Creating Custom Return Rules in ReturnZap
What are Return Rules?
Rules are the heart of ReturnZap. Rules allow for exceptions to your standard return policy. They allow you to handle more complex scenarios and do things like:
- Preventing returns and enforcing final sale policies
- Setting restocking or return shipping fees which change based on conditions
- Offering extended return windows
- Routing returns between different warehouses.
Rules apply in real time, as the customer is going through the returns portal process. They allow you to implement and enforce your exact returns policy and to communicate that policy to your customers.
How do I set up a rule?
Rules are available on all ReturnZap plans. They can be configured in ReturnZap Settings > Rules.
Rules are made up of conditions and effects. Each rule can have multiple conditions but only a single effect.
What is a condition?
A rule condition is the logic used to trigger a rule. ReturnZap has 35+ conditions which can be used to trigger a rule. Examples include:
- Customer country
- Product tag
- Whether an order was purchased using a discount
Each rule can have a single condition or multiple conditions. If a rule contains multiple conditions, those conditions can apply using AND logic or they can apply using OR logic.
What is an effect?
An effect is the outcome of a rule. When the conditions of a rule are true, the effect will be enforced on the return.
For example, the effect of a return could be:
- Set a restocking fee of 10%
- Prevent all returns
Each rule has a single effect. You may need to implement multiple rules with the same set of conditions in order to achieve your desired effect.
Some rule effects allow you to display a custom message in the return portal. For example, when preventing specific types of return you can define a message for customers, explaining your policy.
What can be changed using Return Rules?
Each rule can have one of 12 different effects.
| Rule Effect | Description |
| Do not allow return type | Prevents a customer from initiating a certain type of return. Can be configured to prevent all return types, or to prevent only a specific type of return. |
| Do not allow return shipping type | Prevents certain shipping methods from being displayed as options in the portal. Can be configured to prevent either prepaid, paid, or self-ship methods. |
| Ship to warehouse | Sets the destination warehouse for a specific return to one of the alternate warehouse locations configurable in Settings > Shipping |
| Adjust return window | Adjusts the return window number of days. Can be set individually by return type (refund, exchange, credit) or for all methods. |
| Allow returns until date | Adjusts the return window to allow returns until a specific date. Useful for holiday return policies. Can be set individually by return type (refund, exchange, credit) or for all methods. |
| Require return approval | Requires manual review and approval for a return. To use this rule effect, note that the option to "Require approval for all returns" should be disabled in Settings > Workflow |
| Do not require return approval | Bypasses manual review and approval, automatically approving the return request. To use this rule effect, note that the option to "Require approval for all returns" should be enabled in Settings > Workflow |
| Set restocking fee | Sets the restocking fee for one or more return types. The value entered here represents either a fixed fee or a percentage, depending on the restocking fee settings configured in Settings > Policies |
| Set return shipping fee | Sets the return shipping fee for one or more return shipping methods. Commonly used to set the fee for the prepaid return shipping method. |
| Show question | Displays a follow up question from Settings > Reasons. The question will display if enabled either by conditional logic on that page, or by rule logic. |
| Show question choice(s) | Displays a follow up question choice from Settings > Reasons. The question will display if enabled either by conditional logic on that page, or by rule logic. |
| Do not require return shipping | Automatically bypasses return shipping and indicates a return is a Green Return. Note that Green Returns must be enabled in Settings > Shipping for this option to appear. |
Which criteria can be used when creating rules?
ReturnZap supports return rules based on 5 categories:
- Customer - Create return rules based on details about the customer who is returning the item. Example attributes include:
- Customer country
- Customer email
- Customer total number of orders
- Customer total number of returns
- Order - Define return rules based on details about the order the customer is trying to return. Example attributes include:
- Order discount code used
- Order date
- Order Line Items - Define rules based on details about each item within a return. Rules apply to these specific items, and not to the entire return. Example attributes include:
- Order line item discount percentage
- Order line item "strike thru" discount percentage
- Product - Create return rules based on details about the actual product being returned. Rules apply to these specific items, and not to the entire return. Example attributes include:
- Product SKU
- Product title
- Product category
- Return Details - Define return rules based on attributes about the return itself. Example attributes include:
- Return reason
- Total return value
- Total return unit quantity
- Total return weight
Example Rules
Prevent return for items based on product tag
The actual product tag used may vary. In this example we assume that the product has a tag of "final-sale" applied.
Prevent return for items based on discount percentage
Set return shipping fee if return reason is not damaged or defective
Return Rules Conditions - Specific Details
Customer Attributes
- Customer ID - This is a 13 digit numerical ID. You can find this ID by navigating to a customer page within your Shopify admin and copying it from the URL. The URL should read /admin/customers/[CUSTOMER ID]
Order Attributes
- Order Number - Your internal Shopify order number, including any custom prefixes you have defined.
- Order ID - This is a 13 digit numerical ID. You can find this ID by navigating to an order page within your Shopify admin and copying it from the URL. The URL should read /admin/orders/[ORDER ID]
- Order Total - The total value of the order. Numerical value only, no currency symbol. Decimals are supported. Example format: 25.00.
Product Attributes
- Product ID - This is a 13 digit numerical ID. You can find this ID by navigating to a product page within your Shopify admin and copying it from the URL. The URL should read /admin/products/[PRODUCT ID]
- Product Type - This attribute uses the "Custom Type" Shopify attribute, not the standardized Shopify product type. Custom type can be defined on the Shopify product admin page.
- Product Variant ID - This is a 13 digit numerical ID. You can find this ID by navigating to a product page within your Shopify admin and clicking into a spefic product variant. The variant ID can be found in the URL. The URL should read /admin/products/[PRODUCT ID]/variants/[VARIANT ID]
- Product Variant Price - The sell price of the variant. Numerical value only, no currency symbol. Decimals are supported. Example format: 25.00.