The stop-desk, explained for your customers

A counter in every wilaya

The stop-desk is the counter of Khatt’s agency in the wilaya. There is one in each of the 69 wilayas, including the newest. Instead of being delivered to the door, the parcel waits at the counter for its recipient to collect it when it suits them, during opening hours.

For the seller, nothing changes at dispatch: the parcel leaves the same day, on the same lines, with the same lead time. Only the last step differs: instead of going out on a run, it is shelved at the agency and the customer is told.

Why offer it

First, price: a stop-desk delivery costs 30% less than home delivery, because there is no run to the door. On a modest basket, that difference sometimes decides the purchase.

Then, success. A customer who works during the day, a student in university housing or a family in a commune far from the wilaya’s capital is not always in when the courier calls. At the counter, the parcel never misses its recipient: the recipient comes to it.

• Cheaper for the customer, or for you.
• No failed attempts.
• Handy for people who are out during the day.

How the customer collects

As soon as the parcel reaches the agency, the customer gets a text with the agency’s name, its hours and a collection code. They come to the counter with the code and their ID, pay the amount if it is cash on delivery, and leave with the parcel.

If the seller chose open before paying, the customer can open the parcel at the counter, check the contents and then pay or refuse. A relative can collect in their place with the code and their own ID.

The hours to know

Agencies open Saturday to Wednesday, 08:30 – 18:00, and Thursday, 08:30 – 13:00. They are closed on Friday and on public holidays. During Ramadan they open in the morning and afternoon, then reopen in the evening after prayers.

The parcel waits for its recipient for 7 days, with a text reminder. After that it goes back to the seller, at the return rate. Remind your customers of this: many stop-desk returns come from a customer who thought there was more time.

Switching from the door to the counter

The stop-desk is not only a choice at checkout. A customer who knows they will be out can, from the tracking link, have the parcel left at the agency instead of waiting for the courier. After a failed attempt, the same link offers to do it.

That switch saves a pointless second and third attempt, and so a return. Encourage your customers to open their tracking link: it is often the simplest way to save a delivery.

Presenting it to your customers

Offer both choices on your page or in your order message, with the price of each: « to your door » and « at your wilaya’s stop-desk ». Many customers choose the counter once they see the price difference, provided they know where it is.

The list of agencies, wilaya by wilaya, with their hours and their hub, is public on our Network page. You can share it as it is: the customer finds the nearest agency without calling you.

The questions your customers ask

The same questions come back almost every time, and a ready answer in your confirmation message saves a lot of back-and-forth. Here are the ones counter agents hear most, with what to answer.

• Can someone else collect my parcel? Yes, with the code and their own ID.
• Do I pay at the counter? Yes, in cash, if it is cash on delivery.
• Can I check before paying? Yes, if the seller allowed it.
• The agency is closed: what now? The parcel waits; just come back during opening hours.

The stop-desk in the new wilayas

The eleven wilayas created in 2025 each have their own agency and stop-desk, like the rest. For the people who live there it is a real change: many used to collect their parcels in the former capital, sometimes tens of kilometres away.

If you sell in those wilayas, tell your customers: the counter is now in their town. Lead times are their zone’s, and the price is an ordinary stop-desk’s. It is often the argument that turns a hesitant customer into an order.

What changes for you

Money collected at the counter takes the same path as cash taken at the door: reconciled at the hub, then paid out on Sunday and Wednesday. In the seller space, you can see every parcel waiting at a counter and how many days it has left.

Watch that list: a parcel waiting for several days deserves a message to your customer. It is usually forgetfulness, rarely a refusal, and one reminder is enough.