivery, XpressBees (accessed 19 October 2026)
- E-commerce Logistics, XpressBees (accessed 19 October 2026)
- COD & Digital Payment Options, XpressBees (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Reverse Logistics, XpressBees (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Less Than Truck Load (LTL), XpressBees (accessed 19 October 2026)
Courier, marketplace and tax rules change. Check the current terms with your courier, marketplace or adviser before relying on them.