Built a tool to fix the #1 problem killing dropshippers in Algeria — sky-high COD refusal rates
Hey everyone,
I’ve been building DzDropship, a small platform for resellers and dropshippers operating in Algeria, and wanted to share it here for feedback.
The problem:
Cash-on-delivery is basically the only payment method that works for e-commerce in Algeria, but it comes with a brutal downside — customers routinely refuse the package when the delivery agent shows up. Return rates are a lot higher than most sellers can absorb, and every refused order still costs the seller the outbound shipping fee. That’s the single biggest thing eating dropshipper margins here.
What I built:
DzDropship integrates with SofizPay (a local payment gateway that works with CIB and Edahabia cards, tied into the SATIM network and Algeria Post) to offer what I’m calling Split Cash on Delivery:
• The customer pays just the shipping fee upfront, electronically, as a small deposit when they place the order.
• The rest of the product price is still paid in cash on delivery, like normal.
• If they refuse the package, the seller has already recovered the shipping cost instead of eating the loss.
On top of that, there’s a dashboard to:
• Manage orders whether you’re importing from AliExpress or sourcing from local wholesalers
• Let customers pick between full COD, full electronic payment, or the hybrid split option
• Auto-reconcile which deposits came in electronically vs. what still needs to be collected in cash
No business registration required to start — you sign up for a SofizPay merchant account, which lets you receive funds and transfer them to your bank or CCP account.
Still early days, but wanted to see what people think, especially anyone who’s dealt with the COD-refusal problem firsthand (in Algeria or elsewhere). Happy to answer questions about how the payment split works.
It’s also open source (Next.js/TypeScript) if anyone wants to poke around the code or contribute
Links in the comments.