Learn More About Returns Tracking
Plans: Pro, Premium, Enterprise Platforms: All platforms
With AfterShip Returns’ Returns tracking feature you can now have complete visibility over your return shipments’ tracking statuses, so you can proactively answer customers’ WISMR (Where is my return?) queries and notify them of exception events on the carrier side.
Additionally, you can streamline your returns management process with automation rules, like auto-refunds and replacement order creation by leveraging return shipment statuses as triggers.
Bringing the tracking visibility for both your inbound and outbound shipments together in one place is AfterShip Tracking. You can auto-synchronize your return shipments to AfterShip Tracking’s shipment dashboard to better manage them and correspondingly assess the carrier’s performance.
In this article, we will discuss:
Enable returns tracking
Return statuses
Return automation with return tracking statuses
Sync return shipments to AfterShip Tracking
FAQs
Go to Ship and track in your AfterShip Returns admin
Click Returns tracking
Click Enable Returns tracking
Once this module is activated, you can view the status of your return shipments on the corresponding RMA detail page under Return shipments section
Returns tracking supports tracking of your return shipments on both return request and return label levels.
A. Return shipping statuses
B. Return shipment statuses
AfterShip Returns supports return process automation by using Return tracking updates as triggers. You can configure the automation rules under Return policy.
A. Auto-refund and auto-marked as received
You can use In-transit and Delivered return shipment statuses to trigger auto-refunds. The refund will be automatically initiated to the customer’s opted refund method and the methods you select for auto-refund as soon as the status of the return shipment updates either to In-transit or Delivered. This way you can issue refunds when the item is enroute and do not have to wait till the item is received by your warehouse.
You can also auto-mark the return as received when the return shipment status updates to Delivered. You can add a delay to when the return will be marked as received once the shipment is delivered in case you would like to give your warehouse team additional time to process and inspect the item received and take corrective action if an item comes faulty or damaged.
B. Control exchange order creation and fulfillment
AfterShip Returns offers various exchange resolution configurations to streamline the return processing when customers opt for either of the exchange resolutions.
Replace with the same item: You can initiate replacement order auto-creation for RMAs with this resolution method when the status of the shipment updates either to In-transit or Delivered. This way you will be able to start the processing of the replacement order when the item is enroute to you.
Exchange for other items (Shopify checkout): For customers exchanging the item for another item from your store using the Shopify checkout, a Shopify exchange order is instantly created as soon as the return request is approved. You can control the exchange order fulfillment by using Shopify flow to automatically turn new exchange orders from Unfulfilled to On hold until the release event is triggered. You can configure to turn the On hold exchange orders back to Unfulfilled when the return shipment updates either to In-transit or Delivered.
Exchange for other items (Stripe checkout): For customers exchanging the item for another item from your store using the Stripe checkout, you can automate exchange order auto-creation when the status of the shipment updates either to In-transit or Delivered.This way you will be able to start the processing of the exchange order when the item is routed to your return location.
C. Auto-charge for instant exchange:
Plans: Enterprise
AfterShip Returns offers instant exchanges for merchants on the Enterprise plan.
When customers opt for instant exchange , their exchange order is created and sent on their way to them immediately. However, they will be charged based on your charge preference, if the items do not find their way back to you within the configured window once the request is approved. You can configure return shipment status—**In-transit** or Delivered as triggers to charge the customers, in case they decide to keep the item(s) from the return request once the exchange order is shipped.
D. Auto-cancel return label
Merchants can enable the return label auto-cancellation feature to void unused labels to save costs. This feature relies on return shipment tracking to monitor if there are any shipment updates from the carrier. If no shipment tracking updates are reported for 28 days straight, AfterShip Returns will expire the return request and initiate return label cancellation with the carriers.
For merchants who are using both AfterShip Tracking and AfterShip Returns and have an active subscription plan, they can sync their return shipments to the AfterShip Tracking Shipments dashboard once they have Returns tracking enabled in the admin. This will allow them to track both their forward and reserve shipments on one centralized dashboard with more options to filter and sort data based on their preference. You will have a better understanding of how your carriers are performing not only when they are delivering orders to your customers, but also when they are bringing back the items that didn’t work out for your customers.
Go to Ship and track in your AfterShip Returns admin
Click Returns tracking
Click Enable sync to sync your return shipments to the AfterShip Tracking Shipments dashboard
All your return shipments will be automatically imported to the AfterShip Tracking dashboard for tracking.
Answer: The return shipment statuses will only be available for returns requests that are created after enabling Returns tracking. Once the return shipment statuses are supplied for the return requests, they will be available on your returns dashboard and returns page even if you disable Returns tracking.
Answer: We have not yet incorporated return shipment statuses as trigger events for sending notifications to customers. The new notifications module is in progress and will launch soon to support return notifications based on shipment statuses.
Overview
With AfterShip Returns’ Returns tracking feature you can now have complete visibility over your return shipments’ tracking statuses, so you can proactively answer customers’ WISMR (Where is my return?) queries and notify them of exception events on the carrier side.
Additionally, you can streamline your returns management process with automation rules, like auto-refunds and replacement order creation by leveraging return shipment statuses as triggers.
Bringing the tracking visibility for both your inbound and outbound shipments together in one place is AfterShip Tracking. You can auto-synchronize your return shipments to AfterShip Tracking’s shipment dashboard to better manage them and correspondingly assess the carrier’s performance.
What you’ll learn
In this article, we will discuss:
Enable returns tracking
Return statuses
Return automation with return tracking statuses
Sync return shipments to AfterShip Tracking
FAQs
Enable returns tracking
Go to Ship and track in your AfterShip Returns admin
Click Returns tracking
Click Enable Returns tracking
Once this module is activated, you can view the status of your return shipments on the corresponding RMA detail page under Return shipments section
Return statuses
Returns tracking supports tracking of your return shipments on both return request and return label levels.
| Status type | Status level | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Return shipping statuses | Return request | Return shipping statuses indicate each stage of a return being sent back by the shopper, from the return label being created to the item being received by the warehouse. |
| Return shipment statuses | Return label | Returns Shipment Statuses indicate the logistics of a return item. It starts when the carrier scans the package and ends when the carrier delivers the package to the end customer. |
A. Return shipping statuses
| Status | Definition | User experience |
|---|---|---|
| No prepaid label | This status indicates that the RMA is approved but the return label has not been generated yet. |  |
| Pre-shipment | This status indicates that the return label has been created or the shopper has uploaded the tracking number but the carrier still needs to scan the label on the return package. |  |
| Shipped | This status indicates that the status of a return shipment has been updated to in transit. |  |
| Delivered | This status indicates that the status of return shipments has been updated to delivered. |  |
| Received | This status indicates that the returned item has been marked as received. |  |
B. Return shipment statuses
| Status | Definition |
|---|---|
| Info Received | The carrier has received a request from the shipper and is about to pick up the shipment. |
| In transit | The carrier has accepted the request or picked up the shipment from the shipper. The shipment is on the way. |
| Out for delivery | The carrier is about to deliver the shipment. |
| Available for pickup | The package has arrived at a pickup point near you and is available for pickup. |
| Failed attempt | The carrier attempted to deliver the shipment but failed. The carrier usually leaves a notice and will try to deliver again. |
| Exception | The shipment met with an exception event like held by customs, undelivered, or returned to the sender |
| Delivered | The shipment was delivered successfully. |
Trigger return automation with return tracking statuses
AfterShip Returns supports return process automation by using Return tracking updates as triggers. You can configure the automation rules under Return policy.
A. Auto-refund and auto-marked as received
You can use In-transit and Delivered return shipment statuses to trigger auto-refunds. The refund will be automatically initiated to the customer’s opted refund method and the methods you select for auto-refund as soon as the status of the return shipment updates either to In-transit or Delivered. This way you can issue refunds when the item is enroute and do not have to wait till the item is received by your warehouse.
You can also auto-mark the return as received when the return shipment status updates to Delivered. You can add a delay to when the return will be marked as received once the shipment is delivered in case you would like to give your warehouse team additional time to process and inspect the item received and take corrective action if an item comes faulty or damaged.
B. Control exchange order creation and fulfillment
AfterShip Returns offers various exchange resolution configurations to streamline the return processing when customers opt for either of the exchange resolutions.
Replace with the same item: You can initiate replacement order auto-creation for RMAs with this resolution method when the status of the shipment updates either to In-transit or Delivered. This way you will be able to start the processing of the replacement order when the item is enroute to you.
Exchange for other items (Shopify checkout): For customers exchanging the item for another item from your store using the Shopify checkout, a Shopify exchange order is instantly created as soon as the return request is approved. You can control the exchange order fulfillment by using Shopify flow to automatically turn new exchange orders from Unfulfilled to On hold until the release event is triggered. You can configure to turn the On hold exchange orders back to Unfulfilled when the return shipment updates either to In-transit or Delivered.
Exchange for other items (Stripe checkout): For customers exchanging the item for another item from your store using the Stripe checkout, you can automate exchange order auto-creation when the status of the shipment updates either to In-transit or Delivered.This way you will be able to start the processing of the exchange order when the item is routed to your return location.
C. Auto-charge for instant exchange:
Plans: Enterprise
AfterShip Returns offers instant exchanges for merchants on the Enterprise plan.
When customers opt for instant exchange , their exchange order is created and sent on their way to them immediately. However, they will be charged based on your charge preference, if the items do not find their way back to you within the configured window once the request is approved. You can configure return shipment status—**In-transit** or Delivered as triggers to charge the customers, in case they decide to keep the item(s) from the return request once the exchange order is shipped.
D. Auto-cancel return label
Merchants can enable the return label auto-cancellation feature to void unused labels to save costs. This feature relies on return shipment tracking to monitor if there are any shipment updates from the carrier. If no shipment tracking updates are reported for 28 days straight, AfterShip Returns will expire the return request and initiate return label cancellation with the carriers.
Sync return shipments to AfterShip Tracking
For merchants who are using both AfterShip Tracking and AfterShip Returns and have an active subscription plan, they can sync their return shipments to the AfterShip Tracking Shipments dashboard once they have Returns tracking enabled in the admin. This will allow them to track both their forward and reserve shipments on one centralized dashboard with more options to filter and sort data based on their preference. You will have a better understanding of how your carriers are performing not only when they are delivering orders to your customers, but also when they are bringing back the items that didn’t work out for your customers.
Go to Ship and track in your AfterShip Returns admin
Click Returns tracking
Click Enable sync to sync your return shipments to the AfterShip Tracking Shipments dashboard
All your return shipments will be automatically imported to the AfterShip Tracking dashboard for tracking.
FAQs
Will I be able to see the shipment statuses for my historical returns once returns tracking is enabled?
Answer: The return shipment statuses will only be available for returns requests that are created after enabling Returns tracking. Once the return shipment statuses are supplied for the return requests, they will be available on your returns dashboard and returns page even if you disable Returns tracking.
Can I send notifications based on return shipment statuses?
Answer: We have not yet incorporated return shipment statuses as trigger events for sending notifications to customers. The new notifications module is in progress and will launch soon to support return notifications based on shipment statuses.
Updated on: 06/03/2024
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