A return policy is easier to write when you start from wording that already covers the usual questions. This guide gives you clause-by-clause template text you can copy, adapt and paste into your store. This is a starting point, not legal advice. Check the rules where you sell.
Before you copy anything
A template only works if it matches what you actually do. Fill in every placeholder in square brackets with a decision you are willing to apply to every customer, and delete any clause that does not fit your products. If you have not made those decisions yet, start with how to write a Shopify return policy and how long a return window should be.
- Decide first: Window, condition, who pays shipping, refund method, exclusions
- Match your operations: Only promise timings your team can meet
- Check local rules: Consumer law differs by country and state, and it can override your policy
Core clauses
These four clauses answer the questions most customers ask before they buy. Keep each one to a sentence or two.
- Return window: You can request a return within [number] days of the date your order was delivered.
- Condition: Items must be [unused / unworn / unopened], in the condition you received them, with [tags attached / original packaging].
- How to start a return: Contact us at [support email] with your order number and the reason for the return. We will reply with instructions. Items sent back without contacting us first may not be accepted.
- Proof of purchase: We need your order number or the email address used at checkout to process a return.
Money clauses
Most return disputes are about money, so be exact here. For help choosing, see who pays for return shipping and when restocking fees make sense.
- Refund method: Approved returns are refunded to [your original payment method / store credit]. Your bank or card provider controls how quickly the refund appears on your statement.
- Inspection: We check returned items when they arrive. We will email you within [number] business days of receiving your return to confirm whether it is approved.
- Return shipping: [You are responsible for the cost of return shipping. / We provide a prepaid return label.] Original shipping charges are [refunded / not refunded].
- Restocking fee: A restocking fee of [amount or percentage] applies to [which items or situations]. Delete this clause if you do not charge one.
- Exchanges: To exchange an item for a different size or color, [describe your process].
Exceptions and problem orders
State your exclusions plainly, and keep damaged or incorrect orders separate from change-of-mind returns. Related guides: final sale and clearance policies and returns without original packaging.
- Final sale items: The following cannot be returned: [list, for example clearance items, gift cards, personalized items, opened hygiene products].
- Damaged, faulty or incorrect items: If your order arrives damaged, faulty or different from what you ordered, contact us at [support email] within [number] days of delivery with your order number and a photo. We will arrange a [replacement / refund] and cover the return shipping if we need the item back.
- Late requests: Requests made after the return window are reviewed case by case at [store name]'s discretion.
- Questions: Contact [support email] and we will reply within [number] business days.
Check it before you publish
Read the finished policy as a customer would. Every sentence should lead to one answer, not a negotiation.
- ✅ Every placeholder replaced, with no square brackets left
- ✅ The same window and conditions on your product pages, FAQ and emails
- ✅ Someone named internally who can approve exceptions
- ❌ Words like "reasonable" or "at our discretion" in the core clauses
- ❌ Promising a refund speed that depends on the customer's bank
Doing this at scale
ReturnSage reads your full return policy plus the order and customer context, then recommends approve, exchange, store credit, deny or escalate, with a confidence score, risk flags, the policy clauses it cited and a draft reply. You decide with one click, and every decision is logged. It reads return requests created in Shopify and does not create labels or run a returns portal. See ReturnSage.