External Courier
The External Courier section connects Delivery with third-party courier providers. It is used when orders are not delivered by internal drivers.
Current availability
External courier provider settings are available so the system can be prepared for future integrations. Live external provider integration is not fully completed yet because the required integration information and credentials from external courier companies were not available. Until those details are obtained and configured, use the own-fleet delivery workflow for live operations.
Recommendation Options
| Option | Use In Production? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Own-fleet delivery | Yes | This is the recommended live delivery path today. |
| Mock courier connector | No | Use only for demos, testing, and internal validation. |
| Provider settings without live connector | No | Useful for preparation, but not enough for real dispatch. |
| Live external courier connector | Only after provider integration is completed | Requires provider API credentials, quote API, dispatch API, cancel API if needed, status sync or webhooks, COD rules, and error mapping. |
Before enabling a real external courier provider, confirm:
- Provider API credentials are available for sandbox and production.
- Quote request/response format is documented.
- Dispatch request/response format is documented.
- Cancellation rules are documented.
- Status sync or webhook events are documented.
- COD collection rules are documented.
- Provider error codes are mapped to Delivery dispatch statuses.
- End-to-end tests pass for quote, dispatch, cancel, sync/webhook, and failure recovery.
Courier Providers
Courier Providers define the third-party services available to the system.
Typical provider information:
- Provider name.
- Connector key.
- Environment: sandbox or production.
- Supported capabilities.
- Active status.
Provider Capabilities
| Capability | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Quote | Provider can return delivery price or ETA quotes. |
| Dispatch | Provider can receive dispatch requests. |
| Cancel | Provider supports cancellation. |
| Status Sync | Provider supports delivery status updates. |
| Webhooks | Provider can send webhook events. |
| COD | Provider can handle cash-on-delivery collection. |
Use sandbox mode for testing before production credentials are used.
Branch Provider Settings
Provider Settings connect a courier provider to a branch.
Use this page to:
- Enable or disable a provider for a branch.
- Store provider credentials.
- Configure branch-specific behavior.
- Limit provider availability to selected zones.
- Test the provider connection.
If a provider is not configured for a branch, that branch cannot dispatch orders through that provider.
Quote History
Quote History shows courier quote requests and responses.
Use it to review:
- Which provider was asked for a quote.
- Quoted fee.
- Estimated delivery time.
- Provider response status.
- Errors returned by provider connectors.
This page helps explain why a delivery fee or provider was selected.
Dispatch Request Log
Dispatch Request Log tracks courier dispatch requests after a quote or provider selection.
Use it to review:
- Provider request status.
- Provider reference.
- Dispatch payload and result.
- Retry attempts.
- Cancel requests.
- Provider sync history.
This page is the audit trail for external courier operations.
Typical External Courier Flow
- Courier provider is active.
- Branch provider settings are configured and tested.
- Delivery quote is requested.
- Dispatch request is sent to provider.
- Provider accepts and processes delivery.
- Provider status sync or manual review updates the delivery.
- COD settlement is reviewed if provider collected cash.
Troubleshooting
Provider is not available
Check:
- Provider is active.
- Branch provider settings are active.
- Provider credentials are correct.
- Provider supports the required capability.
- Zone restrictions do not exclude the delivery zone.
- Test connection succeeds.
Quote fails
Check:
- Customer address has valid coordinates.
- Provider credentials are valid.
- Provider supports quote capability.
- Delivery zone is allowed for that provider.
- Provider sandbox or production environment matches the credentials.
Dispatch fails
Check:
- Provider supports dispatch capability.
- Quote or delivery data is complete.
- Provider did not reject the request.
- Dispatch request log has the provider error details.