Setting up self-serve returns

To let your customers submit product return requests directly in your online store, you need to activate self-serve returns in your Shopify admin. You can also add instructions to your online store telling your customers how they can request returns.

Requirements for setting up self-serve returns

To let your customers submit return requests, do the following:

  • Turn on self-serve returns in your Shopify admin
  • Give customers access to log in to new customer accounts. There are two ways to give customers access to log in to new customer accounts:
    • Switch to new customer accounts.
    • Add the URL for new customer accounts to your store's footer, refund policy, or another page in your store. If you don’t want to switch to new customer accounts, this option allows you to continue using classic customer accounts in your online store and checkout, while still giving customers access to request a return.

Considerations for setting up self-serve returns

Before you set up self-serve returns, review the following considerations:

  • Self-serve returns don't work with classic customer accounts.
  • Self-serve returns aren't available for B2B on Shopify orders.

Turn on self-serve returns

To set up return requests, you first need to turn on self-serve returns in your Shopify admin.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Customer accounts.
  2. In the Self-serve returns section, click Turn on.
  3. Click Save.

After you turn on self-serve returns, you then need to allow customers to log in from your online store and checkout using the new customer accounts. To do that you can set up new customer accounts in your Shopify admin or add the new customer accounts URL to your store.

Adding the new customer accounts URL to your online store

When a customer clicks the new customer accounts URL, they're prompted to log in to their customer account, where they can submit a return request.

You can add the new customer accounts URL anywhere on your online store where you can enter a URL, such as in your store's return policy or in a returns page.

You can find and copy the new customer accounts URL from Customer accounts settings in the New customer accounts section of the page. After you copy the URL, you can add it to your online store wherever makes the most sense for your business.

Add the new customer accounts URL to your refund policy

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Policies.
  2. In the Refund policy section, select the text that you want to hyperlink, and then paste the new customer accounts URL.
  3. Click Save.

Add the new customer accounts URL to a page

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Pages.
  2. Click the page where you want to add the new customer accounts URL, such as a returns page.
  3. Select the text that you want to hyperlink, and then paste the new customer accounts URL.
  4. Click Save.
  5. Optional: Click View page to view how the changes are displayed in your online store.
  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Navigation.
  2. Click Footer menu.
  3. Click Add menu item.
  4. In the Name field, enter a page name, such as Returns, Return requests, or Request a return.
  5. In the Link field, paste the new customer accounts URL.
  6. Click Add, and then click Save.

Customer experience

To submit return requests, your customer needs to log in to their customer account. Your customer can access their account in the following ways:

  • Click the new customer accounts URL that you add to your online store.
  • Log into their customer account from your store's navigation. This option works only if you have the new customer accounts activated in your store.

Your customer enters their email address and a six-digit verification code that is sent to their email address. A password isn't required to log in. After your customer enters the code in your store, they're granted access to their account.

Your customers can submit return requests only for orders that are fulfilled or partially fulfilled.

Add return request instructions to your store

Add information to your refund policy or a page within your online store about how return requests work. You can use and adjust the following example instructions of how a customer can submit a return request in your online store.

Submit a return request

Click the profile icon in the store's navigation, or go to the refund policy or a returns page, and then request a return.

1. Log in to your account:
    1. In the Email field, enter your email address, and then click Continue.
    2. In your email account, open the email sent from our store and copy the six-digit verification code included in the email.
    3. Go back to the online store, and then enter a six-digit verification code.
2. Click the order that you want to submit the return for.
3. If your order has more than one item, then select the items that you want to return.
4. Select a return reason and add a note for the store.
5. Click Request return.

If your return request is approved and requires shipping, then you receive an email with shipping instructions and a return shipping label. After the product is returned, you receive a refund.

Customizing return requests branding

The pages where your customers self-serve and submit return requests use your checkout's branding settings. To make changes to the branding of these pages, you need to update your checkout's branding settings.

The following branding settings don't apply to these pages:

  • logo position
  • logo alignment
  • logo max width

Customizing return request email notifications

Return requests have the following email notifications that you can customize:

  • return request confirmation
  • return request approved
  • return request declined

You can customize these notifications in Settings > Notifications > Returns.

Review the following table to learn more about return request email notifications:

Return request notifications
NotificationDescription
Return request confirmationSent automatically to the customer after they request a return using self-serve returns.
Return request approvedSent to the customer when you approve a return request. This notification includes return shipping information, such as a return shipping label that you upload when approving a return request.
Return request declinedSent to the customer with a message that indicates why a return request was declined. You can edit the message to the customer before you send it.

If you provide a return shipping label using Shopify Shipping or SFN, then customers receive a return approval email and another email that contains a return shipping label.

Receiving return requests email notifications

If you choose to receive order notifications by email, then you also automatically receive return request notifications by email. Return request notifications aren't available on the Shopify mobile app.

You can manage your order and return request notifications in Settings > Notifications > Staff order notifications.

Ready to start selling with Shopify?Try it free