The customer journey

This page walks through the return page the way your customer sees it. Knowing each step helps you set up your policy, reasons and options, and answer customer questions.

A request has four steps, shown as a progress bar at the top: Items, Resolution, Shipping and Review. A Your return panel on the side keeps track of the order, the chosen items, their value and the return deadline.

Sign in

The customer finds their order in one of three ways:

• Order number plus the email or phone on the order.
• Email plus a 6-digit code sent to that email.
• Their store account, using the Sign in link or the Request return button in their customer account.

You choose between the first two in the editor. See How customers sign in.

Your orders

Customers who signed in with an email code or a store account see Your orders: a grid of their orders, nine per page, with a search box for the order number.

• Each order shows its items and a Request return button.
• Orders that already have a return show Return started and a View return button.
• Log out takes them back to the sign-in form.

Customers who signed in with an order number go straight to that order.

The order page

If the order has returnable items and no returns yet, the customer goes straight to step 1. Otherwise they see the order page:

• Something not right? with a Request return button, when items can still be returned.
• Nothing left to return, with the reason, when they can't. For example, "The return window for this order has passed."
• A card for each return already started on the order, with its status and a View status button.

Step 1: Items

Heading: What would you like to return?

The customer ticks each item they want to return. For each one they:

1. Set Quantity to return, if they bought more than one.
2. Choose a reason under Why are you returning it? If the reason has a note, it shows under the list.
3. Fill in Tell us more, if the reason asks for a comment.
4. Add Photos or video, if the reason asks for proof. Up to 5 files per item. Images up to 10 MB, videos up to 100 MB. JPG, PNG, GIF, MP4 and MOV are accepted.

Comments and photos are marked Optional or Required, depending on how you set up the reason. The reasons offered can differ by product. See Return reasons.

Continue stays inactive until every ticked item has a reason and any required comment or photo.

Why an item can't be returned

Items that can't be returned appear in a Not returnable card with a short label:

Label	Why
Unpaid order	The order hasn't been paid.
Order has been refunded at Shopify	The order or item was already refunded.
Does not comply with the return policy	The order is blocked by your block list, for example by customer, country, tag or order value.
Exchange item	The item was itself sent as an exchange.
Unfulfilled	The item hasn't shipped yet.
Missed the return window	The return window has passed. See Return policy.
Non-returnable items	The product is blocked by your block list.
Return app processed item	Every unit is already in another return.

Step 2: Resolution

Heading: What would you like instead?

The customer picks one of the resolutions you turned on, in the order you set:

• Exchange for the same item
• Exchange for a different item
• Refund to original payment method
• Refund as store credit
• Refund to a gift card
• Refund as a discount code

These are the default names. You can rename them and change their descriptions. See Refunds and exchanges.

Store credit is only offered when the order belongs to a customer account. If you offer a bonus for credit or exchanges, the option shows a badge such as +10% bonus. The first store credit, gift card or discount code option with a bonus is marked Recommended.

Exchange for the same item

Heading: Choose your replacement. "Same item in another size or colour. No price difference applies."

For each item, the customer clicks Choose option, picks the size, colour or other options, and clicks Use this option. Only variants at the same price that are available for exchange can be picked. Out-of-stock choices are greyed out.

Exchange for a different item

Heading: Pick something new. The customer browses a small shop of your products.

• The top shows your brand name and logo, the Exchange credit available, a product search and a cart button.
• Choose options opens a product. The customer picks options and clicks Add to exchange.
• The cart, Your exchange, shows New items, Exchange credit, and either Amount to pay or Refund remaining.
• If the new items cost more, the cart explains: "We will email you an invoice for the difference after your return is approved."

The products offered depend on your exchange settings. See Exchanges.

Step 3: Shipping

Heading: How will you send it back?

The customer picks one of the shipping options you turned on:

• Use a return label from us
• Ship it yourself
• Keep the item, on the Starter plan and up, only when the return fits the value limit and reasons you set for it.

See Shipping options.

Step 4: Review

Heading: Review your return.

The page shows:

• Returning: each item with its reason and comment.
• You'll receive: the new items, for exchanges.
• How it's handled: the Resolution and Return method.
• Refund summary or Exchange summary: subtotal, discount, tax, any restocking or return shipping fee, any bonus, and the total. An even exchange shows Even exchange and Nothing to pay.
• The return deadline and your contact email.

The customer clicks Submit return request. "You'll get an email once the store reviews your request."

The status page

After submitting, the customer lands on Return status, with "Your return request has been submitted."

The top card is the Return pass. It shows:

• Your store name, a status chip and the Return number, with a copy button.
• A headline and the next step, for example "Send your items back using the steps below."
• Buttons for what the customer can do now.
• Return instructions and your return address, when they need to ship.
• A timeline: Requested, Approved, Items received and the final step, such as Refunded or Exchange created.

Below are the items, a Summary of the money, Return details (return solution, return method, tracking number, requested date) and Order info.

Buttons on the status page

Button	When it shows
Print return label	The return is approved and a label is ready.
Show QR code	The label also has a QR code.
Add tracking number or Update tracking	The return is approved, the customer ships it themselves, and it hasn't arrived yet.
Track parcel	A tracking link is saved.

When a gift card or discount code is issued, the code shows on the pass with a Copy button.

Adding tracking

Add tracking number opens Add shipment details:

• Carrier: type or pick one, such as UPS, USPS, FedEx or DHL Express.
• Tracking number.
• Tracking link: optional.

The customer clicks Save tracking. The number appears on the return in Falcon.

Coming back later

Customers can return to the page and sign in again at any time to see their returns. A sign-in lasts two hours. After that, the page asks them to sign in again.

Related

• How customers sign in
• How returns work
• Return reasons
• Refunds and exchanges