ONDC stands for Open Network for Digital Commerce. It is an open network built on interoperable digital protocols, so buyers can discover sellers across multiple apps regardless of which platform the seller first joined, unlike a siloed, platform-controlled e-commerce site. It is a network, not one shopping app.
How does ONDC work for a seller?
You list products through a seller app, which connects to the network. Buyers shop on ONDC-connected buyer apps. Logistics and financial services providers can also be network participants. Our guide to how to sell on ONDC covers the steps and what we could not confirm.
What does ONDC charge?
Per Inc42's report of 7 December 2024, ONDC charges ₹1.5 per transaction on orders above ₹250 from 1 January 2025, only on successful transactions with no return or refund in the specified window. Cancelled orders and orders at or below ₹250 are exempt. Seller network participants pay it, including integrated and managed sellers, logistics providers and financial services entities. See ONDC seller fees explained.
How big is it?
Figures differ by date and definition. Inc42 reported 14 million transactions in October 2024 and more than 638,000 sellers and service providers across 609 cities, as ONDC's own claim. A written Lok Sabha reply reported in December 2025 gave over 1.16 lakh retail sellers across 630+ cities, with the MSME Ministry's TEAM scheme backing expansion. We have no 2026 figure confirmed. See ONDC TEAM scheme.
Who are the participants?
ONDC splits the roles that a marketplace normally bundles. Buyer apps face the shopper, seller apps serve the seller, and logistics and financial services providers plug in alongside. Inc42's report on the fee names seller network participants, logistics providers and financial services entities such as lenders and insurers as the fee-paying participants. For the seller-side role in detail, see ONDC seller apps explained.
Is ONDC a replacement for Amazon or Flipkart? Not on current evidence. A large marketplace brings its own traffic, ads and fulfilment. On ONDC, discovery depends on how buyer apps show your products, and we could not confirm how ranking works. Many brands will treat it as an extra channel, not a replacement. See ONDC vs marketplaces for the trade-offs.
What is not confirmed
We could not read ONDC's own seller guide, because ondc.org returned only its title when we opened it. We have not confirmed any seller app's rates, a current list of apps or 2026 transaction totals.
Blooprint, a Bengaluru e-commerce agency, works on the big marketplaces and can compare channel margins through Amazon account management.