Steadfast vs Pathao vs RedX (2026): Charges, COD and Returns, from Each Courier's Own Pages

Short answer: Pathao publishes a full rate card, from ৳60 for a parcel up to 500 g within one city to ৳180 for 1–2 kg between two cities outside Dhaka, with a 1 % cash-on-delivery (COD) charge on all deliveries and a return charge of half the delivery cost, except on Dhaka metro orders (Pathao's rate page, checked 22 October 2026). Steadfast publishes a 1 % COD charge and no charge for return parcels, and gives its delivery prices through a calculator rather than a table (Steadfast pricing and terms, checked 22 October 2026). We could not verify any RedX figure, so we give none. There is no single winner: which courier costs you less depends on where your parcels go, what they weigh and how many come back.

Where these figures come from

Every number in this post is from the courier's own public page, read on 22 October 2026, and linked where it appears. None is copied from another blog or comparison article. Two limits to keep in mind:

• Published rates are standard rates. Steadfast's pricing page says merchants on negotiated rates are billed on those; your merchant panel shows the rate you actually pay.
• Prices change. Pathao's page showed a last update of 21 May 2026 when we read it. Our courier charges tool dates every figure and hides any not re-checked within 90 days.

Pathao: a published card by area type and weight

Pathao prices by the kind of place, not by district: inside Dhaka city, Dhaka's suburbs or outside Dhaka, and whether the parcel stays in the same city or goes to another. Its card, as published (Pathao's rate page, checked 22 October 2026):

The page also lists a 0–200 g band (same prices) and an on-demand option inside Dhaka, and no price above 2 kg: for heavier parcels, check your Pathao panel.

• COD: a 1 % COD charge on all cash-on-delivery deliveries (same page, checked 22 October 2026).
• Returns: the page states a return charge of 50 % of the delivery cost, and says it does not apply to Dhaka metro orders (same page, checked 22 October 2026). Where it applies, a parcel billed ৳130 for delivery that comes back adds ৳65. The page does not define "Dhaka metro", so ask Pathao how your routes are treated.

The card also shows what distance costs: a 500 g parcel to a Dhaka buyer is ৳60 from inside Dhaka and ৳110 from outside Dhaka (same page, checked 22 October 2026). Selling from a district to Dhaka, you pay that gap on every parcel.

Steadfast: 1 % COD, prices through its calculator

• Delivery prices: Steadfast does not publish a rate table. Its rate calculator asks for the route and the weight, packaging included, and shows the standard rate. Its pricing page also says the charge may change with parcel size (Steadfast pricing, checked 22 October 2026).
• Pick and drop: a minimum charge of ৳80 (Steadfast pricing, checked 22 October 2026).
• COD: the pricing page names a 1 % "cash on delivery and risk management charge" (same page, checked 22 October 2026). Its terms say how it is worked out: a fixed 1 % of the collected amount after the delivery charges are deducted (Steadfast's terms, checked 22 October 2026).
• Returns: Steadfast's terms say it does not charge for return parcels. They also say merchants pay the delivery charge for every parcel handed over, whether it is delivered or cancelled (Steadfast's terms, checked 22 October 2026). So a refused parcel costs you the outward delivery, but no extra fee to bring it back.
• Getting your COD money: under the same terms, the merchant requests payment disbursement from the merchant panel, and can ask for a custom schedule, such as payment on a set day of the week (checked 22 October 2026).

RedX: no verified figures

We have not verified any RedX delivery, COD or return charge from a RedX page, so this post gives none. Check RedX's own rates on redx.com.bd or in a RedX merchant panel, and ask how COD is charged and when it is paid out. If RedX gives you a written rate, put it in the same sheet as the other two before you decide.

The three side by side

Sources: Pathao's rate page, Steadfast pricing, Steadfast's terms, all checked 22 October 2026.

How to choose

No courier costs less on every route, so put last month's orders in front of you and answer these:

1. Where do your parcels go? Count last month's parcels by route: within one city, Dhaka to suburbs, Dhaka to outside Dhaka, between two cities outside Dhaka. Price each route on Pathao's card and in Steadfast's calculator. The courier charges tool does Pathao's part for you.
2. What do they weigh, packed? Pathao's bands step up at 500 g and 1 kg. A box that takes a 480 g product over 500 g moves it into the next band.
3. How many come back, and from where? Pathao charges for returns except on Dhaka metro orders; Steadfast charges no return fee but bills the delivery on every parcel. If many of your parcels come back, the return terms can matter more than the delivery price. Measure your rate per courier and district first: how to reduce returns (RTO).
4. How fast do you need the cash? COD money is your working capital. Ask each courier how payouts are requested, how often they are paid and to which accounts, and get it in writing.
5. Do they cover your buyers' areas? Check the courier's area list for the districts and thanas you sell to most.
6. Does it connect to your software? If you book parcels from an order system, ask for API access: booking, status updates and COD statements. PrimeCommerce books the parcel from the order on your courier account, shows live status on the order, and imports the courier's COD statement to match it against your orders: Couriers in PrimeCommerce.

You don't have to stick to one courier: some routes may cost less with one and some with another. Try two for a month on a share of your orders, then compare the cost per delivered parcel, the return rate and how fast the cash arrived.

Related: Courier charges tool · Couriers in PrimeCommerce · How to reduce returns (RTO)

Figures checked 22 October 2026. Last updated 22 October 2026.