Articles on: Cancellations and returns

Manage return requests

Every return lands in one queue under Features → Returns and exchanges → Requests. Each request moves through the same path: approve it, receive the item, then pay the customer. This is the tab you will work in daily once returns are set up.

Where to find it

Features → Returns and exchanges → Requests.

The table shows: Order, Customer, Date requested, Type, Reason, Resolution, Status, Request #, and Payment due.

Payment due matters on exchanges. A customer swapping for a pricier item owes you the difference.

The path a return takes

1 — Action: Approve — What it does: Tells the customer to send the item back, and generates a label if you use them
2 — Action: Mark received — What it does: Records that the parcel arrived
3 — Action: Process return and refund — What it does: Sends the money back and closes the request

For exchanges, step 3 is Ship replacement and complete. For store credit, it is Issue credit and complete.

Every action

Approve — The return is valid
Reject — It is outside your policy. Say why.
Mark received — The parcel has arrived and you have checked it
Replacement reserved — Stock is held for an exchange
Ship replacement and complete — The exchange item has gone out
Process return and refund — Refund the customer and close
Issue credit and complete — Give store credit and close
Issue refund and complete — Refund and close
Cancel request — Withdraw it, usually at the customer's request
Delete request — Remove it entirely. Cannot be undone.
Create request — Raise a return yourself, on the customer's behalf

The request detail

Open any request to see the items and the reason. You also get any photos the customer uploaded, the charges breakdown, and a timeline.

The timeline records each step as it happens:

Request submitted
Approved by staff
Replacement reserved
Return label generated
Item received at warehouse
Exchange shipped
Store credit issued
Refund issued

The timeline is your record. When a customer disputes what happened, this is where the answer is.

Raise a return yourself

Some customers phone or email instead of using the form. Create request walks you through it on their behalf — find the order, pick the items and reason, choose the resolution, set the shipping, and review.

Use it rather than refunding by hand in Shopify. It keeps the return in one place, and it avoids the double-refund problem below.

Good to know

Read the order note before refunding in Shopify. Say Account Editor issues store credit, a gift card, or an exchange. Shopify still shows its own "refund owed" banner, because Shopify does not know the customer was already paid. Account Editor writes a note on the order saying what was issued. Paying twice is the most expensive returns mistake there is.

Inspect before you mark received. Marking received is the last point at which you can refuse. Once you process the refund, the money has gone.

Rejecting needs a reason. A rejected return with no explanation becomes a support ticket, and often a chargeback.

Delete is permanent. Cancel withdraws a request and keeps the record. Delete removes it.

Troubleshooting

Shopify says a refund is owed after you processed one — Why: Shopify does not know about credit or exchanges — Fix: Read the order note. Do not refund again.
A return is stuck at approved — Why: The parcel has not been marked received — Fix: Use Mark received when it arrives
You cannot process a refund — Why: The order was edited after the request — Fix: The amount is worked out against the live order
The customer says they were not told — Why: Stage emails are off — Fix: Check the Notifications tab
An exchange will not complete — Why: Stock was never reserved — Fix: Use Replacement reserved first
The queue is empty — Why: No requests yet, or a filter is on — Fix: Clear the filters

FAQ

Do I have to approve every return by hand?

No. The Automation tab can approve, reject or flag requests for you. Work through them manually at first, learn the pattern, then automate it.

What if the item comes back damaged?

Do not mark it received. That is the point at which you can still refuse. Contact the customer first.

Can I change what the customer gets back?

Yes. The resolution can be changed on the request before you process it.

What is the difference between cancel and delete?

Cancel withdraws the request and keeps the record. Delete removes it permanently and cannot be undone.

Why does Shopify still show a refund as owed?

Because Shopify does not track store credit, gift cards or exchanges issued by an app. Read the order note before acting on that banner.

Updated on: 21/08/2026

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