Set Up Same-Day Delivery in 6 Decisions
A practical operating guide for offering same-day local delivery through your own store.
Set up same-day delivery by limiting the initial service area, defining realistic order cutoffs and delivery windows, pricing the service around distance and order value, reserving driver capacity, grouping compatible orders, and communicating current ETAs through completion.
Start With a Simple Policy
Same-day delivery within 5 miles. Order by 2 PM. $40 minimum. $5 delivery fee. Choose a 2–4 PM or 4–6 PM window.
That example is specific enough to sell and simple enough to operate. Adjust the numbers to your business.
1. Choose the Zone
Start with one area your team can serve reliably. Expand after the first zone consistently hits its promise.
2. Set the Cutoff and Windows
Decide when same-day ordering closes and when drivers leave. “Same day” does not need to mean “immediately.”
3. Price the Service
Set a minimum and fee using driver time, distance, average order value, and failed-delivery risk—not a competitor's price.
4. Estimate Capacity
Use a planning estimate: drivers × stops per route × routes per day. Leave room for traffic, customer delays, and failed attempts.
5. Group and Route Orders
Batch orders with compatible zones and windows, then optimize their stop order. Do not add an urgent order if it breaks every other promise.
6. Send Useful Updates
Notify customers when the order is confirmed, assigned, out for delivery, delayed, and completed. Show a current ETA once the route is active.
Hand-Off connects these rules to on-demand delivery software, routes, and drivers.
Sources
- Hand-Off Driver — Apple App Store listingAccessed July 21, 2026
Build Your Store on Hand-Off
Own the storefront, customer relationships, payments, and fulfillment tools behind your business.
