How to Process Return Requests
Plans: All plans Platforms: All platforms
AfterShip Returns enables you to seamlessly approve, process, and reject return requests on the RMA detail page.
In this article, we will discuss:
RMA detail page: Overview
Return details: administrative actions
Approve
Add Return label
Mark as received
Create Shopify order
Refund
Mark as resolved
Rejected
Track return shipment status
Go to Returns in the AfterShip Returns admin
Select a reuest request to open the detail page of that RMA
The RMA detail page overviews 9 main sections
1. Return details
The item(s) being returned
Return resolution (outcome) desired by the customer
Return shipping method opted by the customer
2. Refund or exchange amount information
Refund initiated to customer mode of choice along with cost of return, return item tax, and shipping (if applicable)
Gift card value, if applicable
Exchange upsell-amount paid by the customer, if applicable
3. Notes
Accompanying notes for the return request
4. Order information
A link to the original order and product details
A link to the exchange order and product details (applicable if the customer wants to exchange for another item)
5. Customer information
Customer name, email address, and shipping country/region
6. Return shipment information
Shipping information, including the tracking number, carrier name, SKU of the item(s) in the shipment, shipment creation date, shipment’s current status, return label, and QR code
7. Fraud analysis
Showcases if any anti-fraud workflow has been triggered for the customer based on the predefined conditions. Learn more>
Displays all the previous return requests from a customer to have a better look into customer’s return patterns and trends indicative of fraudulent behaviour, such as unusually high rates of returns for certain products or suspicious return reasons.
8. Timeline
The timestamped list of
When was the request raised and by whom
When was the request processed/updated and by whom
When was the request updated to which status and by whom
When was the notification emails sent to the customer
When and who added the shipment details
When and how was the request resolved
Comments left by you or other members of your organization
9. Flagged RMA
If the RMA is marked as flagged, it will show in the form of a banner at the top of the return request for further analysis. Learn more >
There are a number of administrative actions you can take from the return details page.
a. Ship with a returns label
Upon clicking Approve, a popup will open to confirm if you want to approve the request
You can manually upload the return label at this step or automatically generate it with AfterShip Returns’s shipping capability
You also have the option to Add label later after approving the request. It will not pose as a blocker to approve the request
b. Ship with any carrier of your choice
Upon clicking Approve, an email notification will be sent to the customer with shipping instructions and a link to Enter shipment details of the return package
The RMA request will be updated to Approved
Once the request is approved, you can Add return label in the Shipment section to upload or generate the return label with AfterShip Returns. The return label will also be sent in the Approved email notification
Once the return label is manually uploaded or automatically generated with AfterShip Returns by merchant and sent to the customer via email or returns page, the Shipment section will be updated with the tracking number and carrier
For the customers who've opted for the Ship with any carrier of your choice shipping method, once the tracking details are added by them, the Shipment section will be updated with the tracking number and carrier along with the package's current status
Upon clicking the tracking number, you will be redirected to the AfterShip Tracking’s public tracking page, where you can get the complete status of the incoming package
You can add additional labels in case they are more than one products in the order that needs to be sent separately
Upon clicking Mark as received, a popup will open, allowing you to
a. Grade item condition: To grade the condition of the returned item between Grade A, B, C and D
b. Restock: To restock item to one of your configured warehouse locations. The item will be auto-restocked in case the Auto-restocked rule is enabled in your admin
c. Email notification: You can also decide whether you want to send an email notification to notify customer of the same
d. Item quantity: In case of multiple quantities of the same SKU, you can input quantity of the item received so far
e. Item selection: For RMAs with multiple items, you can select the item you want to mark as received
For drop-off at any of the Happy Returns®️ locations, you can only mark requests as received after confirmation from Happy Returns®️
The RMA request will be updated to Shipment received
For the exchange and replacement orders, you can opt to Create Shopify order from the RMA detail
Click Create Shopify order and click Create order again to create an order in your Shopify admin
Once the Shopify order is created, the Order section will automatically reflect the exchange order number with the link to view the order on Shopify
The RMA request's status will remain Approved
Based on the return resolution selected by the customer, you can initiate the refund accordingly on the RMA detail page.
1. Refund to original payment method
Click Refund
On the side panel, select whether you want to refund the full order amount including the order amount and shipping or just the original order value. The total refund value will be displayed accordingly
Click Refund and confirm the refund initiation by clicking Submit
The RMA status will showcase both Approved and Refunded with an additional section of Refunded with the related refund details
2. Refund to store credit
On the side panel, select whether you want to refund the full order amount including the order amount and shipping or just the original order value. The total refund value will be displayed accordingly
Click Issue gift card and confirm the refund initiation by clicking Submit
The RMA status will showcase both Approved and Refunded with an additional section of Refunded with the related refund details
When a customer returns an item and you inspect it to determine if it meets the criteria for a refund. If the package fails to meet the eligibility criteria for a cash refund, instead of rejecting the return request which would certainly upset the customer, you can change the refund method.
For Pending and Approved RMAs with either Refund to original payment method or Refund to store credit refund method, you have the option to change the refund method as per your returns policy. If the package fails inspection and isn’t eligible for a cash refund, you can change the refund method from the original payment (e.g., credit card) to store credit. This not only keeps the revenue within your business but also maintains customer goodwill by providing them with a solution they can use later.
To edit the refund method,
On the detail page for a pending or an approved RMA with pending refund status, click Edit refund method.
Select the refund method and provide a reason for the change (the refund method will be automatically set to the available option).
You can also notify your customer about this change by setting up the Edit return request email notification under the Notifications center. Select the checkbox to send the notification for the updated refund method.
Once you click Save, the refund method will be successfully updated, and a timeline will also be created for tracking. You can still change the refund method before the refund or store credit is processed.
3. Exchange for other items
For items that are exchanged for a cheaper item, you can issue refund from the RMA detail page based on whether the customer has opted for Refund to original payment method or Refund to store credit.
The RMA will be marked as resolved and the status will be updated as such.
After receiving the return request and reviewing the request details, you can either Approve the request or Reject it.
Rejecting the request means you are denying customer’s request to return
Upon clicking Reject, a popup window will open
Add the reason for rejecting the request in the dialogue box
Select the checkbox to send customers an email notification notifying them of the same
Click Confirm
The RMA request will be updated to Rejected
To track the whereabouts of the return shipment, the status of the shipment will keep updating untill the package is delivered on the RMA detail page.
AfterShip Returns supports the following key statuses for AfterShip generated return labels: Pending, In-transit, Delivered , Received or Partially received
For Ship with any carrier of your choice return labels, you don't need to update labels as the tracking information will be provided by the customer. You can track the return shipments with Shipped, Received or Partially received key statuses once the shipment details are added by the customer
For Drop-off at Happy Returns®️ location RMAs, you can determine when to mark requests as received with four key statuses Dropped-off, Partially dropped-off, Received or Partially received
Here's what each status means.
There are two additional statuses exclusively for customers using Drop off at Happy Returns® locations return shipping method
You need to purchase and activate the AfterShip Tracking service to enable return shipment tracking
Overview
AfterShip Returns enables you to seamlessly approve, process, and reject return requests on the RMA detail page.
What you'll learn
In this article, we will discuss:
RMA detail page: Overview
Return details: administrative actions
Approve
Add Return label
Mark as received
Create Shopify order
Refund
Mark as resolved
Rejected
Track return shipment status
RMA detail page: Overview
Go to Returns in the AfterShip Returns admin
Select a reuest request to open the detail page of that RMA
The RMA detail page overviews 9 main sections
1. Return details
The item(s) being returned
Return resolution (outcome) desired by the customer
Return shipping method opted by the customer
2. Refund or exchange amount information
Refund initiated to customer mode of choice along with cost of return, return item tax, and shipping (if applicable)
Gift card value, if applicable
Exchange upsell-amount paid by the customer, if applicable
3. Notes
Accompanying notes for the return request
4. Order information
A link to the original order and product details
A link to the exchange order and product details (applicable if the customer wants to exchange for another item)
5. Customer information
Customer name, email address, and shipping country/region
6. Return shipment information
Shipping information, including the tracking number, carrier name, SKU of the item(s) in the shipment, shipment creation date, shipment’s current status, return label, and QR code
7. Fraud analysis
Showcases if any anti-fraud workflow has been triggered for the customer based on the predefined conditions. Learn more>
Displays all the previous return requests from a customer to have a better look into customer’s return patterns and trends indicative of fraudulent behaviour, such as unusually high rates of returns for certain products or suspicious return reasons.
8. Timeline
The timestamped list of
When was the request raised and by whom
When was the request processed/updated and by whom
When was the request updated to which status and by whom
When was the notification emails sent to the customer
When and who added the shipment details
When and how was the request resolved
Comments left by you or other members of your organization
9. Flagged RMA
If the RMA is marked as flagged, it will show in the form of a banner at the top of the return request for further analysis. Learn more >
Return details: administrative actions
There are a number of administrative actions you can take from the return details page.
A. Approve
a. Ship with a returns label
Upon clicking Approve, a popup will open to confirm if you want to approve the request
You can manually upload the return label at this step or automatically generate it with AfterShip Returns’s shipping capability
You also have the option to Add label later after approving the request. It will not pose as a blocker to approve the request
b. Ship with any carrier of your choice
Upon clicking Approve, an email notification will be sent to the customer with shipping instructions and a link to Enter shipment details of the return package
The RMA request will be updated to Approved
B. Add Return label
Once the request is approved, you can Add return label in the Shipment section to upload or generate the return label with AfterShip Returns. The return label will also be sent in the Approved email notification
Once the return label is manually uploaded or automatically generated with AfterShip Returns by merchant and sent to the customer via email or returns page, the Shipment section will be updated with the tracking number and carrier
For the customers who've opted for the Ship with any carrier of your choice shipping method, once the tracking details are added by them, the Shipment section will be updated with the tracking number and carrier along with the package's current status
Upon clicking the tracking number, you will be redirected to the AfterShip Tracking’s public tracking page, where you can get the complete status of the incoming package
You can add additional labels in case they are more than one products in the order that needs to be sent separately
C. Mark as received
Upon clicking Mark as received, a popup will open, allowing you to
a. Grade item condition: To grade the condition of the returned item between Grade A, B, C and D
b. Restock: To restock item to one of your configured warehouse locations. The item will be auto-restocked in case the Auto-restocked rule is enabled in your admin
c. Email notification: You can also decide whether you want to send an email notification to notify customer of the same
d. Item quantity: In case of multiple quantities of the same SKU, you can input quantity of the item received so far
e. Item selection: For RMAs with multiple items, you can select the item you want to mark as received
For drop-off at any of the Happy Returns®️ locations, you can only mark requests as received after confirmation from Happy Returns®️
The RMA request will be updated to Shipment received
D. Create Shopify order
For the exchange and replacement orders, you can opt to Create Shopify order from the RMA detail
Click Create Shopify order and click Create order again to create an order in your Shopify admin
Once the Shopify order is created, the Order section will automatically reflect the exchange order number with the link to view the order on Shopify
The RMA request's status will remain Approved
E. Refund
Based on the return resolution selected by the customer, you can initiate the refund accordingly on the RMA detail page.
1. Refund to original payment method
Click Refund
On the side panel, select whether you want to refund the full order amount including the order amount and shipping or just the original order value. The total refund value will be displayed accordingly
Click Refund and confirm the refund initiation by clicking Submit
The RMA status will showcase both Approved and Refunded with an additional section of Refunded with the related refund details
2. Refund to store credit
On the side panel, select whether you want to refund the full order amount including the order amount and shipping or just the original order value. The total refund value will be displayed accordingly
Click Issue gift card and confirm the refund initiation by clicking Submit
The RMA status will showcase both Approved and Refunded with an additional section of Refunded with the related refund details
Change refund method
When a customer returns an item and you inspect it to determine if it meets the criteria for a refund. If the package fails to meet the eligibility criteria for a cash refund, instead of rejecting the return request which would certainly upset the customer, you can change the refund method.
For Pending and Approved RMAs with either Refund to original payment method or Refund to store credit refund method, you have the option to change the refund method as per your returns policy. If the package fails inspection and isn’t eligible for a cash refund, you can change the refund method from the original payment (e.g., credit card) to store credit. This not only keeps the revenue within your business but also maintains customer goodwill by providing them with a solution they can use later.
To edit the refund method,
On the detail page for a pending or an approved RMA with pending refund status, click Edit refund method.
Select the refund method and provide a reason for the change (the refund method will be automatically set to the available option).
You can also notify your customer about this change by setting up the Edit return request email notification under the Notifications center. Select the checkbox to send the notification for the updated refund method.
Once you click Save, the refund method will be successfully updated, and a timeline will also be created for tracking. You can still change the refund method before the refund or store credit is processed.
3. Exchange for other items
For items that are exchanged for a cheaper item, you can issue refund from the RMA detail page based on whether the customer has opted for Refund to original payment method or Refund to store credit.
F. Mark as resolved
The RMA will be marked as resolved and the status will be updated as such.
G. Rejected
After receiving the return request and reviewing the request details, you can either Approve the request or Reject it.
Rejecting the request means you are denying customer’s request to return
Upon clicking Reject, a popup window will open
Add the reason for rejecting the request in the dialogue box
Select the checkbox to send customers an email notification notifying them of the same
Click Confirm
The RMA request will be updated to Rejected
Track return shipment status
To track the whereabouts of the return shipment, the status of the shipment will keep updating untill the package is delivered on the RMA detail page.
AfterShip Returns supports the following key statuses for AfterShip generated return labels: Pending, In-transit, Delivered , Received or Partially received
For Ship with any carrier of your choice return labels, you don't need to update labels as the tracking information will be provided by the customer. You can track the return shipments with Shipped, Received or Partially received key statuses once the shipment details are added by the customer
For Drop-off at Happy Returns®️ location RMAs, you can determine when to mark requests as received with four key statuses Dropped-off, Partially dropped-off, Received or Partially received
Here's what each status means.
| STATUS | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| No prepaid label | The return request is approved but the prepaid label is yet to generated or added by the merchant |
| Pending | New shipments with no tracking information yet |
| In Transit | The carrier has accepted or picked up the return shipment from the shipper. The shipment is on its way |
| Received | The return item is received by the seller or warehouse |
| Partially received | When some of the items in the request request (but not all of the items) are received by the seller |
| Delivered | The shipment was delivered successfully |
| Label void | The return label is canceled and cannot be used to ship items back |
There are two additional statuses exclusively for customers using Drop off at Happy Returns® locations return shipping method
| STATUS | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Partially dropped off | When some of the items in the request request (but not all of the items) are dropped off at Happy Returns® Bar |
| Dropped off | When the return items are dropped off at Happy Returns® Bar |
You need to purchase and activate the AfterShip Tracking service to enable return shipment tracking
Updated on: 14/10/2024
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