The Return Process

An overview of how a return works end to end, from a customer request through inspecting the item and resolving it with a refund or exchange, and where each part is managed in your store.

Updated: July 8, 2026
Reading time: 5 min

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A return is when a customer sends a purchased item back to you, usually for a refund or an exchange. This article gives the overview of how a return works from start to finish and where each part is managed in your store, so you understand the whole process before you work an individual return. The detailed, step-by-step articles for each part are linked in Next steps. Setting a clear policy up front and handling each return consistently keeps customers happy and your inventory accurate.

Before you begin

Your role includes Manage returns and exchanges.
You have published a return and refund policy so customers know the terms.
Open Settings and open Policies to set your return terms first.

The stages of a return

A return generally moves through a few stages, whichever store you run:

Stage	What happens
Request	The customer asks to return an item, or you start the return for them
Review	You check the request against your return terms before accepting it
Send back	The item is shipped back to you
Receive and inspect	You receive the item and check its condition
Resolve	You close the return with a refund or an exchange, and restock if the item is sellable

Where the parts are managed in Tanqory

Part	Where it lives
Return and refund policy	Settings, then Policies, then Return and refund policy
Return rules	Settings, then Policies
Return status	The Return status column on the Orders page
Return notifications	The Returns group in Customer notifications

Steps

1. Set your policy and rules first

Before you handle returns, set the terms. Your Return and refund policy is the customer-facing page that explains how returns work, written in Settings, then Policies, and Return and Refund Policy takes you through it. Your return rules, also under Settings, then Policies, are where the eligibility terms such as which items can be returned and how long a customer has to ask are set. Clear terms up front prevent most return disputes.

2. A return begins with a request

A return starts when a customer wants to send an item back. Depending on how your store is set up, a customer can request the return themselves, or you start the return for them from the order. This is the point where the return is created and the process begins. The step-by-step is covered in Create a Return and Select Items to Return.

3. Review the request against your terms

Before you accept a return, check it against your return rules and policy: is the item eligible, and is the request within your return window. Accepting only requests that meet your terms keeps returns fair and consistent. If an order has nothing that can be returned, that is handled as its own case in No Returnable Items.

4. The item comes back and is inspected

Once a return is accepted, the item is shipped back to you, and its progress shows as a Return status on the Orders page. When it arrives, inspect its condition to decide what happens next: a sellable item can be restocked, while a damaged one is not. Restocking is covered in Restock a Return.

5. Resolve the return

Close the return by giving the customer the agreed outcome. There are two common resolutions:

Resolution	What the customer gets	Use it when
Refund	Their payment back	The customer wants their money returned
Exchange	A replacement item instead	The customer wants a different size, color, or item

A refund is covered in Issue a Refund, and an exchange in Exchange. Choose the resolution that matches what the customer requested and what your policy allows.

6. Keep the customer informed

Throughout the return, the customer should know where things stand. Your store's return-related emails live in the Returns group under Customer notifications, so the customer is kept updated as the return moves along, and Customer Notifications covers editing them. Clear updates reduce where-is-my-refund questions.

Best practices

Publish your policy before you launch. A clear return and refund policy sets expectations and heads off disputes.
Review every request against your terms. Accept returns that meet your rules so decisions stay consistent and fair.
Inspect before you restock. Decide per item whether it is sellable, since some items in a return may be fine and others not.
Keep the customer updated. Use the return notifications so customers always know the status of their return.

If something goes wrong

A request does not meet your terms. Check it against your return rules and policy, and explain the outcome to the customer.
An item comes back damaged. Inspect on receipt and adjust the resolution, for example a partial refund, rather than restocking it.
You cannot manage a return. Your role may not allow managing orders and returns. Ask an owner or admin.

Next steps

Return Rules to set the terms before you handle your first return.
Create a Return to start one on an order.
Restock a Return for processing the return once the items are back.
Issue a Refund

Return and Refund Policy
Exchange for swapping items instead of refunding.
Return In Progress Status
Customer Notifications