Articles on: Cancellations and returns

Keep the sale when someone starts a return

Return retention shows an offer at the moment a customer begins a return. Set it up under Features → Returns and exchanges → Retention. Some customers take the offer and keep the item. Every one that does is a sale you would otherwise have refunded, plus a parcel you do not have to process.

What this does

A return costs more than the refund. You lose the sale, pay the return postage, handle the item, and often cannot resell it.

An offer at the moment of hesitation converts some of those into a kept sale.

Set it up

Go to Features → Returns and exchanges → Retention.
Add an offer.
Choose what to give — a discount, free shipping, store credit, a gift card, or a free item.
Set conditions, so it only appears where it makes sense.
Set a usage limit per customer.
Save.

What to offer

A discount on this order — "It was more than I wanted to spend"
Free shipping — Cheap to give, and feels like a win
Store credit — Keeps the money with you either way
A gift card — Similar, and transferable
A free item — Good when you have stock to move

Match the offer to the reason. A discount does nothing for someone returning the wrong size — an exchange does. Retention offers work best on "changed my mind" and "too expensive", not on faults.

Keep it honest

A retention offer should be a genuine alternative, not an obstacle.

Do not hide the return option. A customer who cannot find how to return will charge back instead, and that costs more than the refund.
Keep the discount below your margin. A retained sale that loses money is not retained.
Set a usage limit. Without one, customers learn to start a return to see what appears.

Good to know

Some returns should just happen. A faulty item, or the wrong thing sent, should go straight through. Use conditions so offers do not appear for those reasons.

This is not the same as store credit. Retention happens before the return starts. Store credit is one of the things a customer can choose during it. Both are worth having — see Offer store credit instead of a refund.

Watch the retained value figure. The Automation tab shows order value kept through exchanges and credit. It tells you whether any of this is working.

Cancellations have their own version. Offers shown when someone starts a cancellation are set up separately — see Let customers cancel an order.

Troubleshooting

No offer appears — Why: The offer is inactive, or its conditions do not match — Fix: Check both
Offers show on faulty-item returns — Why: No reason condition set — Fix: Add one to exclude damage and wrong-item
Customers take the offer and return anyway — Why: The offer was not compelling, or the reason was a fault — Fix: Match the offer to the reason
The same customer takes it repeatedly — Why: No usage limit — Fix: Set one
Retention is losing money — Why: The discount is above your margin — Fix: Lower it

FAQ

Is this the same as making returns harder?

It should not be. The return option stays visible; you are offering an alternative. Hiding the return causes chargebacks, which cost more.

What offer works best?

Store credit with a bonus, usually — it keeps the money with you and feels generous. Discounts work for price-driven returns.

Should every return get an offer?

No. Faults and wrong items should go straight through. Use conditions to exclude them.

How do I know if it works?

The retained value figure on the Automation tab shows order value kept through exchanges and credit.

Will this annoy customers?

Only if it blocks them. One offer, easily declined, reads as a good deal. A maze reads as a trap.

Updated on: 21/08/2026

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