The customer places an order, the courier delivers it and the store receives the money. The process may look the same, but the service agreed with the courier and the actual payment method determine how the sale must be documented.
The words “cash on delivery” on your website are therefore not enough to establish whether a fiscal receipt is required or which documents the buyer should receive.
What is the difference between cash on delivery and a postal money transfer?
Cash on delivery describes the condition that a parcel is handed over in exchange for collection of a specified amount. A postal money transfer is a money-transfer service provided by an operator licensed for that activity. Money collected on delivery may be handled through a postal money transfer, but the words “payment on delivery” do not establish that this is the case.
Check the contract, the service configuration, the documents for each parcel and the way the courier reports the money collected. It is not enough that the operator offers postal money transfers: that service must actually be used for the payments concerned.
When is a fiscal receipt required?
An ordinary cash payment collected on delivery generally requires the seller to record the sale with a fiscal receipt. Where the payment is actually made through a postal money transfer provided by a licensed operator, the exception from the fiscal-receipt requirement applies to that payment method.
The courier's subsequent transfer to the store's bank account does not, by itself, establish the nature of the original payment. Check the whole payment flow, rather than only the final entry on the bank statement.
No fiscal receipt does not mean no sales document
For a postal money transfer, the merchant remains responsible for providing the customer with the required sales document, on paper or electronically. It must contain the applicable particulars under Article 3(1), read with Article 26(1), points 1, 4, 7 and 8 of Ordinance N-18. These include merchant details, information about the goods or services, quantities and values, the total and the payment method.
The courier's payment slip documents the payment transaction. Do not automatically assume that it replaces the document the merchant must provide for the goods sold. If you use an invoice or another automatically generated document, check that it meets the applicable Bulgarian requirements.
Three documents with different roles
An order may have a waybill, a payment document and a sales document. The waybill helps trace delivery. The postal money transfer document traces the movement of funds. The merchant's document describes the sale. All three should be traceable to the same order.
Choose a consistent reference, such as the order number, and use it in reports wherever the systems allow. This is particularly useful for partial deliveries, repeat dispatches and returns.
What should you check in the courier contract?
- The exact service used to collect and pay out cash-on-delivery amounts.
- Which documents are issued to the buyer and which are available to the merchant.
- How a postal money transfer is identified in the waybill and reports.
- How refused parcels, partial returns and refunds are handled.
- Which reports can be downloaded for parcels, amounts collected, deducted fees and payouts.
- Whether the services differ for Bulgarian and international deliveries.
Obtain these details before activating the payment method. Your accountant can then check the documents, while the developer configures their delivery to the customer.
How should you reconcile the amounts received?
Do not compare only the store's total sales with the courier's total payout. Differences may arise from unpaid deliveries, refused orders, fees, different payout periods or refunds.
Illustrative example: three orders are dispatched with EUR 50 due on delivery for each. Two are delivered and paid for; the third is refused. First distinguish the two amounts collected from the refused parcel. Then reconcile the actual payout and any deductions against the report. This example illustrates cash-flow control, not a universal rule for recognising revenue or VAT.
At the end of the period, retain parcel reports, sales documents, adjustments, courier invoices and bank transactions. Money held by the courier for a later payout should remain traceable after month-end.
For practical reconciliation, prepare an orders and waybills report, a report of the courier's collections and payouts, and a bank statement. Match them using the order or waybill number and trace delivery status, the gross amount, fees, net payout and date. Report names depend on the system used.
What happens when goods are returned?
Link the return to the original order and documents. Record which goods were received back, how much is refunded, the refund method and the date. Simply reducing sales in your own spreadsheet is not sufficient.
The appropriate adjustment depends on the original documentation. A credit note, a fiscal reversal or other applicable documentation may be needed. Agree the process with your accountant so that the person accepting the return knows which information to retain.
Frequently asked questions
Is a contract with a major courier enough?
Not for this assessment. Check which payment service is agreed and how it works for the actual parcels. The courier's name does not replace a review of the documents.
The money arrives by bank transfer. Does that mean no fiscal receipt is needed?
You cannot draw that conclusion from the bank credit alone. It may be an intermediary's payout of money collected through different payment methods.
Does a postal money transfer remove the accounting obligations?
No. Sales, expenses, receivables and receipts still need to be accounted for. The payment-document requirements change; the need for accounting does not.
Should I discuss adding card payments?
Yes. A new payment method may require different documents, settings and a review of the information submitted for the store. Clarify these before activation.
Review your payments before reviewing your turnover
Send us a description of your payment methods, the courier contract or service terms, and sample documents without customers' personal data. We can discuss how to organise your online store's accounting and which parts of the process need clarification.
Read about our e-commerce accounting service or use our contact page for a specific question.
This article provides general information. The required documentation depends on the particular sale, payment and applicable rules.