Why the COD Fee Does Not Appear in the Checkout Total (and Where Customers See It)

If you just set up your Cash on Delivery (COD) fee and the checkout total still shows the amount without the fee, everything is working correctly. This article explains when the fee is added, why the checkout total cannot include it in real time, and the places where you can make the fee visible to your customers.

When the fee is added?

The fee is added to the order right after your customer completes the purchase, not during checkout. The app uses Shopify's order edit system to add the fee as a separate line item a few seconds after the order is created. The order in your Shopify admin, the Thank You page, and the order notifications then show the updated total.

Why the checkout total cannot change in real time?

Shopify does not allow any app to edit or alter the checkout process. No app can change the checkout total while your customer is paying. This is a Shopify platform rule, not an app limitation, and it applies to every COD fee app on the App Store.
The exception is Shopify Plus: Plus stores can add our checkout block that displays a live "Total with fee" line when the customer selects Cash on Delivery. See point 5 below.

Where your customers see the fee?

You control four places where the fee is visible on every plan, plus one extra option on Shopify Plus. We recommend configuring all of them, each one is a step in the wizard on the Fee settings page.

1. The payment method name (checkout)

Rename your COD payment method in Shopify so the fee is part of the name, for example: Cash on Delivery (+ $3.00). Your customer sees the fee at the payment step, before placing the order. Step 5 of the fee wizard shows exactly how to do this for your setup.

2. The payment method message (checkout)

Add a short explanation to the payment method's "Additional details" field in Shopify. Step 6 of the wizard generates the text for you, for example: "The Cash on Delivery payment method requires an additional fee of $4.00 that you will have to pay at delivery. This fee will be added to your order total automatically and is required by our courier."

3. The Thank You page

Add the app blocks to your Thank You page: in Shopify, open Settings > Checkout > Customize, select the Thank You page, and add one COD-fee-message block and two COD-fee-total blocks. Your customer sees the fee line, the updated total, and your delivery instructions right after completing the order. This is step 8 of the wizard.

4. The order confirmation email

The fee and the updated total appear in the order confirmation email after a one-time update to your Shopify notification template. Our support team makes this change for you, for free. This is step 4 of the wizard: contact us on live chat and we will apply it.

5. Shopify Plus: a live total during checkout (optional)

On Shopify Plus, you can add our checkout block so customers see a "Total with fee" line update live while they are still at checkout, before they pay — no need to wait for the Thank You page. Go to Settings > Checkout, and add our block below the subtotal block. This option is only available on Plus; on all other plans, the payment method name and message (points 1 and 2) are what customers see before paying.

Frequently asked questions

• My customer says they were never told about the fee. What do I check?

Go through the places above in order. In most cases the payment method name (1) and message (2) were skipped during setup.

• The confirmation email shows the old total.

The email template update (4) has not been applied yet. Contact support and we will add it.

• Can the fee show in my customer's local currency?

Only on Shopify Plus. On other plans the fee is converted to your store currency at checkout.

Need help?

Not finding what you are looking for? Chat with us from the app or send us an email, our team replies fast.

Updated on: 12/08/2026