Shipping Integrations Overview

ReturnGO streamlines your return process by seamlessly integrating with your existing shipping accounts. This enables you to generate return shipping labels and send customers live return status updates.

Shipping Integration Flow

The general functionality of a shipping integration is:

1. Connect your shipping account to ReturnGO.
2. Generate a pre-paid return shipping label or QR code on demand when an RMA is approved.
   1. ReturnGO pulls label rates from the shipping provider.
   2. For international returns, ReturnGO can create an international label and commercial invoice (if the shipping integration supports it).
3. The label/QR code is sent to the customer.
4. The customer ships back the return package using the provided label.
5. ReturnGO automatically receives tracking updates for the shipping service and updates the RMA status accordingly.

Shipping Integration Functionalities 

Shipping integrations vary amongst one another in various ways. 

Compare all the supported shipping integrations on the shipping integration comparison table.

ReturnGO's shipping integrations include the following features:

Authentication to Connect the Shipping Account

You can connect easily your shipping account to ReturnGO in order to generate return labels.

Generate Pre-Paid Return Shipping Labels

Generating pre-paid return shipping labels on demand can be configured on the Return Methods page.

• Choose a Carrier or Service Level: You can select a specific carrier or service level for your return shipments. Alternatively, you can let ReturnGO automatically select the cheapest combination.

• Label Rate Calculation: Before generating a label, ReturnGO retrieves label rates from the connected shipping service. This enables you to charge your customers a label fee based on the cost of the label.

Label generation features depend on the support of the shipping service.

Printerless Returns

Some integrations enable you to provide customers with a printerless return using a QR code for a more convenient and sustainable return process.

Regular returns process:

• The customer creates an RMA through the ReturnGO portal.
• The customer receives a label once the RMA is approved.
• The customer prints out the label and attaches it to the package.
• The customer goes to the local post office with their items.
• The label is used to ship the products back to your warehouse.

Printerless returns process:

• The customer creates an RMA through the ReturnGO portal.
• The customer receives a QR code once the RMA is approved.
• The customer goes to a drop-off point with their items.
  • Based on your selected carrier’s commercial agreements, this could be a post office or any other establishment used as a drop-off point.
• The customer presents the QR code to the clerk, who scans it and prints the corresponding label.

Some shipping aggregators and carriers support QR codes, while others only support printable return labels.

International Returns

ReturnGO simplifies international returns by creating both international labels and commercial invoices:

• International Label Creation: ReturnGO generates an international shipping label for the return shipment.

• Commercial Invoice: A commercial invoice is created for the return shipment, ensuring that customs do not charge import fees on the returned item.

These features are available when supported by the shipping integration.

Return Tracking

Once the label is successfully created and sent to your customers, ReturnGO automatically receives tracking updates from the shipping integration (in the case of integrations that support live tracking).

Upon receiving tracking updates from the shipping integration, ReturnGO will automatically update the RMA status accordingly.

Based on the status of the RMA, you can configure various automation rules to streamline your workflow. For example, you can automatically refund the RMA when the items are marked as received in your warehouse. Read more about automations here.

Shipping Integration Types

ReturnGO is currently integrated with over 20 different shipping providers worldwide, including various carriers, shipping aggregators, and consolidation services.

ReturnGO supports 3 main types of shipping integrations:

1. Carriers

Carriers are companies that directly handle the transportation and delivery of packages. Examples of carriers include DHL, UPS, and FedEx.

The integration with shipping carriers enables you to generate pre-paid return shipping labels using the carrier's various service levels.

2. Shipping Aggregators

Shipping aggregators are companies that provide access to multiple carriers with one account. This enables you to use various carriers without having to create separate accounts for each one. Examples of shipping aggregators include Webshipper and EasyPost.

3. Consolidation Services 

Consolidation services are companies that consolidate multiple shipments into a single larger shipment. One example of a consolidation service is Happy Returns.

Connecting Your Shipping Integration to Your ReturnGO Account

To connect your shipping integration with your ReturnGO account:

1. Go to Integration > Products & Services. 
2. Click on +ADD PRODUCT OR SERVICE. 

3. Choose the relevant shipping integration from the drop-down list. 
4. Click on the green check mark.

5. Enter your credentials. 

6. Click CONNECT. 

Adding the Integration to a Return Method

Once you've connected the integration, you'll need to add it to a return method:

1. Go to Settings > Return Methods.
2. Open the Ship with pre-paid label section.

3. Click ADD RETURN METHOD or select a return method to edit.

4. Open the Shipping Label Settings section.

5. Set the Connection to the relevant shipping integration. 

6. Select a carrier/service level.

7. Select whether to use a printable label, QR code, or both.

8. Verify your return address and shipping instructions.

9. Click on the save icon to save your changes.

Once you have the return method set up with the relevant integration and settings, you can add it to a policy rule to offer it to customers.

Troubleshooting the Integration 

Many of the issues encountered related to integration can be identified during setup or label generation. 

Here are a few things you can check to try and fix such issues: 

Setup Issues 

Make sure your API credentials are accurate. 

• There should be no extra spaces before or after each API entry. 
• Make sure you are using live or production API credentials, and not dev or test APIs. 
• Try to re-generate a new API key and reconnect. 
• If a carrier or service level is not available, contact your shipping service support team to verify which return services are available. 

Label Creation Issues 

Verify your Return Address

• Some carriers may not recognize special characters, which might cause issues when generating labels.
• Remove special characters and unnecessary spaces in your return address.
  • For example: 
    • If your store name is “John & Jane Store”, change it to “John and Jane Store”. 
    • If your store phone number has “+” signs or “( )”, remove them. 

Verify the Customer’s Address

• ReturnGO collects the customer’s address when the request is submitted.
• If there are corrections to the customer’s address, reject and resubmit the return request. 

Verify the Item Weight

• If the total weight of the items being returned exceeds the service level’s weight limit, then the carrier will reject the label request.

Verify That the Shipping Platform Can Generate Return Labels

• If your shipping service platform cannot generate the label, label generation will be unsuccessful in ReturnGO as well. 

Reconnect the Integration

• If you see "(deprecated version)" next to an integration, or if you're having issues with the integration, disconnect and reconnect the integration.