(Yicai Global) Dec. 1 -- A proposal by Chinese regulators to charge customers for the third door-to-door delivery, after two unsuccessful attempts, is being hotly debated by courier companies and online vendors in China.

Express delivery companies can charge customers for a third door-to-door delivery, if the first two failed, according to a non-mandatory draft national standard for express delivery services drawn up by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China and published on the State Post Bureau website on Nov. 7. The draft is open for public comment until Dec. 6.

Many people who place orders online chose door-to-door delivery, but people are not always at home when the courier arrives. Instead of wasting time returning, some deliverymen leave parcels at nearby pick-up points and service centers without the consent of the customer.

Successful deliveries are an important indicator of deliverymen’s performance at STO Express, an insider at the Shanghai-based courier firm told Yicai Global. Should the clause be adopted, it may impact their efficiency rate, he added.

Sometimes couriers do not even take the parcel to the address specified by customers on the first attempt, Zhao Xiaomin, an express delivery logistics expert, told Yicai Global.

Allowing courier firms to charge for the third door-to-door delivery to the same address can help reduce their expenses to some extent, another industry insider said.

The clause will increase sellers’ costs if it takes effect, a vendor on an e-commerce platform told Yicai Global. "Most shoppers are not willing to pay for delivery. If they are charged, they could refuse to accept the parcel, which means merchants will lose the fee they paid for delivery. And some courier companies such as SF Express charge to return a parcel. This may lead to a hike in the price of goods and, in the end, it is the consumer who will pay," he added.

The draft also made clear that other delivery methods such as leaving the package at a drop-off box or service center are acceptable with the consent of customers, and that these methods will help relieve pressure on couriers.

JD.Com's logistics arm said it will stick to door-to-door delivery. While J&T Express, ZTO Express and Yunda Express have yet to respond to Yicai Global’s queries.

Editors: Liao Shumin, Kim Taylor