Simple shipping policy for an Egyptian online store

A shipping policy is the short page where you tell an Egyptian buyer four things they genuinely worry about before they tap order: can you even deliver to their governorate, how many days it will take, how much it costs, and what happens if the parcel is late or comes back. Shoppers paying cash on delivery are especially anxious here, because they are committing to hand over real money at the door to a store they may never have bought from, and a vague or missing policy reads as a reason to hesitate or to refuse the box on arrival.

The good news is that a clear shipping policy is one of the cheapest trust-builders you will ever write, and it pays you back twice — fewer "where is my order" WhatsApp messages, and fewer refused deliveries from buyers who felt surprised. This lesson is only about the customer-facing shipping text itself: the cities you cover, the delivery windows, the cost, free-shipping thresholds, delays, and who pays return shipping. It is not the full set of trust pages, and it is not your internal playbook for chasing a stuck shipment.

What your shipping policy must answer

Egyptian buyers scan for the same handful of facts every time. If your policy answers these plainly, in Arabic and ideally English, you have covered ninety percent of what they need.

• Where you deliver. List the governorates you ship to, and be honest about the ones you do not. Buyers in Upper Egypt, Sinai, the Red Sea, and New Valley are used to being told "we deliver nationwide" only to be refused at checkout, so naming your real coverage early earns trust.
• How long it takes. Give realistic windows by region, not a single number. Something like "1–2 working days inside Cairo and Giza, 2–4 days to the Delta and Alexandria, 3–6 days to Upper Egypt and remote governorates" sets an expectation the courier can actually meet.
• What it costs. State the shipping fee in EGP, and whether it changes by governorate or order weight. If you charge a flat 50–75 EGP to most cities and more to far governorates, say so.
• Free-shipping threshold, if any. If you offer free delivery above a cart value, write the exact number — "free shipping on orders over 1,000 EGP" — so it becomes a reason to add one more item.
• Cash-on-delivery handling. Confirm that COD is available, name any small COD fee, and remind buyers their phone must be reachable so the courier can confirm before delivery.
• What happens if it is late. Promise a heads-up by WhatsApp or call if a parcel slips, and reassure buyers that a delay is not a cancellation.

A plain template you can adapt

Keep the wording short and concrete. A workable policy reads almost like this:

1. Coverage line. "We deliver to all 27 governorates through our courier partners."
2. Timing line. "Greater Cairo: 1–2 working days. Other governorates: 3–6 working days. Fridays and official holidays are not counted."
3. Cost line. "Shipping is 60 EGP within Cairo and Giza and 80–110 EGP to other governorates. Orders over 1,000 EGP ship free."
4. Payment line. "Pay cash on delivery, by InstaPay, or by mobile wallet. COD orders are confirmed by phone before dispatch."
5. Delay line. "If your order is running late, we will message you on WhatsApp with an update — your order is never cancelled without telling you first."

Swap in your own numbers and couriers, but resist the urge to over-promise next-day delivery to the whole country. A window you keep beats a fast one you miss.

Who pays return shipping — state it before they ask

This is the clause merchants most often leave blank, and it is the one that causes the loudest disputes. Decide your rule and write it in one sentence: if the buyer returns an item because they changed their mind, do they cover the return courier fee, or do you? If the return is your fault — wrong item, damaged, or defective — you should clearly say you pay both ways. Spelling this out up front turns an awkward argument at return time into a policy the customer already agreed to. The detailed mechanics of refunds and swaps belong in your refund policy, which this page should link to so the two read as one promise.

Keep it findable and current

A shipping policy only works if buyers can reach it. Link it in your footer and from the cart or checkout page, and reference it on product pages near the delivery estimate. Review it whenever your courier rates change, before a Ramadan or seasonal rush when delivery times stretch, and any time you add or drop a governorate. An out-of-date policy that promises 2-day delivery during a peak you cannot meet does more harm than no policy at all.

Related lessons

• Choose the right courier for an Egyptian online store — your courier's real coverage and timing are what your policy is allowed to promise.
• Write a refund and exchange policy buyers understand — the natural companion that covers who pays when an item comes back.
• Essential trust pages for launch — where the shipping policy sits among the other pages buyers check before paying.

This Storix Academy lesson is published as "Simple shipping policy for an Egyptian online store". Every step below is written for merchants selling online in Egypt, so apply one change at a time and measure the result before moving on.