Failed delivery attempts: what to do before a parcel comes back

A failed delivery attempt means the courier tried to deliver and couldn't: nobody answered, the address was wrong, the shopper was out, or there was no cash ready. Until the courier sends the parcel back, you can still save the order. Couriers allow a fixed number of attempts or days before they return it, so act the same day: reach the shopper, fix what went wrong, and give the courier a new time or address. Cancel the order in Shopify only when the shopper says no or the parcel is back with you.

What counts as a failed delivery attempt?

A failed delivery attempt is a delivery the courier started but couldn't complete. Shopify uses the status Attempted delivery for this on the order status page: the carrier tried the destination address and was unsuccessful.

It is different from a refusal. In a refusal, the shopper is at the door and says no. In a failed attempt, the hand-over never happened. Both end the same way if nobody acts: the parcel goes back to you and you pay for the trip. The difference matters because you can often save a failed attempt with a message or a call, which is rarely true of a refusal. For more on telling them apart, see fake, refused, failed: three COD problems that need different fixes.

How many attempts do couriers make?

It depends on the courier and the service you booked. Two UAE couriers publish their rules (checked 26 October 2026):

So in these two examples you have somewhere between one attempt and about three attempts or four days to save the order. That is your window. Your contract may be different, so ask your courier:

• How many attempts are included on each service you use?
• Does the courier contact the shopper itself, and when?
• How long does it hold a parcel before returning it?
• Can you rebook a date or change the address in its portal, and by what time of day?
• What does a new attempt or a return cost?
• How does it tell you about a failed attempt: portal, email, daily report, or tracking updates in Shopify?

How do you find out about a failed attempt quickly?

Check your courier's portal or report every morning for parcels marked "attempted", "no answer", "address not found" or similar. The earlier you see them, the more attempts you have left.

If your courier's tracking updates reach Shopify, you can also list these orders in your admin:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Orders.
2. Add the Delivery status filter and choose Attempted delivery. The same filter also has Failed delivery and Delayed.
3. Save the filters as a view, for example "Delivery problems", so you can open it in one click.

What should you do after a failed attempt?

1. Contact the shopper the same day. Send a WhatsApp message and follow it with a call. Give the order number, the amount to pay, and ask for a time that suits them. A message from the shop they ordered from may get a reply when the courier's unknown number didn't. For ready-made wording, see order confirmation message templates.
2. Find out what went wrong. The fix depends on the cause (see the table below).
3. Correct the order in Shopify. To change the address, open the order in Orders, click the menu in the Customer section and choose Edit shipping address. Shopify's help doesn't say this updates a courier booking, so send the new details to the courier as well.
4. Rebook with the courier before the next attempt. Give the new date or time window, the corrected address or phone number, and a short note for the driver ("Call on arrival, villa behind the mosque").
5. Write down what happened. Add a note to the order, or a tag such as rto-no-answer if the parcel comes back anyway. Tags let you count causes later.

On the cash point, some couriers can take a card payment instead of cash. Quiqup's fee schedule, for example, says it processes card payments through payment links.

When should you cancel the order?

Cancel when there is nothing left to save:

• the shopper clearly refuses, or says they never placed the order;
• the courier has used every attempt and the parcel is on its way back.

Don't cancel while an attempt is still possible. Shopify says that canceling a fulfilled order that hasn't been paid prevents you from collecting payment for it.

Watch the timing. If the cancel screen offers to restock the items, Shopify selects that option by default, and it puts the items back into your available inventory. If you cancel while the parcel is still with the courier, your store can then sell stock you don't have on the shelf. Either untick the restock option or wait until the parcel is back and checked. The same screen notifies the customer by default, so decide whether you want that email sent. Shopify also can't cancel a partially fulfilled order until you cancel the fulfillment.

How do failed attempts turn into RTO?

Every failed attempt you don't save becomes an RTO (return to origin): the parcel travels back, you get no payment, and you may still pay for the trip. Quiqup's schedule, for example, charges RTO orders the full delivery fee. The RTO guide covers the costs and how to work out your RTO rate: RTO (return to origin) explained for GCC stores.

One extra number tells you whether your follow-up works:

Save rate = parcels delivered after a failed attempt ÷ parcels with at least one failed attempt

If the save rate is low, look at speed first: how many hours pass between the failed attempt and your first message.

How do you get fewer failed attempts next time?

Many failed attempts start at checkout: a phone number with a missing digit, an address without a building name, or a shopper who didn't know the parcel was coming that day. Required phone numbers, clearer address fields and a delivery-day message all help. The full checklist is in ways to cut COD refusals before the order is placed.

If one customer's parcels keep coming back, tag them cod-refused. With the tag rule on, Khaleeji COD hides COD for them when Shopify knows who is checking out, such as a signed-in customer (guests carry no tags). They can still pay online.