How do I write a refund policy for my Shopify store?
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How long, and in what state items must come back.
Whole days, 1 to 365.
These two answers decide what the storefront line may say.
After the return arrives. 1 to 60.
Both optional.
Left blank, the policy points shoppers to your contact page.
Answer the questions on the left. Nothing is written, and nothing leaves this page, until you press the button.
- Return windowNeeded
- Item conditionNeeded
- Who pays return shippingNeeded
- Refund methodNeeded
- ExchangesNeeded
- Days to issue a refundNeeded
This is a starting template, not legal advice. Laws differ by country and change; have it reviewed.
The return decisions this policy records
A Shopify refund policy generator writes the return and refund rules a shopper reads before buying, and derives a short storefront line from the same answers, so a clothing brand offering thirty days, prepaid return labels and exchanges gets a full policy plus the line Free 30-day returns and exchanges, while a skincare shop charging for return postage gets 14-day returns with no free claim attached.
A starting template, not legal advice. Statutory return and refund rights vary by country and sit underneath whatever the page says, so have the result reviewed before you publish it or advertise the storefront line.
Six decisions make up a returns promise. Each one is a trade between what reassures a hesitant buyer and what it costs you in postage, unsellable stock and paperwork.
- Return window
- How many days after delivery a customer may send something back, from 1 to 365. Counting from delivery rather than from the order date is kinder to slow-shipping customers and is how most shoppers read it.
- Item condition
- What state goods must come back in. Tags-on and unworn protects apparel resale; unused suits most hard goods; any-condition is a deliberate confidence signal for durable products.
- Return postage
- Who funds the trip back. Paying for every return is what earns the word Free on the storefront line. Covering only faulty or wrong items is a common middle path, and the line then drops the word.
- Refund method
- Money back to the original card, store credit, or the customer chooses. Credit keeps revenue in the business; card refunds reduce disputes, because a customer refused cash is the one who files a chargeback.
- Final sale
- Categories you will not take back: clearance, gift cards, personalised pieces, hygiene items, perishables, opened downloads. The draft still accepts them if they arrive faulty, which most consumer laws expect anyway.
- Refund timing
- Business days from receiving a return to issuing the money. Promise what your warehouse really manages; a missed promise here is the most common trigger for a return turning into a complaint.
Nudgesmart is available on the Shopify App Store. Browse the template library or see what it costs.
Return settings and the storefront line they earn
Four stores with different return settings. The announcement line and the refund sentence come out of the same function the generator above runs.
| Return setup | Storefront line | Refund-timing sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Apparel, 30 days, store pays return postage, exchanges on | Free 30-day returns and exchanges | Approved refunds go back to your original payment method within 5 business days. |
| Skincare, 14 days, customer pays, card refunds | 14-day returns | Approved refunds go back to your original payment method within 7 business days. |
| Custom jewellery, 7 days, store credit only | 7-day returns for store credit | Approved returns are refunded as store credit within 10 business days. |
| Home goods, 60 days, any condition, free returns | Free 60-day returns | Approved refunds are issued within 3 business days, either to your original payment method or as store credit, whichever you prefer. |
Before you promise a return window
Statutory rights sit underneath your window
In the EU and UK, most online purchases carry a cancellation period of at least fourteen days regardless of what your page says, and faulty goods have remedies for much longer. A shorter window on your policy does not remove them.
Credit-only refunds are not allowed everywhere
Some jurisdictions require a cash refund for faulty items or for statutory cancellations, even when your normal policy is store credit. Check before you publish a credit-only page.
Restocking fees and return postage deductions
This draft does not add a restocking fee or deduct original delivery charges from a refund. Both are common, both are restricted in places, and both need explicit wording if you use them.
The storefront line is a promise too
Advertising Free returns creates an expectation that the policy has to meet. If you change who pays return postage, regenerate the line and update the bar the same day.
Refund and return policy questions
How long should my return window be?
Long enough to reassure, short enough to resell what comes back. Seasonal or perishable stock warrants a short window, very durable products can afford a long one, and in some countries the law sets a floor you cannot go under.
Should I offer store credit instead of refunds?
Credit keeps the sale in your store, but it frustrates customers who wanted their money, and some of them dispute the charge with their bank instead. Offering the choice is a reasonable compromise, and cash may be mandatory for faulty goods where you sell.
Where do I show Free 30-day returns on my store?
A bar at the top of the storefront, a line near the add-to-cart button, and the cart page are the usual spots. Use the exact line this tool produced, so the banner and the policy say the same thing.
Can I refuse returns on sale items?
Many stores mark clearance as final sale, and the draft lets you. Faulty or misdescribed items still have to be accepted in most places, which is why the policy keeps that exception.
Is my information stored?
No. The policy and the storefront line are assembled in your browser, and nothing you enter is saved, sent or put in a link.
The policy page is the last place a hesitant shopper looks.
A notification bar is one of 13 campaign types in Nudgesmart, so the returns line you just generated can sit across the storefront instead of in the footer.
