Set Up Instant Exchanges
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Exchange request approvals are frustrating for both customers and merchants. Customers want instant approval for the products they like to return and the item they want delivered to them pronto. There is a high possibility that a low-stock item customers want in exchange may run out of stock by the time their request gets approved. Subsequently, it will take additional efforts on the merchant’s side to manually resolve every out-of-stock exchange, leading to customers getting a refund instead of a product they love.
AfterShip Returns’ Instant Exchange feature tackles these uncertainties and saves merchants a lot of manual work. Merchants can enable customers to opt for Instant Exchange on the return request review page. Customers who decide to go for Instant Exchange just have to enter their credit card details, which creates an exchange order for their replacement product immediately. AfterShip Returns then places a hold on the customer's card for $1 (or the amount equivalent to the value of the items being returned, depending on your preference) to get the card information. The card will not be charged if the customer returns the item within the configured return window. If the item is not returned to the merchants within the set window, customers will be charged fully for the new product.
In this tutorial, we will show you:
Demo
Set up instant exchange
Replace with the same item
Exchange for other items: Stripe checkout
Customer experience
Charge-reminder-email
Merchants can enable instant exchange for customers when they are replacing the product with the same item or when they are exchanging the product with a completely different product.
Let’s understand each scenario one by one and see how the features in both cases.
You need to enable the Variant options and configure whether you want to offer customers an exchange for All variants or for ones at the same price or below
You must install and add Stripe checkout on your online store to send a card authorization request. Follow this article for full instructions .
Go to Refunds and exchanges in the AfterShip Returns admin
Move to the Exchange resolutions section and enable the Replace with the same item option
Edit the customer-facing content, including the title and description
Click Edit to configure the Advanced settings for the replace with the same item exchange resolution
Enable and configure the variant options settings
Move the toggle to the right to enable Instant exchange and set up the following settings
Add Stripe checkout for your online store if you haven’t already, to send card authorization request.
Merchants need to put an authorization amount hold on the customer’s credit card in order to collect credit card information to charge customers if needed
Equivalent of $1 USD: $1 authorization allows AfterShip Returns to collect the credit card information needed to charge the customer if necessary, without putting a big hold on the customer's card for 7 days.
Full value of return items: Full return value authorization will place a hold on the customer's card for the full amount of the return item. Since a hold will fail if the card doesn't have enough funds, this can prevent Instant Exchanges from using cards that may not have the funds necessary to cover the cost of the product.
Stripe will only charge payment processing fees if a customer is charged. Please note that a charge may fail due to reasons such as an expired or overdraft credit card. AfterShip Returns will not be liable for any losses caused by charge failure.
Merchants can use this setting to extend the time period customers have to return their products before the card gets charged
The time to return is based on the status of the returned item. The customers will be charged if the return is not
In transit
Delivered
You need to purchase and activate the AfterShip Tracking service to enable these triggers
Marked as received
In X number of days after the request approval
The instant exchange feature is only available for exchange orders placed on your store via Stripe checkout.
You must install and add Stripe checkout on your online store to send a card authorization request. Follow this article for full instructions .
On the Exchange resolutions section, click Edit to access the Exchange on your store resolution settings page.
Check out this guide to set up an exchange for other item resolution method on your store via Stripe checkout.
Move to Instant exchange and configure the Authorization amount hold and Trigger charge settings the same as the replace with the same item
The customer experience with Instant exchange is the same as a normal return request until the final Review page before submitting the request.
When a customer wants to replace their purchase with a different variant of the same item, they’ll be presented with the choice to opt for Instant exchange or process their request again at the final page of the return submission process i.e., the Review page.
If the customer selects Instant exchange and hits Submit, they’ll be prompted to add their credit card details for AfterShip Returns to temporarily put a hold on their card for $1 or the total amount of the exchange item(s) as set by you.
The hold will stay in place for 7 days and will drop, regardless of whether the product is returned or not. If the return request is not in transit, delivered, or marked as received (as set up by you) within the configured return window after the request is approved, AfterShip Returns will charge the card the full value of return items.
Once, the credit card details are processed by Stripe, the exchange order will be created immediately in your store. On the return confirmation page, you can see the exchange order being created along with other shipping and order details.
Now the case where a customer wants to replace their purchase with a different product altogether, two scenarios can arise.
1. The customer selects an expensive product for exchange and wants an instant exchange
In this case, the customer needs to pay the upsell amount before they can submit the instant exchange request. The credit card details the customer will be prompted to add to temporarily put a hold on their card will also be used for charging the customer the excess amount. The excess amount will be charged immediately, while the hold for $1 or the total amount of the exchange item(s) as set by you will stay in place for 7 days and will drop, regardless of whether the product is returned or not.
If the return request is not in transit, delivered, or marked as received (as set up by you) within the configured return window after the request is approved, AfterShip Returns will charge the card the full value of return items.
Once, the credit card details are processed by Stripe, the exchange order will be created immediately in your store. On the return confirmation page, you can see the exchange order being created along with other shipping and order details.
2. The customer selects a cheaper product for exchange and wants an instant exchange
In this case, the refund amount will be initiated to the customer’s selected mode of payment immediately, while the credit card details the customer will be prompted to add will be used to temporarily put a hold on their card for $1 or the total amount of the exchange item(s) as set by you which will stay in place for 7 days.
If the return request is not in transit, delivered, or marked as received (as set up by you) within the configured return window after the request is approved, AfterShip Returns will charge the card the full value of return items.
The rest of the settings will remain the same as the first scenario.
You can enable a charge reminder email notification to be sent to customers as a reminder to return their merchandise to avoid being charged.
Go to Notifications in the AfterShip Returns admin and move down to the Charge reminder email.
There are two emails that will be triggered as reminders
7 days after the instant exchange request submission and order creation
3 days before the charge date (as set up you while setting up instant exchange settings)
Find More info on customizing AfterShip Returns email notifications here .
Instant exchange for replace with the same item exchange resolution method is available for Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Salesforce users
Instant exchange for exchange with other items resolution method is available for Shopify users using Stripe checkout
How to manage instant exchange return requests
Overview
Exchange request approvals are frustrating for both customers and merchants. Customers want instant approval for the products they like to return and the item they want delivered to them pronto. There is a high possibility that a low-stock item customers want in exchange may run out of stock by the time their request gets approved. Subsequently, it will take additional efforts on the merchant’s side to manually resolve every out-of-stock exchange, leading to customers getting a refund instead of a product they love.
AfterShip Returns’ Instant Exchange feature tackles these uncertainties and saves merchants a lot of manual work. Merchants can enable customers to opt for Instant Exchange on the return request review page. Customers who decide to go for Instant Exchange just have to enter their credit card details, which creates an exchange order for their replacement product immediately. AfterShip Returns then places a hold on the customer's card for $1 (or the amount equivalent to the value of the items being returned, depending on your preference) to get the card information. The card will not be charged if the customer returns the item within the configured return window. If the item is not returned to the merchants within the set window, customers will be charged fully for the new product.
What you’ll learn
In this tutorial, we will show you:
Demo
Set up instant exchange
Replace with the same item
Exchange for other items: Stripe checkout
Customer experience
Charge-reminder-email
Demo
Set up instant exchange
Merchants can enable instant exchange for customers when they are replacing the product with the same item or when they are exchanging the product with a completely different product.
Let’s understand each scenario one by one and see how the features in both cases.
1. Replace with the same item
Prerequisite
You need to enable the Variant options and configure whether you want to offer customers an exchange for All variants or for ones at the same price or below
You must install and add Stripe checkout on your online store to send a card authorization request. Follow this article for full instructions .
How to set up
Go to Refunds and exchanges in the AfterShip Returns admin
Move to the Exchange resolutions section and enable the Replace with the same item option
Edit the customer-facing content, including the title and description
Click Edit to configure the Advanced settings for the replace with the same item exchange resolution
A. Variant option
Enable and configure the variant options settings
B. Instant exchange
Move the toggle to the right to enable Instant exchange and set up the following settings
Add Stripe checkout for your online store if you haven’t already, to send card authorization request.
Hold amount
Merchants need to put an authorization amount hold on the customer’s credit card in order to collect credit card information to charge customers if needed
Equivalent of $1 USD: $1 authorization allows AfterShip Returns to collect the credit card information needed to charge the customer if necessary, without putting a big hold on the customer's card for 7 days.
Full value of return items: Full return value authorization will place a hold on the customer's card for the full amount of the return item. Since a hold will fail if the card doesn't have enough funds, this can prevent Instant Exchanges from using cards that may not have the funds necessary to cover the cost of the product.
Stripe will only charge payment processing fees if a customer is charged. Please note that a charge may fail due to reasons such as an expired or overdraft credit card. AfterShip Returns will not be liable for any losses caused by charge failure.
Card charge
Merchants can use this setting to extend the time period customers have to return their products before the card gets charged
The time to return is based on the status of the returned item. The customers will be charged if the return is not
In transit
Delivered
You need to purchase and activate the AfterShip Tracking service to enable these triggers
Marked as received
In X number of days after the request approval
2. Exchange for other items
Prerequisite
The instant exchange feature is only available for exchange orders placed on your store via Stripe checkout.
You must install and add Stripe checkout on your online store to send a card authorization request. Follow this article for full instructions .
How to set up
On the Exchange resolutions section, click Edit to access the Exchange on your store resolution settings page.
Check out this guide to set up an exchange for other item resolution method on your store via Stripe checkout.
Move to Instant exchange and configure the Authorization amount hold and Trigger charge settings the same as the replace with the same item
Customer experience
The customer experience with Instant exchange is the same as a normal return request until the final Review page before submitting the request.
1. Replace with the same item
When a customer wants to replace their purchase with a different variant of the same item, they’ll be presented with the choice to opt for Instant exchange or process their request again at the final page of the return submission process i.e., the Review page.
If the customer selects Instant exchange and hits Submit, they’ll be prompted to add their credit card details for AfterShip Returns to temporarily put a hold on their card for $1 or the total amount of the exchange item(s) as set by you.
The hold will stay in place for 7 days and will drop, regardless of whether the product is returned or not. If the return request is not in transit, delivered, or marked as received (as set up by you) within the configured return window after the request is approved, AfterShip Returns will charge the card the full value of return items.
Once, the credit card details are processed by Stripe, the exchange order will be created immediately in your store. On the return confirmation page, you can see the exchange order being created along with other shipping and order details.
2. Exchange for other items
Now the case where a customer wants to replace their purchase with a different product altogether, two scenarios can arise.
1. The customer selects an expensive product for exchange and wants an instant exchange
In this case, the customer needs to pay the upsell amount before they can submit the instant exchange request. The credit card details the customer will be prompted to add to temporarily put a hold on their card will also be used for charging the customer the excess amount. The excess amount will be charged immediately, while the hold for $1 or the total amount of the exchange item(s) as set by you will stay in place for 7 days and will drop, regardless of whether the product is returned or not.
If the return request is not in transit, delivered, or marked as received (as set up by you) within the configured return window after the request is approved, AfterShip Returns will charge the card the full value of return items.
Once, the credit card details are processed by Stripe, the exchange order will be created immediately in your store. On the return confirmation page, you can see the exchange order being created along with other shipping and order details.
2. The customer selects a cheaper product for exchange and wants an instant exchange
In this case, the refund amount will be initiated to the customer’s selected mode of payment immediately, while the credit card details the customer will be prompted to add will be used to temporarily put a hold on their card for $1 or the total amount of the exchange item(s) as set by you which will stay in place for 7 days.
If the return request is not in transit, delivered, or marked as received (as set up by you) within the configured return window after the request is approved, AfterShip Returns will charge the card the full value of return items.
The rest of the settings will remain the same as the first scenario.
Charge reminder email
You can enable a charge reminder email notification to be sent to customers as a reminder to return their merchandise to avoid being charged.
Go to Notifications in the AfterShip Returns admin and move down to the Charge reminder email.
There are two emails that will be triggered as reminders
7 days after the instant exchange request submission and order creation
3 days before the charge date (as set up you while setting up instant exchange settings)
Find More info on customizing AfterShip Returns email notifications here .
Supported platforms
Instant exchange for replace with the same item exchange resolution method is available for Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Salesforce users
Instant exchange for exchange with other items resolution method is available for Shopify users using Stripe checkout
Learn more
How to manage instant exchange return requests
Updated on: 27/09/2023
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