ReturnGO Setup & Settings

In the ReturnGO dashboard, you can configure all aspects of returns, exchanges, refunds, portals, emails, storefront localization, and integrations. Each page provides tools to customize your store’s return workflows and ensure a seamless, branded customer experience.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to set up your portal, go live, and customize it to meet your specific needs.

To get started with ReturnGO and ensure returns, exchanges, and refunds work smoothly:

• Store settings: Define your store information, returns handling rules, refund settings, exchanges, and item validation.
• Return Reasons: Define the reasons customers can select when submitting returns.
• Resolutions: Set the outcomes for returns, such as refunds, exchanges, or cancellations.
• Integrations: Link your eCommerce platform and any shipping or 3PL/WMS systems so ReturnGO can process orders, refunds, and shipments automatically.
• Return Methods: Define how customers can return the items (shipping, drop-off, or no shipment) and link these methods to your resolutions.
• Return Policy: Combine resolutions and return methods with eligibility rules, fees, and automation to control the return workflow.
• Customize Portal & Email: Adjust content, branding, and notifications for your return portal and customer emails.
• Test & go live: Verify your setup and perform a test return to ensure everything works as expected.

Store Settings

The Store Settings page enables you to configure your store’s returns management features and information. This is where you define how ReturnGO interacts with your store, customers, and operations.

You can manage settings across the following categories:

• Store Information: Set up your store name, URL, support contact, currency, time zone, and branding elements such as your favicon and portal page title.
• General Returns:  Control how RMAs are created and managed, including auto-approval requirements, handling out-of-policy items, multiple RMAs per order, manager approvals, and how fees (such as restocking or label fees) are calculated.
• Internal RMA Creation: Define how RMAs are created manually in the dashboard, including available return reasons, default values, and notification rules.
• Refunds:  Configure default refund settings, refund methods (payment method, store credit, gift card, or bank transfer), handling of shipping costs, and refund bonuses. You can also define refund prevention measures, such as encouraging exchanges with incentives.
• Exchanges:  Set rules for processing exchanges, including price difference handling, fulfillment logic, item reservation, and product search options in the portal.
• Discounts:  Control how special promotions (such as BxGy deals or compare-at-price sales) affect refunds and exchanges.
• In-Portal Payments:  Enable checkout directly in the return portal, set payment thresholds, and configure instant exchanges with credit card holds and automatic capture rules.
• Tracking Fallback:  Define how ReturnGO handles orders or shipments when carrier tracking is unavailable.
• Item Validation:  Configure whether content inspections and item validation are required before completing RMAs, and enable bulk validation options.
• API Settings:  Decide whether ReturnGO issues refunds directly or simply records them as notifications for your external systems.

Return Reasons

Return reasons are the predefined options customers select when submitting a return request in the portal.

By default, ReturnGO includes a standard set of commonly used reasons, but you should customize them to match your store’s needs.

On the Return Reasons page:

1. Add a new reason or edit an existing one.

• Enter a clear display name (e.g., Doesn’t fit, Damaged item, Arrived late).
• Assign each reason to a category for easier management.
• Enable the Display reason toggle so customers can see this reason in the return portal.

2. Add optional follow-up questions if you want to collect more details.

• Choose an answer type:
  • Free text
  • Media request
  • Multiple choice
  • Yes/No
• Mark questions as mandatory if the information is essential (e.g., photo of a damaged item).
• Add instructions and configure any extra settings (media type, multiple-choice options, etc.).

3. Drag and drop the reasons to arrange the order in which they appear to customers.

4. Manage translations to display reasons and questions in multiple languages.

When a customer submits a return request, the selected return reason (and any follow-up responses) will appear on the RMA page. This information helps you process returns more accurately and identify recurring issues.

Resolutions

Return resolutions are the outcomes you provide to customers when they return an item, such as a refund, exchange, or store credit. Each resolution defines the action taken to resolve a customer’s return request.

On the Resolutions page:

1. Add or edit a resolution.

2. Choose a resolution type:

• Refunds: Return money to the customer.
  • Actual Currency: Refund to the original payment method or to a bank account.
  • Virtual Currency: Refund as store credit, a new gift card, or instant credit via ReturnScore (e.g., Ship It Later, Keep the Item, or Donate the Item).
• Exchanges: Replace the returned item with something else.
  • Variant Exchange: Customer switches to a different size or color of the same product.
  • Product Exchange: Customer exchanges for any other item from your catalog.
  • Manual Exchange: You process the exchange manually with customer support input.
• Cancel Order: Allow cancellation of unfulfilled orders, with the option to issue refunds automatically.

3. Configure resolution rules. Decide how each resolution is handled:

• Whether shipping is required or waived.
• How refunds are calculated (order-level vs. line-item).
• Whether shipping costs are included in refunds.
• Stock availability rules for exchanges.
• Conditions for instant credit or penalties.

4. Customize how the resolution name and description appear in the return portal.

Integrations

Connect ReturnGO with a wide range of platforms and services to streamline your returns process.

If you plan on using a shipping carrier or any external service, set it up on this page so returns can be processed smoothly.

To configure integrations:

1. Go to the Integrations page in your dashboard.

2. On the Products & Services page, connect the services your store uses, such as:

• Shipping Carriers, Aggregators, and Drop-Off Services

• Helpdesk Integrations

• 3PL/WMS Integrations

• Fintech Integrations

• Loyalty Integrations

• Marketing Integrations
• ERP Integrations

3. On the API page, generate, copy, edit, or delete keys used to connect ReturnGO via API.

• Click API REFERENCE to review available endpoints and implementation details.

Return Methods

Return methods define how customers return items to your store. Each method determines the process customers follow to send products back or, in some cases, avoid shipping them altogether.

On the Return Methods page:

1. Add a new return method or edit an existing one.

2. Configure details such as:

• Internal Name
• Display Name
• Description

3. Set return address and restocking location. Define where items are returned and restocked in your inventory.

4. Edit shipping instructions. This content appears in approval emails for this method.

Below are the specifics for each return method type:

1. No Shipment Required: Customers don’t need to ship the item back.

• Configure display texts and shipping instructions.

2. Ship with Any Carrier: Customers return items using any carrier of their choice.

• Configure whether to include packing slips or address slips, and select barcode types.
• Set return addresses and default restocking locations.
• In the Advanced section, define when to send shipment notifications.
• Edit shipping instructions for emails, then save and link to your policy rules.

3. Ship with Pre-Paid Label: Customers use a pre-paid return shipping label generated by your integrated carrier.

• ReturnGO can generate pre-paid shipping labels for customers. Use Ship by ReturnGO for the simplest setup, or connect third-party carriers via Integrations.
• Configure:
  • Carrier, service level, package type, or custom package dimensions.
  • Whether to generate forward shipping labels and require recipient signatures.
  • Label type: printable label, QR code, or both (depending on carrier support).
  • Default weight and weight unit for labels.
• Edit return address, restocking location, and shipping instructions (include QR or download buttons as needed).

4. Return to Drop-off Location: Customers bring items back to a defined location, such as a physical store or drop-off point.

• Configure where the drop-off location comes from and whether to include a packing slip.

• Set return and restocking addresses, and edit shipping instructions for approval emails.

Return Policy

A return policy is a set of guidelines that describes the steps your store will take and the criteria it will use to accept returns and exchanges. It also includes the steps that your customers need to take to request a return. 

On the Return Policy page:

• Add or edit existing policy rule.
• Set up and configure the following:
  • Policy Rule Details: Define the policy name, resolution, and return method of the policy rule.
    • Select the Resolution from your configured Resolutions.
    • Select the Return Method from your configured Return Methods.
    • Toggle Require Customers to Validate Address if customers must provide their shipping address before creating the RMA.
  • Policy Rule Eligibility: Specify which customers, orders, or items are eligible for the policy.
  • RMA Handling Process: Set whether approvals, refunds, and exchanges are processed manually or automatically, and set item reservation rules.
  • Additional Payments: Apply fees such as restocking or return label fees.
• Toggle the Activate Policy Rule switch to enable or disable the policy rule.

Once a policy rule is activated, the return portal applies it automatically, showing customers only the options they are eligible for.

Email Notifications

Email notifications are automated emails that your customers get throughout the post-purchase process. 

On the Emails page, customize:

• Content: Customize the text of return and tracking email notifications, set whether each notification is sent by ReturnGO, via an integration, or not sent at all, translate notifications into different languages, and preview/test how they will appear to customers.

• Look & Feel: Upload your logo and modify text, background, link, and button colors.
• Notifications: Configure the technical details of your emails, such as the “From” and “Reply-to” addresses, receiving copies of specific notifications, and setting which shipment status updates are sent to customers by default.

Launching Your ReturnGO Portal

After completing your setup, you can finish configuring your account by launching your ReturnGO portal.

To launch your portal:

1. Copy the link to your return portal from your ReturnGO dashboard.
2. Add the link to your online store by placing it in key locations such as your store footer, return policy page, or product pages.
3. Test your portal by clicking the PREVIEW MODE button to see how it appears to customers.
   

Once your portal is launched, your customers can start submitting returns, and you can begin managing them directly in your ReturnGO dashboard.

Customize Portal

The return portal is where customers can initiate returns, exchanges, and refunds, while the order tracking portal allows customers to check the status of their orders and view shipment history in real time.

Before customizing your portal, you need to connect it to your store.

On the Portal page, customize:

• Content: Edit the texts that appear in your portals and emails for each supported language.
• Look & Feel: Adjust the visual design and layout of your portals.

Portal and Email Languages

Configure which languages are available for your return portal and emails. The portal language is based on your store’s default language, and customer emails are sent in the same language.

On the Languages page, configure:

1. Enable or disable the languages you want customers to use in your portal and emails.
2. Set a default language for your portal.
3. Download the CSV file of all texts, add or edit translations, and re-upload the file to apply changes across your portal and emails.

Storefront

Customize and add languages for storefront panels such as the Cart and Account pages.

On the Storefront page:

1. Review the list of available languages and their status (enabled, customized, or untranslated).

2. For each language, edit the text strings for the following sections:

• Account: Customize texts shown on the Account page, such as return credits and transaction details.
• Cart: Customize texts displayed on the Cart page, including return credits usage, subtotal, and totals.
• Transactions: Customize texts related to transaction history, including balance, credits, payments, and order activity.
• Storefront: Customize general storefront texts, such as messages related to checkout, and exchange credits.

Each text field includes a hint showing where it appears in your storefront, so you know exactly what you’re editing.

Analytics

ReturnGO provides comprehensive analytics tools to help you monitor and optimize your returns process. The Analytics page gives you insights into customer behavior, return patterns, and store performance, enabling data-driven decisions to improve efficiency, profitability, and the overall customer experience.

On these pages, you can:

• Track Return Activity: Understand trends in return requests, reasons for returns, resolutions, and outcomes.
• Analyze Orders: View how returns relate to orders placed, including return rates by product, order type, and monetary impact.
• Monitor Sessions: Review customer interactions in the portal to identify abandoned flows or bottlenecks.
• Review Transactions: See all financial movements related to returns, including refunds, store credits, and gift cards.
• Download Reports: Export RMAs, credits, transactions, return shipments, billing, and tracking data for deeper analysis, reporting, or accounting purposes.