Skip to content 
Fake and refused Cash on Delivery (COD) orders are one of the biggest challenges facing Pakistani ecommerce businesses. While paid ads may show strong performance on dashboards, fake orders quietly eat into profits through courier costs, returns, and wasted marketing spend. Reducing fake orders is essential for sustainable growth.
Why Fake Orders Are Common in Pakistan
Several factors contribute to the high rate of fake or refused orders:
- Low purchase commitment with COD
- Impulse buying driven by aggressive ads
- Incomplete or incorrect customer information
- Lack of trust in new or unknown brands
Understanding these causes helps brands design better marketing and checkout strategies.
How Fake Orders Affect Ecommerce Marketing
Fake orders impact more than just operations:
- Lower ROAS: Ad spend looks profitable until deliveries fail
- Higher Courier Costs: Forward and return shipping reduces margins
- Poor Scaling Decisions: Brands increase ad budgets based on misleading data
Without filtering order quality, marketing growth becomes unsustainable.
Practical Strategies to Reduce Fake Orders
1. Add Order Confirmation Steps
Confirming orders via WhatsApp, SMS, or phone calls significantly reduces fake orders. Even automated confirmations help identify serious buyers.
2. Improve Product Page Clarity
Clear product descriptions, sizing details, delivery timelines, and return policies reduce misunderstandings that lead to refusals.
3. Use Trust Signals Across the Store
Display customer reviews, real product images, social proof, and brand credentials to increase buyer confidence.
4. Segment COD Campaigns
Run separate campaigns for COD and prepaid orders. This allows better optimization and budget control based on actual delivery success.
5. Track Delivered Orders, Not Just Checkouts
Measure performance based on delivered orders and net revenue, not just completed checkouts. This ensures marketing decisions are based on real profitability.
Role of GEO and AI-Driven Content
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) helps reduce fake orders by attracting higher-intent buyers. When your brand appears in AI-generated answers and trusted summaries, customers are more informed before purchasing.
Structured content such as FAQs, delivery policies, and comparison pages improves AI search visibility and filters unserious traffic.
How Sash Digital Helps Reduce Fake Orders
At Sash Digital, we help Pakistani ecommerce brands reduce fake orders through:
- Buyer-intent focused ad strategies
- Structured landing pages and checkout optimization
- GEO strategy and AI-driven content for trust building
- Analytics that track delivered orders and real ROAS
