Selling online in Lebanon: what your store needs to handle.

Plan for cash on delivery

Cash on delivery is common, and it changes how the store should work. An order is not a sale until the customer pays at the door. Confirm each order by phone or message before it ships, especially large orders and first-time customers, to reduce failed deliveries.

Track what the delivery company collects and when it pays you. A simple report that matches delivered orders against cash received saves hours each week and shows quickly when something is missing. Card payments can sit alongside cash for customers who prefer them.

Let WhatsApp and the store work together

Many customers will message you before they buy, however good your website is. Instead of fighting this, connect the two. A WhatsApp button on each product page can fill in the product name and size in the first message, so your team does not have to ask.

Orders taken on WhatsApp should go into the same system as website orders. Otherwise stock, delivery and accounting drift apart. The WhatsApp Business app also lets you show products and save replies to common questions, which helps small teams answer faster.

Track stock by size and variant

For clothing, shoes or anything sold in sizes and colours, track stock for each variant, not just for each product. A customer who orders a medium in black should not find out a day later that only a large in white is left.

Show availability on the product page, mark sold-out sizes, and decide what happens when the last item sells in the shop and online at the same moment. If you also have a physical store, one shared stock count avoids most of these problems.

Be clear about delivery and returns

Show delivery fees and times by area before checkout, not after. Explain your exchange and return policy in a few lines, including who pays for delivery on an exchange. Show prices clearly in the currency you expect to be paid in, and list the payment methods you accept. Clear answers here mean fewer messages, failed deliveries and disputes.