Purpose: With the help of the return portal, you can process returns easily and quickly and receive them directly in the returns overview in your Sendcloud account. In this article we will explain how you can set up and activate the portal in a few simple steps.
Please note that before your return portal can be activated, you must first have enabled your direct debit in your account. Click here to see how to set up your payment method. The return portal only works in combination with shipments that don't require customs documents. For return shipments outside of the EU, click here.
Step 1: Set up your brand
Step 2: Add a return address
Now we need to add a return address, which is the address you will receive the return parcels at. You can directly Add a new return address or navigate to Settings > Addresses > Return Address and click on the Create new button.
- Fill in all your return address details
- You can set a label for easier recognition of your return address within the Sendcloud panel
- Click on Save and your first return address is set
- If you have physical shops and you would like to offer your customers to return orders in-store, check the shop addresses as store location. These addresses will be used to offer return in-store option to your customers. Read below how to offer this option.
Step 3: Configure your portal
To begin setting up the return portal, go to Settings 
> Returns > Return portal and select the brand for which you want to create your return portal from the dropdown menu. Keep in mind that the return portal for each brand needs to be set up individually.
- Enter the return address for parcels to be returned. You can specify one return address per return portal.
- If you want to receive an email notification every time one of your customers creates a return through the portal, enter your email address into the email notification field.
- the maximum number of days after a shipment has been delivered in which the customer can create a return. According to EU law, this has to be a minimum of 14 days.
The countdown starts the day after the parcel receives a delivered scan. The delivery day itself counts as day 0, the following day is counted as day 1. For service point delivery, the day the parcel is scanned as "delivered" to the parcel shop (not the day it is collected by the end-customer) counts as day 0. - The return fee informs customers in the return method step of the return portal about the fee involved for the return label. This fee can be set to charge the buyer if he or she chooses to return through a drop-off point. If you specify '0', it will show the return is free. Within the details of the return, we do a quick calculation and subtract the return fee from the to be refunded amount to the customer. Read more on how to process your returns.
- Return Policy is a link to your own policy about returns, this helps customers know what they can expect during the process of a return.
- In the return method section,
select the return methods you want to enable. - In the refund method section, you can choose to offer your customers money back, store credit or exchange as a refund. Learn more about refund methods.
- Enable certain return reasons that your customer can specify when returning an item. We recommend selecting not more than 7 reasons. The "Other" reason will be shown by default in the return portal. By choosing the "other" reason the consumer will be able to specify a personalized reason in a message field.
- Add extra instructions for your customers. In the "Returns instructions" section you can add instructions about the requirements, the refund process, packaging, etc. Your customers will see this on the homepage of your return portal. You can make your text bold, italic, underlined... You can also use headings, bullet points, and include links.
Please note that the customer will see the text as you write it. Translations are not yet supported. - Chose which carriers you allow returns for. Be aware that these carriers are country-specific. You can check prices for returns in the price calculator tab in settings. Read more about the price calculator feature.
Allow returns without a Sendcloud outbound shipment
By default, the return portal requires an outgoing parcel to have been shipped via Sendcloud before a return parcel can be created.
By ticking this box, you can allow the return portal to only require an order number and postcode instead of a tracking number. This allows you or your customers to validate and create returns even if you don't ship orders in Sendcloud, partially ship orders or accept returns beyond 12 months from the moment of delivery, etc. For the original order lookup to be successful, order information must be imported into the Sendcloud panel via your webshop or API integration.
Step 5: Return emails
When a customer creates a return, he or she expects to be informed about the state of the return process. Sendcloud provides you with three different emails especially dedicated to returns shipments. You can choose to send the return label to your customers through the "label created" email, and even inform him or her when you received the package back. The "label created" email is free for all users, while "handed in at drop-off point" and "return received emails" are available from Lite plan.
You can customise these emails in the Tracking email settings. Learn more about how you do this in the article Tracking page & emails