Simple Exchanges

What are simple exchanges?

Simple exchanges are exchanges which do not involve products of different prices. They are completed as like for like swaps, with no refunds to or additional payment from the customer.

Simple exchanges allow for two types of exchange:

1. Variant exchange - Customers will have the option to select a different variant of the same product, at the same price
2. Different product exchange - Customers will have the option to search your product catalog for different products, at the same price

Simple exchange settings

Several options are available to configure simple exchanges.

Variant exchange vs Full-Catalog exchange

Variant exchange

• Customers will have the option to select a different variant of the same product.
• This will depend on your Shopify catalog configuration, but commonly this includes color and size options
• Note: Only variants of the same price as the original item will be shown.

Different product exchange

• Customers will have the option to search your product catalog for different products.
• Searches will be filtered to only display products of the same price as the original item.
• For products which contain variant options, customers will be prompted to select a specific variant.

Original order vs draft order exchanges

Simple exchanges can be created in Shopify in one of two ways:

1. By adding exchange items into a new draft order, which is completed and prepared for fulfillment once an admin resolves an exchange
2. By adding exchange items onto the original order as a new fulfillment line. This fulfillment line is held until the admin resolves an exchange.

Draft order exchanges allow flexibility around reserving inventory. You'll have the option to set the number of days which ReturnZap will hold inventory as we wait for the exchange item to be received. A value of 0 means that no inventory will be reserved.

Read more about draft order vs original order exchanges here:

Exchanges on draft order

Exchanges on original order

Simple exchanges - Portal experience

Selecting an item for exchange

When simple exchanges are enabled, your customers will see diffeferent options in the returns portal based on the settings you have configured.

1. If variant exchange only is enabled - Customers will immediately the option to select another variant
2. If full catalog exchange is enabled - Customers will be prompted to select an exchange for another variant, or to exchange for something else

Exchange for Another Variant

ReturnZap will pull the names of configured variants of the same product and allow the customer to select one. Only variants that have the same selling price as the original item will be displayed.

Inventory balances will be considered, so customers will only be able to select an item for exchange if it is in stock or explicitly available for sale when out of stock

Exchange for Something Else

Customers will be able to search your product catalog for any item and select a replacement product.

Search results will be filtered to only display products that contain variants of the same price as the original item. Customers will only be able to select variants at the same price as the original item.

Simple exchanges - Admin experience

Resolving simple exchanges through the admin page is done through the button marked "Release Exchanges".

The steps are as follows:

1. Mark the return as Received by using the action "Update to Received"
2. ReturnZap will automatically mark the returned item as resolved, with no refund or credit due
3. Click "Release Exchanges" to complete exchanges. The exact layout will differ depending on whether you are using draft order or original order exchanges.
4. Exchange items will be completed by converting the draft order to an actual order, or by releasing fulfillment holds

Simple exchanges vs advanced exchanges

Simple exchanges and advanced exchanges vary in a few key ways: