Set up a return policy in Shopify
A return policy is two things in Shopify: the rules that decide when a customer can send something back, and the written policy your customers read before they buy. This tutorial sets up both for a store that accepts returns for 30 days, charges a flat $8.95 return shipping fee, and takes a 10% restocking fee.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 5 minutes read
The worked example
| Return window | 30 days |
| Return shipping fee | $8.95 flat, paid by the customer |
| Restocking fee | 10% |
| Written policy | Return and refund policy page |
| Example item | Ridge Pack, $64.00 |
| Example refund | $48.65 after the fees |
Download the record: return-policy-settings.csv (283 bytes).
A record of the return rules in this tutorial, with the worked-example refund. It is a record, not an import file: Shopify has no CSV import for return rules.
1Open your return rules
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings, then Policies. In the Return rules section, click Manage. Your return rules live here, not on the Orders page.
2Set a 30-day return window
In the Return window section, pick a preset or enter a custom number of days. This tutorial uses 30 days. The window counts from delivery: an item delivered 3 November 2026 can be returned until 3 December 2026.
3Choose who pays for return shipping
In the Return shipping costs section, choose how return shipping is handled. This tutorial charges the customer a flat $8.95 fee, entered in the flat rate field. The fee shows when you create a return, and you can edit it for a single return.
4Set a 10% restocking fee
Set a restocking fee of 10%. The fee shows when you create a return, and you can edit it for a specific return, including by item. A restocking fee is optional, so set it only if your store charges one.
5Turn the rules on and check them
Save the rules, then open a delivered order and click Return. The Summary should show the $8.95 return shipping fee and the 10% restocking fee, because the fees are displayed from your return rules when you create a return.
6Write the policy your customers read
The rules alone do not write a policy page. In Settings, then Policies, create a return and refund policy in your own words that matches the rules: 30 days, $8.95 return shipping, a 10% restocking fee. Link it where customers can find it before they buy.
The arithmetic
The fees in this tutorial come from one example: a Ridge Pack that cost $64.00, returned inside the 30-day window.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ridge Pack price | $64.00 |
| Restocking fee, 10% of $64.00 | $6.40 |
| Return shipping fee | $8.95 |
| Refund to the customer | $48.65 |
The return window is calendar days from delivery: 3 November plus 30 days is 3 December 2026. A request on 4 December is outside the window.
Held at the counter
The rules do not write the policy. Setting the window, the fee, and the restocking fee does not create the written policy page. Customers read the written policy, so write it to match the rules or the two will disagree.
Fees show at return time, not at rule time. The return shipping fee and the restocking fee are displayed when you create a return, based on your rules. Check them on a real order before you promise a customer a figure.
Rules alone do not take customer requests. Your rules apply when you process returns by hand, but customers can only request a return themselves when self-serve returns are turned on. Without it, every request still reaches you by email or message.
Sources
- Setting up return and cancellation rules — Shopify's help pages: the return window, the return shipping costs choice, the restocking fee, and the self-serve switch (consulted via the help pages' search results on 11 November 2026).
- 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.