ONDC Fees for Sellers: Network Fee, Seller-App Charges and Logistics, and What Is Not Confirmed

The only ONDC-wide fee we could confirm from a published report is the network fee: ₹1.5 per transaction on orders above ₹250, starting 1 January 2025, payable by seller-side network participants. Everything else varies, because ONDC has no single fixed commission: seller apps, buyer apps, logistics partners and payment services each charge their own way. We could not confirm that the ₹1.5 fee is unchanged as of November 2026.

What is the ONDC network fee?

Inc42 reported on 7 December 2024 that ONDC would start charging a network fee of ₹1.5 per transaction from 1 January 2025, applying only to orders above ₹250. The fee is meant to cover operating costs and fund network infrastructure.

ONDC is the Open Network for Digital Commerce. It is a network that connects apps, so fees sit at several layers: the network, the app you sell through, the logistics you use and the payment service. Our glossary entry on ONDC explains the layers.

Who pays the network fee, and when?

The report says the fee applies to seller network participants, including integrated and managed sellers, logistics providers, and financial services entities such as lenders, insurers and mutual fund providers. As a small seller on a seller app, you may never see ONDC invoice you directly. The app may pay it and recover it from you, or bill you for it.

The reported process is:

1. Participants declare chargeable transactions by the 7th of each month.
2. ONDC's finance team issues invoices by the 15th.
3. Payment is due within 10 calendar days of the invoice, by bank transfer to ONDC's designated account.

Which orders are exempt?

According to the same report, the fee does not apply to cancelled orders, to orders below ₹250, or to transactions with returns or refunds within the specified window. The "specified window" is not defined in the article we opened, so we cannot tell you its length. Whether an order of exactly ₹250 is charged is also unclear from the report, which says "above ₹250" in one place and "below ₹250" in another.

What other fees can an ONDC seller face?

The network fee is the smallest part of the picture. Expect these other lines, none of which has a published universal rate:

The commission point matters most. The June 2026 report says ONDC has no single fixed commission and that charges vary by seller app, buyer app, logistics partner, payment service and product category. We have not found a public commission range from a primary source, so we do not give one.

How does this compare with Amazon's fees?

Amazon publishes its fees in public tables: referral fees start at 0% and vary by category, closing fees start at ₹2 and vary by price band and channel, and GST of 18% applies to the listed fees. That is easier to model than ONDC, where you collect quotes from each app. For a fuller comparison, read ONDC vs Amazon and Flipkart and our marketplace fee comparison.

How do I work out my real cost per order on ONDC?

Use quotes, not averages. Here is a worked example with invented numbers, to show the method.

For example, a seller ships a ₹600 product. The seller app quotes a commission of ₹60, the courier quotes ₹70 for the parcel, and the payment service takes ₹10. The network fee, if charged to the seller, is ₹1.5. Total fees on the order are ₹141.5, or about 23.6% of the price, before GST on the fees. These figures are made up. Replace each one with a written quote from your app and courier.

Then add the cost of failures. If 1 in 10 parcels returns and each return costs you the outbound and return shipping, your effective cost per delivered order rises. Our RTO cost calculator works that out.

Why the fee layers matter more than the headline number

A ₹1.5 fee sounds trivial, and for a ₹600 order it is. The bigger effect is on small-ticket orders. On a ₹300 order, ₹1.5 is 0.5% of the price, which is small next to a courier charge, but it is charged on every order above the threshold, so volume adds up. For example, 2,000 eligible orders a month would carry ₹3,000 of network fee in total. That is an illustration of the arithmetic, not a statement of what you will be billed.

The real risk is the opposite one: a fee you cannot see. When a seller app bundles network fee, payment charges and its own margin into a single percentage, you cannot tell what you are paying for. Ask for a breakdown. If the app will not give one, treat the percentage as the whole cost and compare it with other apps.

Also watch for changes. ONDC introduced the network fee a few years after launch, and the report notes it followed a plan the CEO had signalled about six months earlier. Fee structures on a young network can move, so review your costs every quarter and keep your listings portable between apps where you can.

What should I ask a seller app before I sign up?

• What is the commission or subscription, and is it before or after GST?
• Is the ONDC network fee charged to me or absorbed?
• Which logistics partners can I use, and who sets the rates?
• When and how do I get paid, and what is deducted?
• What is the return and refund process?

Save the answers. Because charges are set app by app, a written fee sheet is your only reference if costs change.

FAQ

Does ONDC charge sellers a commission? ONDC itself has no single fixed commission. Charges vary by seller app, buyer app, logistics partner, payment service and product category. You will pay whatever your chosen app charges, so request its fee sheet first.

How much is the ONDC network fee? Inc42 reported ₹1.5 per transaction on orders above ₹250, from 1 January 2025. We could not confirm that this is the current rate in November 2026, so check with your seller app.

Do I pay the network fee on cancelled or returned orders? Reportedly not. Cancelled orders and transactions refunded or returned within the specified window are exempt. The length of that window is not stated in the report we opened.

Is it free to register as a seller on ONDC? Not confirmed. Registration terms depend on the seller app you use, and some apps charge subscriptions or setup fees. Ask the app, and avoid anyone who charges for a government "certificate" you cannot verify.

Are ONDC fees lower than Amazon or Flipkart? It depends on the app, category and price. Amazon's published referral fees start at 0% and vary by category. ONDC app commissions are not published in one place, so compare real quotes on your own products.

Who pays for delivery on ONDC orders? Logistics partners set their own rates, and the cost is usually built into what the buyer pays or what the seller bears, depending on the app. This is not standardised, so confirm it in your app's terms. See India Post on ONDC for one logistics option.

Get written quotes before you list

Fees on ONDC are negotiated app by app, so quotes beat averages. If you want help comparing true cost per order across ONDC, Amazon and other channels, Blooprint's Amazon account management team can build that comparison with you. This is general information, not tax or legal advice; confirm GST treatment with a chartered accountant.