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Exchange

An exchange replaces the items a customer returns with different products instead of refunding them. You set it up on the Create return page by turning on Exchange items and adding the replacement products.

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An exchange lets a customer swap the items they return for different products, instead of getting their money back. It is a good fit when a customer wants a different size, color, or item rather than a refund. You set it up on the Create return page by turning on Exchange items and choosing the replacement products to send. This article covers the exchange option; and Create a Return takes the whole return page.

What Exchange items does

Element What it does
Exchange items toggle Turns the return into an exchange, replacing returned items with different products
Exchange items section Where you add the replacement products to send to the customer
Add products Opens a picker to choose the replacement products and variants
Create exchange Creates the exchange instead of a plain return

Before you begin

  • Check the order is fulfilled first. The Return button only appears once items have shipped, so an unfulfilled order has nothing to return yet.
  • Check the order has no return already open. One part way through shows Return In Progress at the top and drops the Return button, leaving only Refund.
  • Your role includes Manage returns and exchanges.
  • You are on the Create return page for a fulfilled order, with the returning items selected.
  • Open Orders > Overview in the admin sidebar and open the order, then select Return.

Steps

1. Turn on Exchange items

On the Create return page, find the Exchange items card, described as "Replace returned items with different products", and turn its toggle on. An Exchange items section appears below, and the Summary button changes to Create exchange.

The Exchange items toggle turned on, and the Exchange items section with its note that items will not be reserved until you process the return, and the Add products button (opens full size)

2. Add the replacement products

In the Exchange items section, select Add products to open the product picker, then choose the products and variants to send to the customer in place of the returned items. These are the items to be sent to the customer. A note explains that the items will not be reserved until you process the return, which Exchange Items Pending explains.

3. Create the exchange

With the returning items selected and the replacement products added, select Create exchange to create the exchange. The difference in value between the returned items and the replacements is handled as part of the exchange, and Exchange Value Calculation shows the arithmetic. Review both sides before you create it, so the customer sends back the right items and receives the right replacements.

Creating the exchange does not move any stock. The return appears on the order marked In Progress, and the replacements stay unreserved until you process it, which is the step that receives the returned goods and releases the new ones. Restock a Return covers that stage.

Best practices

  • Use an exchange for a simple swap. When a customer just wants a different size or color, an exchange is cleaner than a refund and a new order.
  • Add the exact replacements. Choose the products and variants the customer actually wants, so the exchange sends the right items.
  • Check the value difference. Confirm how any price difference between the returned and replacement items is settled before you create the exchange.
  • Remember stock is not held yet. Replacement items are not reserved until you process the return, so availability can change.

If something goes wrong

  • The Exchange items section is missing. Turn on the Exchange items toggle on the Create return page to reveal it.
  • A replacement is out of stock. Items are not reserved until you process the return, so confirm availability before relying on it.
  • You cannot create the exchange. Select the returning items and add the replacement products first; both are needed.

Next steps

Still stuck?

More in Returns

  • Return and Refund Policy

    The Return and refund policy editor is where you write the policy that tells customers how returns and refunds work. You can start from a template, generate it, or write your own, from Settings, Policies.

  • Select Items to Return

    The section on the Create return page where you choose what is coming back: how the quantity is capped at what was fulfilled, the reason that appears once you pick one, and the summary lines your choice produces, including tax.

  • Return Reasons

    When you create a return, each returned item has a Reason dropdown to record why it is coming back. This lists the return reasons available, such as wrong item, damaged, or changed mind, and why recording them matters.

  • Return Rules

    Return rules set how long a customer has to send something back and whether an order can still be cancelled. This covers the default rule that applies to every order, adding a rule for one market, and keeping those rules in step with the written policy customers read.

All 15 articles in Returns

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