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Managing self-serve returns and cancellations

When a customer submits a return or cancellation request, you receive an email to review the request. You can approve or decline the request in your Shopify admin. When approving a return request, you can add exchange items, email shipping instructions and any return labels to your customer. To resolve a cancellation request, you remove the requested items through the standard refund flow, or you decline the request.

To review requests, you need to be the store owner or have the Orders permission. Learn more about Staff permissions.

To find requests that need a decision, use the Customer request filter on your Orders page. A cancellation request is displayed as a banner at the top of the order. A return request is displayed within the order on a Return requested card. The banner has two separate actions: Remove items, which takes you to the refund flow to resolve the request, and Manage request, which lets you decline the request or mark it as resolved.

On this page

Approve a return request

You can review a return request and approve it. You can add exchange items to your return and select how your customer needs to return the products.

If your store and your customer's shipping address are based in the United States, then you can create return labels directly in your Shopify admin, and then email them to your customers.

After you create a return, a confirmation email is sent to your customer. If you create or upload a return label, then it's also included in the email.

Steps:

Desktop

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Orders.

  2. Click the order that you want to approve the return request for.

  3. In the Return requested section, click Review request.

  4. Optional: To edit a restocking fee or a return shipping fee, complete the following steps:

    1. In the Summary section, click Restocking fee or Return shipping.
    2. Enter a new restocking fee or return shipping.
    3. Click Save.

  5. Optional: To add exchange items to a return, complete the following steps:

    1. In the Exchange items section, click Add products.
    2. Select the exchange items, and then click Done.
    3. Optional: To apply a product discount to exchange items, complete the following steps:
      1. Click Apply discount next to the exchange item's price.
      2. Enter a discount type, discount value, and a reason for discount.
      3. Click Apply.

  6. In the Return shipping options section, select one of the following options:

    • Select Create a return label in Shopify to create a return shipping label for your customer. This option is available only if your primary location and customer shipping address are both in the United States.
    • Select Upload a return label to upload an existing return shipping label for your customer. You can upload a PDF, PNG, or JPEG file for your return label or add a return label URL. You can also enter a Tracking number and Shipping carrier.
    • Select No shipping required to create a return without any return shipping information.

  7. Click Approve.

Mobile
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the Orders icon .
  2. Tap the order that you want to approve the return request for.
  3. In the Return requested section, review the request, and then tap Approve.
  4. Optional: To edit a restocking fee or a return shipping fee, complete the following steps:
    1. In the Summary section, tap Restocking fee or Return shipping.
    2. Enter a new restocking fee or return shipping.
    3. Tap Done.
  5. Optional: To add exchange items to a return, complete the following steps:
    1. In the Exchange items section, tap Add products.
    2. Select the exchange items, and then tap Done.
    3. Optional: To apply a product discount to exchange items, complete the following steps:
      1. Tap Apply discount next to the exchange item's price.
      2. Enter a discount type, discount value, and a reason for discount.
      3. Tap Done.
  6. In the Return shipping options section, select one of the following options:
    • Select Create a return label in Shopify to create a return shipping label for your customer. This option is available only if your primary location and customer shipping address are both in the United States.
    • Select Upload a return label to upload an existing return shipping label for your customer. You can upload a PDF, PNG, or JPEG file for your return label or add a return label URL. You can also enter a Tracking number and Shipping carrier.
    • Select No shipping required to create a return without any return shipping information.
  7. Tap Approve.

After you receive and inspect the returned items, you can issue a refund, and restock applicable items.

Decline a return request

You can review a return request and decline it. You need to select a decline reason and create a decline message for your customer. A decline reason isn't displayed to your customer and is for internal use only.

After you decline the return request, your customer receives an email with the decline message.

Steps:

Desktop

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Orders.

  2. Click the order that you want to decline the return request for.

  3. In the Return requested section, click Review request.

  4. Click Decline.

  5. In the Decline reason drop-down menu, select a decline reason. A decline reason isn't displayed to your customer.

  6. In the Message to customer field, a message will appear based on the decline reason selected. Customize the message or leave as is for your customer and explain why you're declining the return request.

  7. Click Decline request.

Mobile
  1. From the Shopify app, tap the Orders icon .
  2. Tap the order that you want to decline the return request for.
  3. In the Return requested section, review the request, and then tap Decline.
  4. In Decline information section, do the following:
    1. In the Decline reason section, tap Select.
    2. Select a decline reason. A decline reason is for internal use only.
    3. In the Message to customer section, create a message for your customer and explain why you're declining the return request.
    4. Tap Save.
  5. Tap Decline request.

Resolve a cancellation request

A cancellation request doesn't cancel the order or remove its sales on its own. To resolve a request, remove the requested items from the order using the standard refund flow. If you remove items but choose to refund later, then the request stays visible on the order as a reminder to follow through on the refund.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Orders.

  2. Click the order that has the pending cancellation request.

  3. On the request banner, click Remove items to open the refund page. The items that the customer requested to cancel are marked, but you still need to select the items that you want to refund.

  4. Review the refund amount and restock options, and then click Refund. The request is marked as resolved.

For unpaid orders, the banner also has a Remove items action. It takes you to the order's restock page, where you can remove the requested items. Canceling the order also resolves the request. For more information, refer to Canceling orders and Refunding orders.

Decline a cancellation request

When you click Manage request on the request banner, a dialog opens with two options. Select Decline request to decline the cancellation and send the customer an email, or select Mark as resolved to close the request without changing the order or emailing the customer, such as when you've already addressed the request another way.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Orders.

  2. Click the order that has the pending cancellation request.

  3. On the request banner, click Manage request.

  4. In the Manage request dialog, select Decline request.

  5. Optional: In the note field, add a note for the customer to explain your decision.

  6. Click Decline request.

The order timeline records a Cancellation declined event, and the customer receives an email with your reason.