A cash on delivery order costs nothing to place. That is why some are placed with wrong numbers, as a joke, or by mistake, and the parcel comes back.
A Code Before the Order
On Mercayo, a store can ask shoppers to confirm their phone number with a one-time code before a cash order is placed. A genuine buyer types the code in seconds. A wrong number never receives it, so the order never happens.
An Advance for Bigger Orders
A store can also ask for a small part of the order online. Shoppers see the exact amount before ordering, and when it is refunded.
Switches, Not Rules
Each of these is a setting the merchant controls, with a limit on the order value for cash on delivery. A store that rarely sees fake orders can leave them off.
Read more in our guide to cash on delivery.