How to collect a return fee (cost of return) on QuickReturns

A return fee, also called the cost of return, is the amount a customer pays to return or exchange an item. QuickReturns lets you charge it as a fixed amount, a percentage of the returned value, a combination of both, or the live courier rate for the return label, and shows it to the customer in the returns portal before they submit the request. This guide covers every option.

Everything below lives in Settings > Cost of Return and Exchange.

[Screenshot: Settings > Cost of Return and Exchange page with the Fee collection card and the Return Fee Rules table]

Step 1: Choose how the fee is collected

The Fee collection card at the top of the page decides how each fee is paid. Changes on this card save immediately.

Return fee

• Deduct from refund (default): the fee is subtracted from the customer's refund.
• Collect upfront: the customer pays the fee online when submitting the request.

Exchange fee

• Add to exchange order (default): the fee is added to the exchange order.
• Collect upfront: the customer pays the fee online when submitting the request. Tick Skip if the fee can be taken from the refund to avoid an upfront charge when the exchange already produces a refund that covers the fee.

Collect upfront needs a connected payment provider (Settings > Integrations > Payment tab). It stays greyed out until one is connected.

Step 2: Create a return fee rule

1. Click Create rule.
2. Enter a Return Fee Name. The name is for your reference only and is not visible to customers.
3. Set Request Type to All Requests, Return Requests or Exchange Requests.
4. Set Payment Methods to charge only orders paid by Cash on Delivery, Prepaid, Shopify Store Credit or Gift Card, or leave All Payment Methods.
5. Under Return Fee Value, choose one of the four fee types described below and enter its value.
6. Optionally click + Add Condition to limit the rule by return reason, product or order tag, SKU, refund mode, discount code, return amount, shipping method, customer location, product weight, Aegis score or lifetime return count. With two or more conditions, choose Match ALL or Match ANY.
7. Click Save.

[Screenshot: Create Return Fee Rule dialog with Fixed Amount selected]

Saved rules are listed with their fee, what they apply to, the payment method and an on/off switch in the Status column. With no active rule, returns are free for the customer.

Fee types

Fixed Amount

Enter the Amount and pick a Scope:

• For Every Order: charged once per order. Only the first return or exchange request on the order pays the fee; later requests on the same order show a reference to the earlier deduction instead of charging again.
• For Every Request: charged on each return or exchange request.
• For Every Item: charged for each returned item.

Percentage

Enter the Percentage of the returned items' value to charge, and pick a Scope as above.

Combo

Enter the fixed Amount and the Combo Percentage. The fee is the fixed amount plus that percentage of the returned items' value, applied per the chosen Scope.

Courier Rate

The fee becomes the real cost of the return label, quoted in real time from your connected courier for the customer's pickup address, your default return location and your default package size. It is always applied once per request. The option is available only after a supporting courier is connected and switched on under Settings > Integrations; see How to set up automatic prepaid return labels to connect one.

1. Under Return Fee Value, select Courier Rate.
2. Courier: the connected courier that quotes the rate.
3. Service: for UPS, pick the UPS Service to quote. For Easyship, pick an Easyship Courier Service or leave Cheapest available to quote the lowest rate Easyship returns for the lane.
4. Default Return Location: the destination used for the quote.
5. Default Package: the package size used for the quote. Manage sizes under Settings > Package Sizes.
6. Fallback Amount: charged whenever a live rate is not possible, for example when the courier returns an error, the customer's address has no postal code, or the quote comes back in another currency.
7. Click Save.

Quotes are cached for 15 minutes per rule and shipping lane, and the rule's conditions still apply.

[Screenshot: Create Return Fee Rule dialog with Courier Rate selected, showing Courier, Service, Default Return Location, Default Package and Fallback Amount]

Supported carriers for Courier Rate

• Australia Post
• Canada Post
• UPS
• Easyship

What the customer sees

In the returns portal the fee appears as a Return Fee Applied or Exchange Fee Applied badge on the shipping method and refund method the customer selects, and the final summary shows the refund after the fee, or the amount to pay for an exchange. With Courier Rate, the amount is calculated live from the customer's pickup address the moment they choose a method.

When a fee is set to Collect upfront, the customer pays it through your payment provider before the request is submitted.

You can change the wording of the fee messages under Settings > Customize.

Troubleshooting

Related articles

• How to set up automatic prepaid return labels
• How to connect UPS to QuickReturns
• How to integrate Canada Post with QuickReturns
• How to integrate Easyship with QuickReturns
• Manage return policies
• Contact Live Support