Integration Akis Express for e-com Cyprus

What is Akis Express and who is it suitable for?

Akis Express - the largest private courier service in Cyprus, serving the island since 1979. Covers all areas: Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos, Larnaca, Ayia Napa, Polis, mountain regions. Delivery usually next-day for southern coastal cities (Limassol-Larnaca-Nicosia), 1-2 days for others. Competitors in Cyprus - Cyprus Post (state), DPD Cyprus (international), Speedex (Greek, active in CY), Sendx, ACS Cyprus.

When to choose Akis Express

• E-commerce in Cyprus — de facto standard for local delivery
• Support COD — Stripe, still popular in Cyprus (~30-40% of orders)
• Volumes: 100+ packages/month — advantageous B2B rates from €2-3 per package
• Quick delivery on the island — next-day for capital cities
• Need API — modern REST API with tracking, overlays, tariffs
• Local Cypriot store — Customers expect Akis or DPD exactly.

Akis Express rates in 2026

• Standard shipment up to 5 kg: €4-6 for delivery (depending on area)
• 5-15 kg: €6-10
• 15-30 kg: €10-15
• Same-day delivery (Limassol-Limassol): +€3-5
• COD commission: 1-2% of the amount of the charged payment
• B2B contract (100+ shipments/month)30-50% below standard
• International (Greece, EU): from €8-15 depending on country and weight

API Akis Express - What's available

Akis provides REST API for developers (documentation on request):

• Cost calculation — POST /shipping/calculate with weight, dimensions, address → returns price and timeframe
• Creating a shipment — POST /shipments with sender, recipient, package data → tracking number and invoice PDF
• Tracking — GET /shipments/{tracking} → current status (received, in-transit, out-for-delivery, delivered, failed)
• Webhooks — Post to your endpoint on status change
• Cancel — DELETE /shipments/{id} (if not yet picked up)
• COD reconciliation — reports on collected charged payments
• Pickup request — Application for collection of a batch of packages from the warehouse/office

Cost calculation in the cart

The main advantage of integration is that the customer immediately sees the delivery cost:

• When adding an item to the cart - the backend requests the Akis API with weight and address
• Address can be entered manually (with autocomplete), selected from saved addresses, or detected via IP.
• Considered size: small envelope vs large box - different price
• Free delivery from a certain amount (e.g., €50) - separate logic
• Combined cost for multiple items (often bundled together)
• Express vs Standard - chosen by the client

COD (cash on delivery) in Cyprus

Despite the growth in online payments, COD remains popular in Cyprus (~30-40% of e-commerce orders).

• Client places an order without online payment
• Upon receipt, pays courier in cash or by card
• A courier collects money and delivers to Akis
• Akis will transfer the amount minus the commission (1-2%) to you the next day.
• Reconciliation in CRM/1C - we always compare actual received vs expected.
• Refusal rate (when a client refuses to accept) — typically 5-10%, considered as loss

We create a dashboard with reports on COD: how much sent, how much received, how many rejections, customer NPS.

Tracking and personal dashboard

Modern e-com in Cyprus - without a tracking page, the store loses trust. What we implement:

• Tracking page on the site (not redirecting in Akis) — bounded UX in your brand
• Delivery stage map with markers
• Email notifications for every status change
• SMS notifications (€0.05 per SMS) - especially useful for last-minute deliveries
• Personal dashboard with a history of all orders and active shipments
• The ability to change the address or request "another date" - if supported by Akis

Multi-courier strategy

For serious e-com, we often use 2-3 couriers at once:

• Akis Express — for most deliveries, B2B pricing
• DPD Cyprus — for large items (furniture, home appliances), international
• Cyprus Post (ELTA) — for very cheap document delivery and small items
• Speedex — for delivery to Greece

Auto-routing - an algorithm selects a courier based on criteria: price / speed / dimensions / insurance. Every logic is tailored to the business.

Alternatives to Akis Express

• Cyprus Post (ELTA) — public, cheaper but slower (3-5 days). For documents and non-urgent.
• DPD Cyprus — European network, better for international and large-scale projects
• Speedex — Greek, active in southern Cyprus. Good for CY-Greek deliveries
• ACS Cyprus — for B2B, specialization in documents and financial shipments
• Sendx (formerly Skyserv Express) — niche, for local delivery
• Cypost / FastTrack — small businesses focusing on specific niches

SEO for shipping integrations

To rank higher in search results, it's important to showcase support for well-known couriers:

• Courier badges on the homepage and in the footer
• Delivery page with description of each option
• Schema.org DeliveryMethod in product cards
• Local landing pages "Delivery in Cyprus", "Delivery in Limassol"

Integration timelines

Basic integration (calculation + fees) - 2-3 working days. With COD, tracking, and a personal account — 5-7 days. Multi-courier with auto-routing — 10-14 days. Contract activation with Akis (if not already integrated) - 3-5 business days.