Auto-refund and auto-exchange
Growth plan and upThese workflows close a return for you once the items are back. Mark the items as received, and Falcon refunds the customer or creates their exchange order straight away. A third kind, the specific workflow, tags new requests so your team can sort them.
Auto-refund workflow
An auto-refund workflow runs when items are marked received, for refund requests only.
It runs when:
- the return is approved, and
- you click to mark the items as received, or an AI agent does.
Falcon then refunds the request using the solution the customer chose, such as their original payment method, store credit, a gift card or a discount code. The refund amount is the amount due on the return.
The success message reads "Received and resolved by" followed by the workflow's name.
Auto-exchange workflow
An auto-exchange workflow runs at the same moment, for exchanges only. That covers both Replace item and Exchange item. It creates the exchange order. If the customer owes a price difference, Shopify emails them an invoice for it.
Actions
Auto-refund and auto-exchange workflows each have two choices:
| Option | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Restock returned items | Puts the items back in stock. Items from green returns, where the customer keeps the item, are never restocked. | On |
| Notify the customer | Sends the matching refund or exchange email. | On |
Set one up
- Go to Settings → Automations.
- Click Create workflow → Auto-refund workflow or Auto-exchange workflow.
- Enter a Workflow name.
- Set any conditions: Return solution, Shipping method, Return reason (every item) and Maximum request value.
- Tick or untick Restock returned items and Notify the customer.
- Click Save, then turn on the workflow's switch.
A request must meet every condition you set. Leave a condition empty to allow any value. If more than one workflow matches, the topmost one runs.
Examples
| Goal | Workflow | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Refund store credit as soon as items arrive | Auto-refund | Return solution: Refund to store credit |
| Refund small orders right away | Auto-refund | Maximum request value: 50.00 |
| Ship every exchange once the item is back | Auto-exchange | No conditions |
| Ship size swaps without a check | Auto-exchange | Return solution: Replace item. Return reason (every item): Size too small, Size too large. |
Check items before you mark them received
These workflows trust the received step. If you need to inspect items first, mark them received only after the check. Or use conditions to keep higher-value returns for a manual refund.
When it can't finish
If the refund or exchange fails, the return stays received and waits for you to resolve it by hand. The workflow's Errors count goes up, and the return's timeline says the workflow could not refund or could not create the exchange, with the reason.
Specific workflow (tags)
A specific workflow adds tags to new requests when they're submitted. Use tags to filter returns and handle them your own way, like "VIP" or "Check quality".
- Click Create workflow → Specific workflow.
- Enter a Workflow name and set any conditions.
- In Tags to add, type one or more tags separated by commas.
- Click Save, then turn the workflow on.
A specific workflow needs at least one tag. Unlike the others, every matching specific workflow adds its tags, not only the topmost. Tags are added to requests from your return page and to requests you create in the admin.
Tags plus the list
Tags show on the return. Use them with the filters on the Returns list to build your own queues.
Plan
Auto-refund, auto-exchange and specific workflows are included on Growth and Pro. On Free and Starter, they're saved but don't run, and an Upgrade required status shows on any you've switched on.