Inspect returned items in Shopify
A refund should follow the parcel, not the request. Open the box, check each item against the return, and process only the items that arrived in sellable condition. This tutorial inspects a 3-item return totalling $101.00.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 5 minutes read
The worked example
| Returned | 3 items, $101.00 |
| Passed inspection | Hoodie $45.00, tee $28.00 |
| Failed inspection | Tee $28.00, damaged |
| Refund | $73.00 |
Download the checklist: return-inspection-checklist.csv (178 bytes).
An inspection checklist for the return in this tutorial. The two sellable rows add to the $73.00 refund. It is a record, not an import file.
1Open the order and the return
From your Shopify admin, go to Orders, click the order, and find the Return in progress section.
2Match the parcel to the return
Count the items against the return. If an item never arrived, you can remove it from the return instead of refunding it.
3Inspect each item
Check the condition of each item: sellable, damaged, wrong item, or missing parts. A damaged item is not restocked, even if the customer paid full price for it.
4Process only the items that passed
Click Process return. In the Return items to receive section, select the items you received in sellable condition, and set Restock at for the ones going back on the shelf.
5Refund the passed items
Issue the refund now for the items that passed: $73.00. The damaged tee stays out of the refund until you decide how to handle it.
The arithmetic
Three items came back for $101.00. Two passed inspection and one failed, so the refund covers the two that passed.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Summit Hoodie, passed | $45.00 |
| Trail Crew Tee, passed | $28.00 |
| Trail Crew Tee, damaged | $28.00 |
| Total returned | $101.00 |
| Refund for passed items | $73.00 |
45.00 plus 28.00 is $73.00. The damaged tee's $28.00 is not refunded in this step, because the item failed inspection.
Held at the counter
The refund follows receipt, not the request. The customer asked for $101.00 back. The box held $73.00 of sellable goods and one damaged tee. Refund what you received, not what was asked for.
A damaged item must not be restocked. Restocking puts the item back on sale. Inspect first, then decide the restock per item, not per return.
You cannot remove refunded or restocked items. Once an item is refunded or restocked, it cannot be removed from the return. Remove a missing item before you process anything.
Sources
- Processing and managing returns — Shopify's help pages: the process-return steps, the restock choice, the refund-shipping section, the refund-method choices, and the cancel / remove / close rules.
- Creating returns and exchanges — Shopify's help pages: the create-return steps, the return shipping options, the fee-edit rules, the exchange-item rules, and the category-specific return reasons.