Managing returns or item exchanges is an important part of running an e-commerce business. ShipStation offers several return options to help you manage customer returns efficiently—whether you prefer manual label creation, a self-service portal, or a branded return experience.
These options give you flexibility to choose the return process that best fits your business needs.
ShipStation supports multiple return and exchange workflows. The comparison table below outlines the key differences between them.
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Return Workflows |
Key Features and Process Overview |
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The return process for Shopify Return & Exchanges: |
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The return process for Standard Returns: |
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The return process for Manual Returns: |
How Returns Work In ShipStation:
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Subscription Plan Requirement
This feature is not available for all subscription plans. If you would like to use this feature but cannot access it as described in this article, you will need to upgrade your plan. For more information on which features are available with your plan, visit Manage Your Subscription.
To upgrade your plan, go to Account Settings, then choose Account > Payment & Subscription.
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Return labels count toward your monthly shipment limit, even if unused. Keep this in mind when offering prepaid or automatic returns.
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Creating a Return Label will not send marketplace notifications to the order source.
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The multi-package option is not applicable to return labels. If you select the option to include a return label with outgoing shipments set to use multiple packages, only the outgoing labels will be generated. If you require return labels in this scenario, consider splitting the order into multiple shipments and following the steps in the Send Return Label with Shipments section below to generate a return for each order.
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You can view your returns by going to the Shipments tab > Returns. From the returns grid you can reprint labels, mark a return as received, as well as see the current return status and other details.
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Not all carriers/services can be used for return labels. Review our Integrations Help Guide for details about any specific carrier. Details about Return Labels are in the Available Features section within each carrier's article.
Unsupported Destinations:
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ShipStation can create return labels for domestic shipments only. ShipStation does not currently support return labels for international shipments.
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Mainland UK includes England, Wales, and Scotland. Northern Ireland does not qualify for returns at this time.
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ShipStation cannot currently create return labels for U.S. territories or APO/FPO/DPO addresses, as they require customs information for shipping.
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Carrier Billing for Return Labels:
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Return labels will always use the primary account if you have multiple accounts for a single carrier.
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Return labels cannot be billed to a third-party carrier account, even if the outbound label is billed to a third party.
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ShipStation does not currently support invoicing customers for return label fees.
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How you’re billed for return labels depends on the carrier and billing type:
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Return labels created using ShipStation Carriers or a pre-paid postage provider like Stamps.com or Endicia, will be charged when you create the label regardless of whether it is used by your customer or not.
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Endicia's pay-on-use labels are an exception to this as they are only billed if used.
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You can void unused return labels for a refund, just like outbound labels.
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Return labels using invoiced carriers, like UPS or FedEx, will only be charged to your account if the label is used.
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