How to Set Up Return Routing Rules With AfterShip Returns
Plans: All plans Platforms: All platforms
AfterShip Returns helps merchants with effective returns management by letting them create routing rules for different zones. Merchants can set up different routing rules and conditions for multiple countries and regions. This allows them to offer customers appropriate means to send their items back to the right location via the return method they want and get the resolution they desire.
This help guide will explain the steps you need to follow to create return zones and routing rules with AfterShip Returns.
In this article, we will show you:
Routing rules set up
Additional considerations
FAQs
Go to Return policy and select Return routing rules in the AfterShip Returns admin
Set up routing rules based on a specific country or region
Configure return shipping methods based on specific countries or regions
Configure location-specific conditions like return reasons based on which a routing rule will be applied
Auto-generate return labels for different return methods based on specific country or region when pre-defined return conditions are met
Country-specific routing rules will be applied to customers of that country/region
To set up location-specific return rules, follow the steps below.
By default, the default return zone with Ship with the carrier customers choose as a return method for customers to send their items back will be activated
You can edit the default return zone rules with more conditions and return methods to suit your preference
Default return zone rules will be applicable when a customer’s country/region doesn’t fall in any other return zone
Click Add return zone to set up return routing rules for a new country/region
Give a name to your return zone
Search countries and regions in the search bar for easy access
Select the checkbox of the countries you want to add to this return zone. Upon selecting a country, all the corresponding states/regions under it will be automatically selected.
If you don’t want certain states/regions/union territories to be included in that specific return zone, deselect checkbox
Once countries and regions are added, click Add
The newly added return zone will be listed under Custom return zone
To Edit or Delete a return zone, click the three horizontal dots icon and select the appropriate action
Once a return zone is added, you will see the option of Add routing rule below it
Click Add routing rule
Multiple routing rules can be configured for one location
Routing rules can be configured based on your return policy
Each routing rule contains three main elements that must be configured to implement it
Input the Rule name for this location-specific routing rule for easy reference (this name is visible only to you)
Define Conditions based on which this routing rule will be applied to the return requests raised by customers of that country or region. The Conditions represent the eligibility criteria for the routing rules
The following conditions are currently available in AfterShip Returns
a. Customer tag - Input existing customer tags as defined in Shopify.
These customers should be the ones who have placed an order in your store.
b. Resolution - Select what return resolutions of the items in the return request should be
c. Return reason - Select what return reason(s) of the items in the return request should be
Return reasons can be customized anytime in Return policy > Return reasons in the AfterShip Returns admin.
d. Return value - Input the return value of all the items in the return request. The return value can be configured in <,**>**, =, and between(range) formats
Input currency and add return value in numerics
Tip: Ensure the currency is the same as your store and set a price that includes discounts but excludes taxes.
e. Product type: Input product types as defined in your eCommerce platform
f. Product tag: Input product tags as specified in your eCommerce platform
g. Order tag: Input tags defined for orders in your eCommerce platform
h. Order value: Input the order value of the original order. The order value can be configured in <,**>**, =, and between(range) formats
Input currency and add return value in numerics
i. SKU: Add SKUs of the products as set in your eCommerce platform
The availability of the conditions mentioned above varies from eCommerce platform to platform. See this section.
Conditions set up
To add a new condition, click the Set up condition button
Select the trigger for activating the routing rule for specific return requests
Click Add condition and select the condition you want to add from the dropdown
Press the Enter button on your keyboard after entering values for conditions to separate them
To delete a condition, select the trash bin icon to the right of each condition
Merchants can select between
TRUE if All conditions are met. This setting is an AND statement that will trigger the corresponding action when all conditions are met
TRUE if Any condition is met. This setting is an OR statement that will trigger the corresponding action when any defined conditions are met
Configure return shipping methods for customers to return purchased items to the original seller. You can offer one or multiple return shipping methods based on your return policy.
The following conditions are currently available in AfterShip Returns.
Ship with the carrier customers choose: Allow customers to ship back items with any carrier they choose.
Ship with a return label: Customers can ship back items with a label you provide.
To auto-generate return labels for customers to send items back, you first need to set up your carrier and shipping services, return locations, and package sizes, which will be mentioned in the return label. Configure return shipping for auto-generating return labels with the help of this guide.
Return to a retail store: Customers can return items to a physical store instead of shipping them back.
Green returns: Allow customers to keep items they request a return for and get a refund
You can edit the title and description for all the return methods that will be displayed to customers on the return page.
You can choose to set the shipping and handling fee of the return methods.
You can edit the return instructions for customers using a particular return method.
These instructions will be shown on the returns page and in the return request approved emails
You can decide to manually or automatically approve return requests for each return method by selecting the checkbox for Auto-approval
Hit Save
If you set multiple routing rules under the same return zone, a routing rule will be selected according to the set priority. Let's understand this with an example:
+ For the 1st priority routing rule, the condition configured is when the return reason of an item in a request is Poor quality/faulty item, and the outcome is Ship with a return label
+ For 2nd priority routing rule, the condition configured is when the return reason of an item in a request is Incorrect item received, and the outcome is Ship with the carrier customers choose
+ Now the shopper wants to return 2 items, and the return reason for one of the items is Poor quality/faulty item. In this case, the 1st priority routing rule will be triggered in this case where the customer can ship the items back with a return label provided by you (merchant).
Return routing rules are available for users on Essentials, Pro, Premium, and Enterprise plans. The availability of certain conditions varies from one eCommerce platform to another.
Product tag conditions are available for Shopify, Magento 1, and WooCommerce
Product type conditions are available for Shopify, Magento 1, 2, and BigCommerce
Order tag conditions are available for Shopify and Magento 2
Customer tag conditions are available for Shopify only
Resolution, Return reason, Return value, Order value, and SKU conditions are available for all supported platforms
Return routing rules are applied to the products during the return request submission based on the conditions you have configured for each routing rule.
Product tags and types must be configured in the Shopify admin for each product in your catalog before a customer places an order for the setting to be picked up by AfterShip Returns admin to apply the return routing rule for that particular product tag or type.
If the product tag or type is added to the product(s) after the customer places the order, the return routing rule for that product type or tag will not function.
For e.g,
Case 1: A customer has ordered the product “Blue T-shirt”. The merchant then adds a “Sale” product tag to the “Blue T-shirt” product in Shopify settings. The merchant sets up a routing rule for this product tag (condition) in the AfterShip Returns admin.
Result: In this scenario, the return routing rule for the product tag “Sale” will not be applied since the product tag was added to the product in the Shopify settings after placing the order. The default routing rule will be applied in this scenario.
Case 2: The merchant has added a “Sale” product tag to the “Blue T-shirt” product in Shopify settings. The customer then ordered the same product, a “Blue T-shirt”. The merchant has also set up a routing rule for this product tag (condition) in the AfterShip Returns admin.
Result: In this scenario, the return routing rule for the product tag “Sale” will be applied since the product tag was added to the product in the Shopify settings before the order is placed.
For any further questions or help, please contact our chat support team
Overview
AfterShip Returns helps merchants with effective returns management by letting them create routing rules for different zones. Merchants can set up different routing rules and conditions for multiple countries and regions. This allows them to offer customers appropriate means to send their items back to the right location via the return method they want and get the resolution they desire.
This help guide will explain the steps you need to follow to create return zones and routing rules with AfterShip Returns.
📢 What you’ll learn
In this article, we will show you:
Routing rules set up
Additional considerations
FAQs
Routing rules set up
Go to Return policy and select Return routing rules in the AfterShip Returns admin
Set up routing rules based on a specific country or region
Configure return shipping methods based on specific countries or regions
Configure location-specific conditions like return reasons based on which a routing rule will be applied
Auto-generate return labels for different return methods based on specific country or region when pre-defined return conditions are met
Country-specific routing rules will be applied to customers of that country/region
To set up location-specific return rules, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Set up return zones
By default, the default return zone with Ship with the carrier customers choose as a return method for customers to send their items back will be activated
You can edit the default return zone rules with more conditions and return methods to suit your preference
Default return zone rules will be applicable when a customer’s country/region doesn’t fall in any other return zone
Click Add return zone to set up return routing rules for a new country/region
Give a name to your return zone
Search countries and regions in the search bar for easy access
Select the checkbox of the countries you want to add to this return zone. Upon selecting a country, all the corresponding states/regions under it will be automatically selected.
If you don’t want certain states/regions/union territories to be included in that specific return zone, deselect checkbox
Once countries and regions are added, click Add
The newly added return zone will be listed under Custom return zone
To Edit or Delete a return zone, click the three horizontal dots icon and select the appropriate action
Step 2: Add routing rules
Once a return zone is added, you will see the option of Add routing rule below it
Click Add routing rule
Multiple routing rules can be configured for one location
Routing rules can be configured based on your return policy
Each routing rule contains three main elements that must be configured to implement it
Element 1: Rule name
Input the Rule name for this location-specific routing rule for easy reference (this name is visible only to you)
Element 2: Conditions
Define Conditions based on which this routing rule will be applied to the return requests raised by customers of that country or region. The Conditions represent the eligibility criteria for the routing rules
The following conditions are currently available in AfterShip Returns
a. Customer tag - Input existing customer tags as defined in Shopify.
These customers should be the ones who have placed an order in your store.
b. Resolution - Select what return resolutions of the items in the return request should be
c. Return reason - Select what return reason(s) of the items in the return request should be
Return reasons can be customized anytime in Return policy > Return reasons in the AfterShip Returns admin.
d. Return value - Input the return value of all the items in the return request. The return value can be configured in <,**>**, =, and between(range) formats
Input currency and add return value in numerics
Tip: Ensure the currency is the same as your store and set a price that includes discounts but excludes taxes.
e. Product type: Input product types as defined in your eCommerce platform
f. Product tag: Input product tags as specified in your eCommerce platform
g. Order tag: Input tags defined for orders in your eCommerce platform
h. Order value: Input the order value of the original order. The order value can be configured in <,**>**, =, and between(range) formats
Input currency and add return value in numerics
i. SKU: Add SKUs of the products as set in your eCommerce platform
The availability of the conditions mentioned above varies from eCommerce platform to platform. See this section.
Conditions set up
To add a new condition, click the Set up condition button
Select the trigger for activating the routing rule for specific return requests
Click Add condition and select the condition you want to add from the dropdown
Press the Enter button on your keyboard after entering values for conditions to separate them
To delete a condition, select the trash bin icon to the right of each condition
Merchants can select between
TRUE if All conditions are met. This setting is an AND statement that will trigger the corresponding action when all conditions are met
TRUE if Any condition is met. This setting is an OR statement that will trigger the corresponding action when any defined conditions are met
Element 3: Return shipping methods
Configure return shipping methods for customers to return purchased items to the original seller. You can offer one or multiple return shipping methods based on your return policy.
The following conditions are currently available in AfterShip Returns.
Ship with the carrier customers choose: Allow customers to ship back items with any carrier they choose.
Ship with a return label: Customers can ship back items with a label you provide.
To auto-generate return labels for customers to send items back, you first need to set up your carrier and shipping services, return locations, and package sizes, which will be mentioned in the return label. Configure return shipping for auto-generating return labels with the help of this guide.
Return to a retail store: Customers can return items to a physical store instead of shipping them back.
Green returns: Allow customers to keep items they request a return for and get a refund
You can edit the title and description for all the return methods that will be displayed to customers on the return page.
You can choose to set the shipping and handling fee of the return methods.
You can edit the return instructions for customers using a particular return method.
These instructions will be shown on the returns page and in the return request approved emails
You can decide to manually or automatically approve return requests for each return method by selecting the checkbox for Auto-approval
Hit Save
Additional considerations
If you set multiple routing rules under the same return zone, a routing rule will be selected according to the set priority. Let's understand this with an example:
+ For the 1st priority routing rule, the condition configured is when the return reason of an item in a request is Poor quality/faulty item, and the outcome is Ship with a return label
+ For 2nd priority routing rule, the condition configured is when the return reason of an item in a request is Incorrect item received, and the outcome is Ship with the carrier customers choose
+ Now the shopper wants to return 2 items, and the return reason for one of the items is Poor quality/faulty item. In this case, the 1st priority routing rule will be triggered in this case where the customer can ship the items back with a return label provided by you (merchant).
Supported platforms
Return routing rules are available for users on Essentials, Pro, Premium, and Enterprise plans. The availability of certain conditions varies from one eCommerce platform to another.
Product tag conditions are available for Shopify, Magento 1, and WooCommerce
Product type conditions are available for Shopify, Magento 1, 2, and BigCommerce
Order tag conditions are available for Shopify and Magento 2
Customer tag conditions are available for Shopify only
Resolution, Return reason, Return value, Order value, and SKU conditions are available for all supported platforms
FAQs
1. Why do my returns routing rule configuration not show the required return shipping method on the returns page?
Return routing rules are applied to the products during the return request submission based on the conditions you have configured for each routing rule.
Product tags and types must be configured in the Shopify admin for each product in your catalog before a customer places an order for the setting to be picked up by AfterShip Returns admin to apply the return routing rule for that particular product tag or type.
If the product tag or type is added to the product(s) after the customer places the order, the return routing rule for that product type or tag will not function.
For e.g,
Case 1: A customer has ordered the product “Blue T-shirt”. The merchant then adds a “Sale” product tag to the “Blue T-shirt” product in Shopify settings. The merchant sets up a routing rule for this product tag (condition) in the AfterShip Returns admin.
Result: In this scenario, the return routing rule for the product tag “Sale” will not be applied since the product tag was added to the product in the Shopify settings after placing the order. The default routing rule will be applied in this scenario.
Case 2: The merchant has added a “Sale” product tag to the “Blue T-shirt” product in Shopify settings. The customer then ordered the same product, a “Blue T-shirt”. The merchant has also set up a routing rule for this product tag (condition) in the AfterShip Returns admin.
Result: In this scenario, the return routing rule for the product tag “Sale” will be applied since the product tag was added to the product in the Shopify settings before the order is placed.
For any further questions or help, please contact our chat support team
Updated on: 05/09/2023
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