Kharar, Punjab, India, 19 October 2026: Nearby Pets India is preparing to offer Cash on Delivery (COD) for pet purchases on its platform. COD will be open to customers who complete a verification process: Aadhaar through DigiLocker, live location and address proof checks, a video KYC (VKYC) call with our team, and an agreement signed on e-stamp paper. Verification data is deleted once the pet is delivered.
On 17 October 2026 Nearby Pets India applied to the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, for access to DigiLocker, and submitted the required compliance undertaking. The application is under review. Nearby Pets India plans to roll out verified COD over December 2026 to February 2027, starting with tier-1 cities, once NeGD approves the application and the other required approvals are complete and the integration has been tested.
Why COD for pets needs verification
Today, booking a pet on Nearby Pets India works like this: you pay a 25% advance to book, and the remaining 75% at handover, after you have met your pet. We are often asked why we don't offer full Cash on Delivery.
The honest answer is cost. By the time a puppy, kitten or bird reaches your door, we have already paid the breeder, booked transport and covered the care on the journey. When an order is cancelled at the doorstep, the animal makes a second long trip back and the cost is lost. The advance protects against that.
Verification solves the same problem in a different way. If we know who the buyer is, we can take that risk and let verified customers pay at delivery.
How verified Cash on Delivery will work
COD access is strict on purpose. Every step below has to be completed, and the request then passes our internal review, before a COD order is accepted.
Who is eligible
- Age limits. COD has a minimum and a maximum age for the buyer. The exact limits will be published on the website before launch.
- Delivery in a live COD city. During the first phase, that means a tier-1 city.
- Internal checks. After you complete the steps, our team reviews the request before approving it. A request can be declined, and you can still book with the 25% advance.
The verification steps
- Aadhaar through DigiLocker. You sign in to your own DigiLocker account and approve sharing your Aadhaar with Nearby Pets India. Nothing is shared without your consent on DigiLocker's own screen.
- Live location check. With your permission, your phone's location is matched against the delivery area you entered.
- Address proof. You share a document that confirms the delivery address, such as a utility bill or rent agreement, if it differs from the Aadhaar address.
- Video KYC. A member of our team joins a short live video call to match your face to your Aadhaar and confirm your address.
- E-stamp agreement. You sign a COD agreement on e-stamp paper electronically. It records the order, the price and what happens if the delivery is refused without reason.
- Internal review and approval. Our team checks the request, including the age limits, and approves or declines COD for the order.
- Pay on delivery. Your pet is delivered, you meet them and check their health records, and you pay at handover.
The exact order values and pets that COD covers at launch will be published on the website before it goes live.
Rollout: tier-1 cities, December to February
COD will open city by city during the first three months, from December 2026 to February 2027, starting with India's tier-1 cities: Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune and Ahmedabad. Starting with a smaller set of cities lets us test every verification step on real orders before extending COD further. Other cities will follow once the process has proven itself.
What happens to your data
In the undertaking submitted with its application, Nearby Pets India has committed to the following:
- Consent first. We fetch a document only after you explicitly consent, and we keep an auditable record of that consent.
- Used only for verification. DigiLocker documents are used only for the approved purpose: confirming the buyer's identity for COD orders.
- Deleted on delivery. Your Aadhaar data, address proof, location and video KYC recording are deleted once your pet is delivered. We keep only what the law requires: the signed e-stamp agreement and a record that you gave consent.
- Compliance. We work within the Information Technology Act 2000 and CERT-In guidelines, and we acknowledge the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and will comply with it as it takes effect.
What stays the same
The 25% advance option isn't going away. Customers who don't want to verify can keep booking the way they do now. Our 7-day health guarantee, health records at handover and delivery across India apply to every order, however you pay.
Timeline
- 17 October 2026: applied to NeGD for DigiLocker access and submitted the compliance undertaking.
- Next: NeGD review and approval, DigiLocker integration, and testing of the video KYC and e-stamp steps.
- December 2026 to February 2027: COD rolls out in tier-1 cities, once every step and approval is complete. If approvals take longer, the dates move with them, and we will post the confirmed dates here.
DigiLocker is a Government of India platform run by NeGD. This announcement describes our application to use it. We are not a partner of NeGD or DigiLocker, and this is not an endorsement of Nearby Pets India by NeGD or the Government of India.
Frequently asked questions
When will Cash on Delivery be available on Nearby Pets India?
We plan to roll it out from December 2026 to February 2027 in tier-1 cities, after NeGD approves our DigiLocker application and our own testing are complete. Confirmed dates will be announced on this blog and on our website.
Which cities get COD first?
Tier-1 cities: Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune and Ahmedabad. Other cities will follow after the first three months.
Do I need a DigiLocker account to use COD?
Yes. COD needs your Aadhaar through DigiLocker, which is free for Indian residents. If you'd rather not use DigiLocker, you can book any pet with the 25% advance as you do today.
What is video KYC?
It is a short live video call with a member of our team. We match your face to your Aadhaar and confirm your delivery address. It usually takes a few minutes.
Why do I need to sign an e-stamp agreement?
On a COD order we pay the breeder and transport before you pay anything. The agreement, signed electronically on e-stamp paper, records the order and price and makes refusing a delivery without reason a breach of contract. It protects the pet from a wasted round trip.
Will Nearby Pets India keep a copy of my Aadhaar or other documents?
No. Documents are fetched only with your consent and used only to verify you for COD. Your Aadhaar data, address proof, location and video KYC recording are deleted once your pet is delivered. Only the signed agreement and a consent record are kept, as the law requires.
Is there an age limit for Cash on Delivery?
Yes. COD has both a minimum and a maximum age for the buyer, checked from your Aadhaar. The exact limits will be published before launch.
Is every verified customer approved for COD?
No. After verification, every request goes through our internal checks before approval. If COD is declined, you can still book with the 25% advance.
Can I still pay 25% in advance instead?
Yes. The current option, 25% to book and 75% at handover, stays available for every customer.
About Nearby Pets India
Nearby Pets India is a pet retail and delivery platform from KRP Tech Solutions (OPC) Pvt Ltd, based in Kharar, Punjab. It offers dogs, cats, exotic birds and small animals with delivery across India, and has served more than 1,000 families since 2023. Read more on our About page or browse pets available now.
Media contact
Nearby Pets India
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +91 80696 45024
Web: nearby-petstore.in
