Free Delivery Is Still Paid for Somewhere

Customers like seeing free delivery at checkout. The courier does not become free because the label changes. The business has moved the cost into another part of the offer.

Test a small basket

Imagine a fictional order worth R150 that leaves R45 after product costs. Delivery costs R40. Only R5 remains before other expenses. A bigger order might absorb the same delivery charge comfortably, while this one barely does.

Editorial image from Blogdel's business collection, used for illustration.

SBA break-even guidance provides a useful framework for separating price and variable costs. Delivery belongs in that arithmetic when it changes with an order.

Match the promise to the pattern

Study actual basket sizes, destinations and fulfilment costs. A minimum basket, a defined delivery area or a clearly priced option may be more sustainable than a universal promise. The right choice depends on your customers and operation; the example is not a prescription.

Be transparent before checkout. A supposedly free offer that adds a surprise fee later creates a different problem: trust. Good pricing lets customers understand the whole transaction while leaving the business enough to fulfil it. The best delivery offer is one you can repeat, not just one that looks attractive in an advertisement.

Editorial image from Blogdel's business collection, used for illustration.

Sources and further reading

• US Small Business Administration: Break-even point