On this page
- What must be ready before an Indian D2C store goes live?
- Payments: are UPI, cards and COD set up correctly?
- Shipping: can you deliver to every pin code you accept?
- GST invoices and legal pages: are you compliant?
- Returns and refunds: are your rules clear and workable?
- Product pages: do they answer every buying question?
- Speed, SEO and WhatsApp: are they launch-ready?
- How DVM Techno can help
- FAQs
Key takeaways
- Offer UPI, cards and wallets, and control COD with pin code rules and order confirmation.
- Check pin code serviceability and show realistic delivery estimates before checkout.
- Get GST invoices, legal pages and grievance contact details right before the first order.
- Fast, detailed product pages and a WhatsApp support channel do more for sales than extra features.
What must be ready before an Indian D2C store goes live?
At launch, a D2C store needs working payments, reliable shipping, correct GST invoices, clear return rules, complete product pages, a fast mobile experience and a support channel customers trust. Everything else can be added once orders start coming in.
Indian shoppers behave differently from shoppers in many other markets. Most browse and buy on mobile, a large share still prefer to pay on delivery, and many will message the brand on WhatsApp before ordering. A launch plan built around these habits avoids the most common early problems: failed payments, returned COD parcels, invoice errors and abandoned carts.
The checklist below is grouped by area so you can hand each part to the right person, whether that is your developer, your logistics partner or your CA. If you are still choosing a build partner, our page on e-commerce website development explains how we approach D2C stores.
Payments: are UPI, cards and COD set up correctly?
Offer UPI, debit and credit cards, net banking and popular wallets through a reliable payment gateway, and decide early how you will control cash on delivery. Test every method on real phones before launch.
- Complete payment gateway KYC early; most gateways review your website and ask for contact, terms, privacy, refund and shipping policy pages before approval.
- Enable UPI intent on mobile so customers can pay in one tap from their UPI app, plus UPI QR or ID on desktop.
- Test successful, failed and cancelled payments, and confirm that orders update correctly in each case.
- Handle payment timeouts: an order paid but not confirmed on screen must still be captured and communicated.
- Decide COD rules: which pin codes, which order values and which products allow COD.
- Confirm COD orders by WhatsApp, SMS or a call before dispatch to reduce fake orders and refusals.
- Consider a small incentive for prepaid orders, such as faster dispatch, rather than penalising COD.
- Show all accepted payment options clearly on product and cart pages.
Track your return-to-origin (RTO) rate for COD orders by pin code from day one. It quickly shows where COD is worth offering and where it is costing you.
Shipping: can you deliver to every pin code you accept?
Only accept orders you can actually deliver. Connect a shipping partner or aggregator, check pin code serviceability at the product or cart stage, and show a realistic delivery estimate before payment.
- Add a pin code checker on product pages that shows delivery availability, estimated days and COD eligibility.
- Set shipping rules clearly: free shipping thresholds, charges by weight or zone, and express options.
- Automate label creation, pickup requests and tracking updates from your order panel.
- Send tracking links by SMS, email and WhatsApp as soon as an order ships.
- Plan packaging for Indian conditions: monsoon moisture, rough handling and long transit times.
- Create a process for delayed, damaged and lost parcels, with a named person responsible.
- If you sell from a Gurgaon or Manesar warehouse, confirm same-day or next-day options for Delhi NCR where your partner supports them.
GST invoices and legal pages: are you compliant?
Every order should generate a correct GST invoice automatically, and your site must show the business details and policies that Indian consumer rules require of online sellers. Confirm the details with your CA or legal adviser before launch.
| Item | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| GST invoice | GSTIN, invoice number series, date, HSN codes, taxable value, correct CGST/SGST or IGST by place of supply | Accurate tax filing and B2B customers claiming input credit |
| B2B orders | Option for buyers to enter their GSTIN and business name at checkout | Gurgaon offices and resellers often need GST invoices |
| Seller details | Legal name, registered address and customer care contact on the site | Required for online sellers and builds trust |
| Grievance contact | Name and contact details of a grievance officer, with a response process | Required under consumer e-commerce rules |
| Policies | Terms, privacy, shipping, cancellation, return and refund policies | Needed for gateway approval and customer clarity |
| Product information | Price breakup, MRP, net quantity and country of origin where applicable | Packaged goods labelling rules apply online too |
| Data and consent | Clear consent for marketing messages and a privacy policy that matches practice | Data protection obligations and customer trust |
Write policies in plain language that matches how you actually operate. A refund policy promising refunds in a few days, when your process takes weeks, creates complaints.
Returns and refunds: are your rules clear and workable?
Publish a simple return, exchange and refund policy, show it on product pages, and make sure your team and systems can actually deliver on it. Clear rules reduce disputes and increase first-time purchase confidence.
- State the return window, eligible products and condition requirements in plain words.
- Offer exchanges for size and colour issues, which are common in fashion and footwear.
- Explain how refunds work for prepaid orders and for COD orders, including how COD refunds are paid.
- Allow return requests from the order page or WhatsApp, not only by email.
- Arrange reverse pickup with your shipping partner and check which pin codes it covers.
- Inspect returned items quickly and update the customer at each step.
When we built scstyle.in, a fashion store, clear size guidance and an easy exchange process were treated as core product features rather than afterthoughts, because they directly reduce returns.
Product pages: do they answer every buying question?
A strong product page answers what it is, what it costs in total, whether it suits the buyer, when it will arrive and what happens if it does not work out. Missing answers send shoppers to marketplaces or competitors.
- Several sharp photos from different angles, plus a short video where useful
- A benefit-led title and a clear description written for your customer, not copied from the manufacturer
- Size charts, dimensions, material, ingredients or specifications
- Final price, any discount and shipping cost shown before checkout
- Stock status and variant selection that works smoothly on mobile
- Genuine customer reviews with photos where possible
- Pin code checker, delivery estimate, COD availability and return summary
- A clear Add to Cart button and a WhatsApp button for questions
Our guide to UI/UX Design Changes That Turn Website Visitors into Enquiries covers layout, trust and mobile patterns that apply equally to product pages.
Speed, SEO and WhatsApp: are they launch-ready?
Your store should load quickly on mid-range phones and patchy mobile data, be fully indexable by Google, and connect to WhatsApp for support and order updates. These three together decide how much of your traffic turns into orders.
| Area | Launch check |
|---|---|
| Speed | Compressed images in modern formats, lazy loading, minimal apps and scripts, tested on a real mid-range phone |
| Core Web Vitals | Check key templates (home, category, product, cart) in PageSpeed Insights and fix major issues |
| SEO basics | Unique titles and descriptions, clean URLs, product and breadcrumb schema, XML sitemap, no indexable duplicate filter pages |
| Category pages | Helpful intro text and internal links, not just a grid of products |
| Analytics | E-commerce tracking for views, add to cart, checkout and purchase, tested with real orders |
| Click-to-chat button, order confirmation and shipping updates, abandoned cart reminders with consent |
For deeper technical checks, use our technical SEO checklist. If you want to manage WhatsApp conversations and repeat customers properly, read our guide to WhatsApp CRM in India.
Place a few real test orders before launch: one UPI, one card, one COD and one return. You will find issues no checklist can predict.
How DVM Techno can help
DVM Techno builds D2C and B2B stores for brands across India from our Gurgaon base, with payment gateway, shipping, GST invoice and WhatsApp integrations set up and tested before launch. Once your store is running, our post on Does Your Small Business Need a Mobile App or Just a Website? will help you decide if a shopping app is the right next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should an Indian D2C brand offer cash on delivery?
Usually yes, at least at the start, because many Indian shoppers still prefer paying on delivery, especially for first orders from a new brand. Control the risk by limiting COD to serviceable pin codes and reasonable order values, confirming orders before dispatch, and tracking return-to-origin rates by area. Encourage prepaid orders with benefits like faster dispatch rather than heavy COD charges.
Do I need GST registration to sell online in India?
In most cases, businesses selling goods online need GST registration, and the rules for online sellers can differ from those for offline shops. Registration, thresholds and state requirements depend on your products and how you sell. Speak to a chartered accountant before launch, and make sure your store generates correct GST invoices from the very first order.
Which pages does a payment gateway need before approving my store?
Most payment gateways in India review your website during onboarding. They typically look for a contact page with business details, terms and conditions, a privacy policy, a refund and cancellation policy, and a shipping policy, along with live product pages showing prices. Having these ready before applying usually makes approval faster and avoids back-and-forth with the gateway team.
How can WhatsApp help an e-commerce website sell more?
WhatsApp lets shoppers ask quick questions about size, delivery or authenticity before buying, which removes doubts that often cause abandoned carts. It is also useful for order confirmations, COD verification, shipping updates and, with customer consent, reminders about items left in the cart. Use the official WhatsApp Business tools and keep messages useful rather than promotional.
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Launching a D2C store?
We build and test Indian e-commerce stores with UPI, COD, shipping and GST invoicing ready from day one.