Green Returns (No Shipping Required)

What is a Green Return?

A Green Return is a return for which no return shipping is required. The customer is instructed to keep the item. The seller will typically then process the refund, exchange, or store credit immediately.

There are several reasons why a Shopify merchant may choose to offer a Green Return:

• Cost of return shipping
• Item is damaged or otherwise non-saleable
• Customer is located in a country where no return shipping options exist
• Specific vendor or supplier requirements

Configuring Green Returns

In order to use Green Returns in ReturnZap, you must first enable the option in Settings > Shipping > Green Returns

Using Green Returns in ReturnZap can then be done in one of two ways:

1 - Via Rules

Once the setting for Green Returns is enabled, you can create ReturnZap rules to define conditions when return shipping is not required. These can be configured in Settings > Rules.

Rules can be created using any number of attributes, with the specific action "Do Not Require Return Shipping"

2 - When manually reviewing and approving a return

Green Returns can also be set manually on return approval. If your returns workflow is configured to require manual review and approval of each return request, you will see a checkbox to bypass return shipping when approving a return.

When the "do not require return shipping" box is checked on approval, the return will be created as a Green Return and no shipping will be required.

Approving a Green Return automatically sends the Return Created No Shipping Required notification in place of the standard approval email.

What the customer sees

You choose when the customer finds out that no return shipping is required. Under Settings > Shipping > Allow green returns, pick one of two options:

Wait until after return submission (default).

Customers proceed through the portal and select a return shipping method as normal. They only see that they are eligible for a Green Return after submitting their return. This is the safer option for fraud prevention, since a shopper cannot tell in advance which items come back without a label.

Display Green Returns Upfront.

Customers see "No Shipping Required" in place of the return shipping methods before they submit. This makes for a shorter, clearer flow, and works well when your Green Return rules are based on the product rather than on anything the customer chooses.

Upfront display only applies when every item in the return qualifies as a Green Return. If the return contains a mix of qualifying and non-qualifying items, the customer sees your normal return shipping methods and the Green Return is applied after submission.

When a Green Return is triggered automatically by a rule, the customer will see a message directly in the returns portal:

Processing Green Returns

Green Returns are easy to identify on the ReturnZap Returns page. They appear in green, with a Green Return icon next to them:

Clicking into the return to process it will also display a Green Returns badge and a shipping "Not Required" message:

A Green Return can be processed as normal through the ReturnZap admin, with the option to issue refunds, store credit, or complete exchanges.