Overview

Return eligibility rules are the part of your store’s return policy that clearly define the conditions under which the items are eligible to be returned. AfterShip Returns offers you the most flexible return policy settings with the option to set up multiple return eligibility rules under Eligibility rules in AfterShip Returns admin.

Eligibility rules set up

1. Set up blocklists and allowlists

Plans: Essentials, Premium, Enterprise | Platforms: All platforms

Go to Return policy > Eligibility rules in the AfterShip Returns admin.

With AfterShip Returns you can save time and only deal with eligible returns by setting which products, customers, orders or RMA requests can make a return request. Here's are the supported settings to help you avoid unnecessary returns.
Set up blocklists and allowlists. Create blocklists and allowlists to prevent returns and make exceptions for specific orders or scenarios.

a. Blocklisting customers' email addresses, product types, SKUs, products, and order tags will make them ineligible for return.

Click Manage, then select Add listing to start creating your blocklist based on the following criteria

Field	Description
Customer	Input customer email address to block all orders associated with this customer from being returned.
Product type	Input product types as defined in your eCommerce platform.
Product tag	Input product tags as specified in your eCommerce platform.
Order tag	Input tags defined for orders in your eCommerce platform.
SKU	Add SKUs of the products as set in your eCommerce platform.
Discount	Add a discount code generated in your eCommerce platform’s admin, a discount amount, or percentage (%).

The availability of the aforementioned conditions varies from eCommerce platform to platform. See this section.

b. Allowlisting allows you to make exceptions for specific product types, tags, orders, and customers.

Field	Description
Discount	Add a discount code generated in your eCommerce platform’s admin, a discount amount, or percentage (%).
Order name	Enter the eCommerce platform’s Order Name in Column A (each row).
Customer email	Enter the customer email with which a customer places orders.
Product type	Enter product type as defined in eCommerce platform’s admin.
Product tag	Enter the product tag as defined in eCommerce platform’s admin.
SKU	Add SKUs of the products as set in your eCommerce platform.

This feature allows you to overwrite all the eligibility rules configured within AfterShip Returns and lets customers request a return through the returns page normally. Learn to set up blocklists and allowlists

Entries from the blocklists and allowlists can be removed anytime from their respective management dashboards by clicking the bin icon.
Merchants have the full flexibility to decide which products, orders, or customers they wish to blocklist or allowlist to suit their return policy .
CSV file import is supported to import blocklists directly to AfterShip Returns admin without any manual efforts.
Click Import CSV. Select the CSV file with blocklist and allowlist entries from your computer or drop a file to the location and click Upload and continue. Use the structure below to import the CSV file correctly.

Fields in column B should be the same as mentioned in the screenshot or the sample CSV file in AfterShip Returns admin.

2. Mange returns per order limit

Manage if multiple returns per order are eligible by shifting the toggle button.

Plans: Essentials, Premium, Enterprise | Platforms: All platforms

a. To Limit one return request per order, shift the toggle to the right b. Configure if discounted items are eligible to be returned.

To prevent customers from returning items sold on discount, shift the toggle to the right

3. Configure product SKU limit

Put a cap on whether multiple product SKUs per return request are allowed. This means if a customer has purchased multiple products (SKU) in the same order, say three different types of vases in numerous quantities, say, 3 brown vases, 2 gray vases, and 1 multicolor vase (variants), you can put a limit on whether

Plans: Essentials, Premium, Enterprise | Platforms: All platforms

a. All the products (SKU) can be returned within the same return request or only one product (SKU) per return request can be returned

Move the toggle to the right to Limit to one product SKU per return request

b. All the product variants (quantities) can be returned within the same return request, or only one variant (quantity) per return request can be returned

Select No limit on product quantity to allow all product variants per product SKU to be returned in one return request
Select Limit product quantity to one to allow only one product variant per product SKU to be returned in one return request

Use cases

Based on the above settings for Product SKU limit, two scenarios can occur.

Scenario 1: If Limit to one product SKU per return request and No limit on product quantity is enabled, the customer can return, say, all the 3 (product quantity) brown vases (SKU) in one request.

But if they go on to select the 2nd product SKU say a multicolor vase, they won’t be able to do so because of the one product SKU per return request rule.

Scenario 2: If Limit to one product SKU per return request and Limit product quantity to one is enabled, the customer can return 1 unit (product quantity) of a brown vase (SKU) in one request.

But suppose they go on to increase the number of units of a brown vase. In that case, they won’t be able to do so, nor will they be able to add another SKU to the return request because of the limit to product SKU and quantity that can be returned to 1 per RMA.

c.Limiting to products meeting the same routing rule conditions option ensures that only product SKUs with identical routing rule conditions can be included in a single return request.

For example, if different products in an order (like smartwatches and sunglasses) are routed to different return locations, only items sharing the same routing rule can be returned together.

To implement this:

Configure return routing rules using SKU, product tag, or product type to define return locations.
Ensure each routing rule has mutually exclusive conditions (e.g., one for smartwatches, another for sunglasses).
In Eligibility rules, enable Limit product per return request and select Limit to products meeting the same routing rule conditions.

Items that don’t match any routing rule conditions can still be selected together in a return request.

For detailed setup steps and examples, refer to the full article on Set product SKU limit per return request.

4. Set up workflows to auto-process returns

Plans: Premium, Enterprise | Platforms: All platforms

Create custom workflows to ask customers relevant questions that help determine whether their items qualify for a return under your brand’s return policy.

a. Click Manage to open the Workflows page.

b. You can either build a workflow from scratch or use ready-made templates to automate your return process.

c. Select the Prevent return of worn items template to create a workflow that checks an item’s return eligibility based on a customer’s response. Hover over the template and click Select.

d. Configure conditions that will trigger the customer question during the return request process. Conditions can be based on Product, order, or customer information and RMA data. Below is the list of conditions currently supported that you can use to facilitate certain actions.

Condition type	Conditions	Description	eCommerce platforms supported
Order
	Countries/Regions	Specifies the country or region of the original order associated with the return request.	All platforms
	Order tag	Tags assigned to the original order associated with the return request, as defined in your eCommerce platform.	Shopify, Magento 2
	Event date	The date on which a specific event (like an order placed, fulfilled, or delivered) occurred.	All platforms
	Discount code	A promotional code applied to the original order associated with the return request (from your eCommerce platform).	Shopify, Commerce API
	Discount percentage	The percentage discount applied to the original order associated with the return request (from your eCommerce platform).	Shopify, Commerce API
Product
	Product tag	Tags assigned to the original product in the return request for filtering or organization, as defined in your eCommerce platform.	Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento 1
	Product type	The category or classification of the original product(s) in the return request, as defined in your eCommerce platform.	Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento 1, Magento 2
	SKU	The stock-keeping unit identifier unique to each product variant in the return request.	All platforms
Return
	Return request date	The date a return was initiated by the customer within, after, or before the starting of the return window	All platforms
	Return reason	The reason provided by the customer for returning a product.	All platforms
Customer
	Customer tag	Tags assigned to the customer associated with the return request, as defined in your eCommerce platform.	Shopify

Select the condition from the list, apply the logic, and input the corresponding value.

e. Choose whether the question is triggered when all conditions are met or when any condition is met.

f. Edit the question you want to ask customers and define the primary and secondary button responses:

Primary button: Marks the item as non-returnable when selected.
Secondary button: Allows the customer to continue with the return process.
You can customize the question and responses to align with your return policy and desired outcome.
For Ask a question workflow, if the customer opts for the Yes option, the Action would be to Block return item. If the customer opts for the No, he can proceed to submit the return request.

g. Click Save to enable your workflow.

Refer to the detailed guide on return workflows.

Supported platforms

Blocklists and Allowlists feature is available for users on Essentials, Premium, and Enterprise plans

Product tag listings are available for Shopify, Magento 1, WooCommerce, and AfterShip Commerce API.
Product type listings are available for Shopify, Magento 1, Magento 2, BigCommerce, and AfterShip Commerce API. (In BigCommerce, the product type is labeled as "Product category")
Order tag listings are available for Shopify and Magento 2
Discount listings are available for Shopify and Commerce API

FAQs

1. What’s the difference between a blocklist and an allowlist?

A blocklist prevents specific customers, products, SKUs, or orders from being returned.

An allowlist creates exceptions, letting certain customers or products bypass eligibility restrictions even if they normally wouldn’t qualify for a return.

2. What criteria can I use to create blocklists and allowlists?

You can use multiple data points from your eCommerce platform, including:

Customer email
Product type
Product tag
Order tag
SKU
Discount code
Order name (for allowlists)

3. Can I import or export blocklists and allowlists using a CSV file?

Yes. AfterShip Returns supports CSV file import to bulk upload entries. You just need to ensure your CSV follows the correct column format as shown in the admin sample file.

4. What happens if a customer or product is blocklisted?

If a customer, product, or order is blocklisted, the system will automatically prevent that return request from being submitted on the returns portal. The customer will see that the item is ineligible for return.

5. Can I limit how many return requests a customer can make per order?

Yes. You can enable the “Limit one return request per order” setting. Once enabled, customers can only submit a single return request for each order.

6. How can I restrict returns for discounted products?

You can prevent discounted products from being returned by toggling the “Prevent return of discounted items” option under the eligibility rule settings.

7. Can I automate return eligibility checks?

Yes. AfterShip Returns allows you to set up custom workflows to automatically ask customers qualifying questions (for example, whether the item has been used). Based on their response, the system can automatically approve or block the return.

8. Are all these features available on every plan?

No.

Blocklists and Allowlists are available on Pro, Premium, and Enterprise plans.
Return limits, SKU limits, and workflow automation features are available across all plans, though specific capabilities within these features may vary.

Key takeaways

AfterShip Returns allows you to define flexible return eligibility rules that control which products, orders, and customers can request returns.
Use blocklists to prevent returns for specific customers, SKUs, or order tags, and allowlists to make exceptions when needed.
Easily import blocklist or allowlist entries via CSV for faster setup and management.
Set a limit on return requests per order to prevent multiple submissions for the same order.
Configure a product SKU limit to control how many SKUs or quantities can be returned in one request.
Enable automated workflows to process return requests with custom questions and conditions before approval.