If you are new to Meesho, the supplier panel and seller WhatsApp groups are full of acronyms and jargon. This page defines every term in plain English so you can stop Googling them mid-conversation. Bookmark it.
Quick jump: Shipping & logistics · Orders & payments · Catalog & listings · Tax & compliance · Marketplace programs
Shipping & logistics
- RTO (Return To Origin)
- The shipment is sent back to the seller. Common causes: buyer refused delivery, buyer unreachable after 3 attempts, address incorrect, or post-delivery return. RTO costs the seller forward + reverse shipping plus often a penalty fee. RTO rate is one of the most-watched seller metrics — see how to reduce Meesho return rate.
- NDR (Non-Delivery Report)
- A courier event raised when a delivery attempt fails. The courier shows reasons like "buyer not available", "address incorrect", or "refused at doorstep". NDRs trigger reattempts; after 2–3 failed NDRs the parcel becomes RTO.
- Reverse Pickup
- The courier picks up a returned parcel from the buyer and ships it back to the seller. The reverse-pickup fee is borne by the seller and varies by carrier — typically ₹35–₹70 per pickup.
- Surface Shipping
- Ground transportation (truck/road). Cheaper than air; slower (4–10 days). Most Meesho COD orders ship via surface.
- Air / Express Shipping
- Air freight or premium ground. Faster (1–3 days), more expensive. Used for prepaid Meesho orders, high-value Flipkart F-Assured items.
- Manifest
- The list of orders being handed over to the courier on a given pickup. Generated from the supplier panel and signed by the courier rider on pickup.
- Pincode Serviceability
- Whether a courier delivers to a specific PIN code. Meesho automatically filters carriers based on the buyer's PIN — sellers don't have to manage this manually.
Orders & payments
- COD (Cash On Delivery)
- The buyer pays the courier in cash at the door. Meesho COD share is typically 65–75% of orders. COD orders settle slower than prepaid because cash has to flow back through the courier.
- Prepaid
- Buyer paid online (UPI, card, wallet, net-banking) at checkout. Settles faster, has lower return rate, and counts toward your "prepaid share" metric on Meesho.
- AOV (Average Order Value)
- Total revenue divided by number of orders. Meesho AOV is typically ₹250–₹450; Flipkart is ₹900–₹1,500. Used to evaluate category performance and pricing strategy — see Meesho pricing strategy.
- Settlement Cycle
- The number of days between order delivery and the seller receiving the payout. Meesho is typically T+15 days; Flipkart is T+7 to T+15 depending on category. The cycle starts after the buyer's return window closes.
- Hold Amount
- Money Meesho or Flipkart withholds against future returns. Released after the return window. New sellers often face higher hold percentages until their RTO history stabilizes.
- NPS (Net Promoter Score)
- Buyer satisfaction score. Low NPS hurts seller ratings and reduces listing visibility on the feed.
Catalog & listings
- SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
- A unique code per product variant — typically
brand-style-color-size. Used in catalog uploads, inventory tracking and the file-naming convention for bulk image uploads. - Catalog
- A group of related products that share images and a parent listing on Meesho (e.g., one saree available in 5 colors). Catalog quality score affects feed visibility.
- Listing
- A single product variant visible to buyers. One catalog can contain many listings (each color/size is a separate listing).
- CTR (Click-Through Rate)
- Percentage of buyers who click your listing after seeing it in the feed. Meesho's algorithm rewards listings hitting ≥20% CTR in the first 48 hours — see listing visibility guide.
- QC (Quality Check)
- Automated and manual review of catalog images and content. QC failures common reasons: watermarks, low resolution, lifestyle backgrounds, text overlays. See Meesho image guidelines.
- CQS (Catalog Quality Score)
- Internal Meesho score based on image quality, price competitiveness, return rate, and response time. Higher CQS = more impressions in the feed.
Tax & compliance
- GSTIN (GST Identification Number)
- 15-digit identification number issued under India's Goods and Services Tax. Mandatory for selling on Meesho, Flipkart and Amazon India. The first 2 digits are your state code.
- HSN (Harmonized System of Nomenclature)
- Numeric code (4–8 digits) that classifies goods for GST. Each catalog item must have the correct HSN at upload — wrong HSN can trigger tax penalties.
- Tax Invoice
- The GST-compliant invoice that must accompany every order. Flipkart bundles it into the shipping label PDF — most sellers crop it before printing the label. Use the Flipkart label cropper to remove it from the printed label while keeping the original PDF for GST records.
- TCS (Tax Collected at Source)
- 1% GST that marketplaces deduct from each settlement under Section 52 of the CGST Act. Reflected as a line item on every Meesho/Flipkart payout.
Marketplace programs
- F-Assured
- Flipkart's quality and delivery badge program. F-Assured listings get faster shipping commitments, priority placement and a verified-quality buyer badge. Requires meeting RTO, NPS and dispatch SLA thresholds.
- Meesho Mall
- Meesho's premium tier for branded and verified sellers. Listings in Meesho Mall get higher placement and higher AOV; entry requires brand registration and quality history.
- Flipkart Plus
- Flipkart's loyalty program for buyers (free shipping, early access). Sellers can opt to make listings Plus-eligible to broaden reach.
- Smart Fulfilment
- Flipkart program where Flipkart picks, packs and ships from your inventory. Sellers ship inventory to a Flipkart warehouse; Flipkart handles fulfilment.
- Meesho Self-Ship vs Easy-Ship
- Self-Ship: seller arranges their own courier. Easy-Ship: Meesho assigns the courier and the seller hands the parcel over at pickup. Easy-Ship is the default for most new sellers.