POD vs Non-POD Polybag: Meaning and Which One to Use

If you've ever ordered courier bags, you've seen “POD” and “non-POD” in the listing and probably wondered which one you need. The difference is one small pocket, but it changes how you label the parcel.

What POD means on a polybag

POD stands for Proof of Delivery. A POD courier bag has a transparent sleeve, sometimes called a jacket, stuck on the outside. You slide a document into it: the invoice, the courier's waybill or a delivery slip. The courier can read it without opening the parcel.

A non-POD bag has no pocket. Everything else is the same: plastic film, self-adhesive tamper-evident flap, usually around 50–60 micron.

POD vs non-POD at a glance

	POD polybag	Non-POD polybag
Outside pocket	Yes, clear sleeve	No
Label	Paper slip in the pocket, or label on the bag	Label stuck directly on the bag
Best for	Courier counter bookings, B2B shipments, documents that must travel outside	Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Myntra orders with printed labels
Cost	Slightly higher	Slightly lower
Risk	Slip can fall out or get swapped	Label is part of the bag, harder to swap

Which one should online sellers use?

For marketplace orders, non-POD is usually right. You print a 4×6 shipping label from Seller Central, Seller Hub or the Meesho supplier panel and stick it flat on the bag. The invoice goes inside the parcel. There's nothing to put in a pocket, so the pocket just adds cost.

That's why marketplace-branded bags, like Meesho barcode polybags and Flipkart security polybags, are typically sold as non-POD.

POD bags still make sense when:

• You book shipments at a courier counter and they give you a paper waybill.
• You ship B2B orders where the buyer wants the invoice visible on the outside.
• You send documents or samples with a handwritten slip.

“POD” also means something else in e-commerce

Don't confuse the bag with proof of delivery as a courier record, the OTP, signature or photo the delivery person captures. And “POD” is also used for print on demand. On a polybag listing, POD always means the pocket.

Choosing the size and thickness

• Size: product width + thickness + 1 inch, and the same for length. The polybag size calculator does it for you.
• Thickness: 50–60 micron for clothing. Amazon wants more than 50 micron.
• Seal: a good tamper-evident flap tears the film if someone pulls it.

For the full size range, see the courier bag sizes chart and the polybag size guide.