Configure Returns Eligibility Rules

Overview

Return eligibility rules are the parts 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.

📢 What you’ll learn

In this article, we will show you:

Eligibility rules set up

Set up blocklists and allowlists
Mange returns per order limit
Configure product SKU limit
Set up workflows to auto-process returns

Eligibility rules set up

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



With AfterShip Return you can save time and only deal with eligible returns by setting which products and customers can make a return request. Here's are the supported settings to help you avoid unecsessary returns.

1. Set up blocklists and allowlists

Create blocklists and allowlists to prevent returns and make exceptions for specific orders or scenarios.

Plan: Essentials, Premium, Enterprise

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

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.

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 place 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

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

Plan: All plans Platform: 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

Plan: All plans Platform: All platforms

c. 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

Plan: All plans Platform: 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

c. 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.



Learn more about product SKU limit with this detailed tutorial.

4. Set up workflows to auto-process returns

Set up workflows to ask customers valid questions to determine if their items are eligible for a return

Plan: Premium, Enterprise

a. Click Manage. You will be directed to the Returns workflow page, where you can build workflows to determine the item's eligibility for a return based on question



b. Click Create workflow. A popup to Select a template will open. Select Create under the Ask a question tab



c. Set up conditions that will trigger a question that customers need to answer to submit a return request successfully



Conditions are set up based on specific criteria like product type and product tag
These product types and tags are the ones defined in your eCommerce platform
Customers will be asked to answer a question if only the product types and tags that are added to the workflow are being returned

The availability of the product tags and types varies from eCommerce platform to platform. See this section

d. You can choose whether a question will be triggered when all the conditions are met or any of the conditions are met
e. Once conditions are set up, edit the question you would like to ask the customer so they can proceed with a return request

Set up the primary and secondary button response messages



f. The item will be marked as non-returnable if the primary button (option) is selected by the customer
g. The customer can continue with the return process if the secondary button (option) is selected by the customer.



Now, it’s entirely up to how you wish to frame the question and responses based on your return policy so as to elicit a particular response.

h. Click Save, and your workflow is now enabled



Learn more about return workflows .

Supported platforms

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

Product tag listings are available for Shopify, Magento 1, and WooCommerce
Product type listings are available for Shopify, Magento 1, 2, and BigCommerce
Order tag listings are available for Shopify and Magento 2
Discount listings are available for Shopify and Commerce API

Ask a question template is available for users on Premium and Enterprise plans.

Product tag conditions are available for Shopify, Magento 1, 2, and WooCommerce
Product type conditions are available for Shopify, Magento 1, 2, and BigCommerce


For any further questions or help, please contact our chat support team

Updated on: 07/09/2023