Is there a way to charge the customer for the return label?
Is there a way to charge the customer for the return label so that we are not paying for every return label? This would especially be good if the customer is returning due to their own error or because they just changed their mind instead of us paying for every single return label?

Thank you for all your feedback.
This idea is under consideration as we look at ways to improve the Branded Returns Portal. We are still seeking feedback on what the ideal experience would be, both from the merchant perspective as well as from your customer perspective. Please feel free to leave additional comments with your thoughts about how you’d like to see this implemented.
50 comments
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Shaun Oster Parkersmith.LA commented
I suggest looking at the aftership model for your example of how to form a better experience.
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David Arellano Marine Depot commented
It would be nice if we could show the customers the return shipping label cost like amazon and just deduct it from the refund. That way they can still use a prepaid label that they are aware of exactly the amount it cost to ship back
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Shaun Oster Parkersmith.LA commented
My company does not pay for returns. So we cant use your return portal. Which is a shame, its something we really need and will have to pay for somewhere like aftership to get what we need. When you have the perfect functionality already. So my suggestion is make it possible to either allow the customer to pay for shipping or provide their own postage. Then its perfect and twice as functional. Seems like a simple adjustment that places like aftership already provide. And replaces allot of otherwise expensive functionality.
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aroberts commented
Hi all. I have come up with a slight workaround to this- not sure if it will work for your companies, but here's what we do.
We disclose in our checkout policy the cost of the returns. We took an average cost of shipping for most of our returns (USPS First Cl) and charge a flat $5 return shipping fee which deducts from their return. I know it's not happening within ShipStation, but it's an easy enough workaround for your ecommerce store (we use Shopify). The only flaw with this system is that if someone needs to ship Priority, ShipStation doesn't offer them a fallback method.
And as for approving returnability of items- our store uses the same SKU for custom items, and you can make those items or SKUS non-returnable from your ShipStation inventory page, or by exporting your inventory via spreadsheet, editing the returnability and re-importing.
If the customer doesn't honor your return policy, that's on them, and you're only out a few dollars in a shipping label.
Hope this helps!
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butterfly commented
Please, please, please! Because once a client has a link to the return portal, clients can just request pre-paid return labels anytime they want, even in a case where the return may not be approved or accepted by the seller (i.e., customized or personal use items.)
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Comfort Price Concept Design Studios commented
Please Get this going, I am appalled that this isnt a legacy feature. Allowing customers free reign on shipping at no cost to them is not a good idea for so many companies. Especially with Stamps.com becoming a shipping software giant second only to amazon this is surprising that you don't seem to have the resources available to fix the returns side of your software. I havent been able to manually create a return label for individual orders for months now. Even contacted support multiple times and have got no real solutions or timeline of remedy.
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VanessaB commented
Yes. We need a way to approve return requests at the very least. Or import RMA orders into the shipstation returns tab.
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Elizabeth Drew Acre Supply Co. Limited commented
Has there been any movement on this? I can't use the returns portal until there is an option for the customer to pay for the return. In it's most basic form, all it would need is a checkbox to appear dependent on the return reason stating that the calculated cost of the return will be deducted from the refund, and allowing the customer to accept this before the label is created.
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Mike Lindamood commented
Implement this ASAP.
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Linda Sebazco DezLin commented
Why is ShipStation not responding to this major request?
This has been going on since Jan 2015 and is a huge issue. 4 years?!
This is huge for businesses. How Returns are handled is a huge factor in whether or not a customer does business with a company
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Wail Abdel Fattah NEXUS commented
YES!!!!!!
we need something that the customer is the one paying for the return label, the customer can still use our account to do so but instead they are they ones paying for it with their credit cards or pay pal the customer can still get our own rates as a feature as well -
Delta Molding commented
As others have mentioned, the current return label is pretty much useless. We need a system to generate and approve RMA numbers. In some cases, we would like to provide a pre-paid shipping label. In other cases, the customer must pay for return shipping. This functionality would be a major improvement.
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chesshouse commented
What "Chris Regan PlayBetterStore.com", suggested would be helpful. Here's another potential option too:
A generic features that alerts customers to the return cost and that the return cost may be deducted from their refund.
In Branded Return Portal Settings:
1) Add a checkbox "Show Customer Return Label Cost"
2) Add a text field "Label Cost Message"So, somewhere in the customer GUI, they see something like this:
(1) Return Label Cost: $9.30.
(2) With the exception of damage or fault on the part of [Business X], we may deduct the return label cost from your refund. If you have questions, please contact us" -
Ben Rothstein PharMeDoc Inc commented
I would love this functionality. Depending on the reason for the return, and whether or not the item has been opened, we will either pay for the shipping or the customer will be expected to pay shipping (or at least a portion of it). Until this feature is implemented we are unable to use the Returns portal, which is very unfortunate because we have significant order volume and this would help our customer experience.
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Sarah Al Doughnuts & Deadlifts Apparel commented
Gonna chime in here and say that this is a feature that we are very interested in as well. We want to use the branded returns portal but we don't offer free returns/exchanges. We'd rather utilize Shipstation than have to integrate another app like ReBound.
Can we get an update on this request?
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Chris Regan PlayBetterStore.com commented
ADDING 3RD RETURN DESIGNATION - "CONTACT [SELLER] TO RETURN"
Perhaps a holdover option that would GREATLY benefit a lot of sellers would adding a 3rd return option; free returns (default), not returnable and CONTACT SELLER TO RETURN.
This 3rd new option (returnable via seller) would direct the customer to the seller who would then be able to coordinate a return outside of ShipStation. The message displayed next to products with this designation would read something like "Please contact us (link) to initiate return".
Currently only having the option to offer 1.) Free or 2.) Zero returns is leaving a lot of sellers in a very awkward situation and I'm sure preventing a lot (like us) from using the feature. Right now, if we don't want to offer free returns on a product (i.e. a large product), our only option is to display "Not eligible for returns"....which is not true. It's just not eligible for FREE returns.
I understand there's a Return Policy that can be edited but that's not easily found by the customer. Adding this 3rd designation would provide a much-needed band-aid until we're able to charge customers for return labels at some point in the future.
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Rafal Wlazlo refereestore.com commented
So any movement on this feature??
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Kody Yates Gaby's Bags, LLC. commented
Any update on this Shipstation? This should not be difficult to accomplish.
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Ted Burdett Fourneau commented
I'd use feature only if I can choose the carrier for the return and have the option to charge the customer for return shipping. I can see subtracting the return shipping from the total amount refunded (along with restocking fee, etc.) but in that case we need a very prominently placed disclosure of the return policy within this portal so those charges do not surprise the customer. Better still, the return shipping would automatically show up in the order history in our stores to make the subtraction almost automatic when the refund is issued.
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Prime Battery Prime Battery commented
Quite clearly there is a MAJOR issue with this "feature" preventing most standard businesses from utilizing ShipStations' return portal. Unless a control is built in to allow store owners the option to ALLOW Prepaid postage, or optional pre-approved returns, then the portal is nothing more than a glorified label creation page. This should seriously be bumped up in the development queue. We all have returns, probably a tiny minority of us allow the customer to return ANYTHING, with prepaid shipping. Yet that's the default (only option)? Makes little sense for such a great product otherwise.