Every MyKade seller has a level: Green, Amber or Red. It is not a grade for how much you sell. It is about one thing: how many of your parcels come back. This post explains what each level means for you, and how to stay in Green.
Why levels exist
When a parcel is returned, it has been packed, carried to the customer's door and carried all the way back, and nobody earns anything from it. Not you, not the supplier, not MyKade. A few returns are a normal part of selling. Lots of returns usually mean orders are being placed without checking that the customer really wants them.
Levels reward sellers who take care with every order, and keep the system fair for everyone.
What the levels mean
- Green: your return rate is healthy. Green sellers get the best terms.
- Amber: more of your parcels are coming back than they should. It is a warning to change something.
- Red: a high share of your parcels are coming back. This needs action now.
Your level depends on your return rate: the share of your parcels that are returned. If you are not sure what your level is or how it is worked out, ask MyKade support by WhatsApp or phone from the app.
Free returns and the return fee
- Every seller gets 3 free returns.
- After that, Amber and Red sellers pay a Rs 150 return fee for each return.
- Many returns can lead to an account being suspended.
A worked example (illustration only). Imagine an Amber seller who has had 5 returns. The first 3 are free. The next 2 cost Rs 150 each, so Rs 300 in fees. On top of that, those 5 parcels earned no profit at all.
Remember too that on MyKade a returned parcel earns nothing. So returns hurt twice: no profit on the order, and a fee if you are not in Green.
What normal looks like
In real Sri Lankan online shops, selling to strangers, 30–37% of parcels came back. When customers knew the seller and ordered again, about 96% were delivered.
That gap is the whole lesson. The more your orders come from people who really want the item, and who know and trust you, the lower your return rate will be.
Why parcels come back
In real shops, the main reasons were:
- 42% no answer: the customer did not answer the courier.
- 19% refused at the door.
- 8% changed their mind.
- 7% courier failed, and 4% delivery delayed.
- 2% not as expected.
Most of these can be reduced before the parcel ever leaves. Read why parcels come back, and how to stop it.
Five habits that keep you in Green
- Confirm every order with a quick call or message before you place it. See how to confirm every order.
- Say the full total, item plus delivery (usually around Rs 450), so there is no surprise at the door.
- Check the name, full address and phone number, and read them back to the customer.
- Ask the customer to keep their phone on and expect the courier's call within a few days.
- Describe products honestly, with the real photos, size and colour.
Things that push you towards Red
- Placing orders for people who only said "nice" or "how much?".
- Ordering for someone without their clear "yes".
- Hiding or forgetting the delivery charge.
- Exaggerating what a product does.
- Never following up with customers who have bought before.
Risky orders
Sometimes MyKade spots an order that looks risky, for example a phone number that refused parcels before. Risky orders may need a deposit or a confirmation before they are sent. This protects your return rate too. You can also offer the customer a secure payment link that MyKade texts to them. See online payment links explained.
If you are in Amber or Red
Don't panic, and don't stop selling. Because your level follows your return rate, the way back is the same as the way to stay in Green: fewer returns for every parcel you send. Slow down, confirm every order carefully, and focus on customers who already know you. Write down why each return happened, and fix the most common reason first.
Make Green your normal
Green is not about luck. It is the result of small, careful habits on every order. Build them from your first sale and you will rarely have to think about levels at all. Download the MyKade app and start the careful way.