When you own a Shopify store - or any digital retail space - returns are just one of the costs of doing business. This doesn't necessarily mean your product is no good - in fact, some of the most popular items in retail sales experience some of the highest return rates.
The consumer might have a case of buyer's remorse, or maybe their spouse found out and put a stop to the order. Regardless of the specifics, many times there's little that can be done to reverse a cancelation, so it's best to prepare for them by working including them in your over/under during each quarter,
Luckily, Shopify return apps exist as a means to optimize your return process, making it much simpler and straightforward for you and your customers. Most of these apps automate the process, making it nearly hands-off for a store owner.
However, a large number of these applications exist, making it difficult to choose the best one for your business. We've broken down what we feel to be the best return apps for Shopify.
How Does a Shopify Return Management App Benefit My Store?
These helpful mobile application that makes it easier for online store owners to provide a streamlined return or refund process for customers. How exactly do these applications make the process more efficient?
It depends on the app specifically. Certain apps allow barcode scanning and printing so your customers can scan them back into your inventory before mailing them back off.
Other tools might have AI take care of invoicing or credit card processing so you're not interrupted with any headaches.
If you're the owner of an e-commerce store, you understand how keeping happy customers can effect your overall success. When you have the luxury of offering a quality return or refund process, this can be a great selling point for present and future customers.
The Best Shopify Return Apps
1. Return Prime: Order Return
Return Prime is a great app to help take care of any rescinded orders on your e-commerce store. Return Prime allows you to connect all of your digital stores and handle refunds and returns from a central dashboard. In addition, the live chat option gives you the opportunity to help customers follow the correct path to resolve their issue.
Highlights
Automate all your returns with prior regulations. The app recognizes any special implementations you have in place regarding your refund policy
Easily perform quality control by retrieving product photos from customers to ensure they meet quality standards for reselling.
ACH transfer, gift cards, and credit card processing abilities.
Set up no questions asked return policy
Pros
Lots of room for customization
Top-tier customer support
Cons:
Confusion about pricing
Pricing: Users of Return Prime have three options for pricing: Start and Scale start free. Grow starts at $19.99 per month and you get 60 requests per month.
2. ClicksIt Return Center (Sorted)
Clicksit is a great returns application, brought to you by the shipping software Sorted. If you're looking for a robust free option, ClicksIt Return is one of the best. Users only pay if they leverage premium features.
Highlights
Available for customers in multiple countries
USPS printing label options for return labels
Plenty of customization options like fully-charged returns and shared return costs
Give the gift of convenience to customers across the globe
Pros
No cap on the number of returns, even on the free version
Customizable template for return policies to create your own
Cons:
Reports of bugs causing problems while using the app.
Pricing: Completely free with premium features you must pay for.
3. Returns and Exchange Portal
This application is marketed under the ReturnGO umbrella. Returns and Exchange Portal aims to bring a positive experience to the refunding process. Use your company's branding with customization tools to personalize the experience and help your shoppers remember your brand. Allow your customers to print return labels directly from your online portal of this returns app.
Highlights
If customers don't receive their orders within a designated period, they have an option for easy cancellation.
Returned items can be returned to inventory or donated. It's up to the customer.
Prepaid return shipping labels are easily printable, making shipping easy for your shoppers
24/7 support to help with returns or store configuration.
Pros
Top-tier staff
Easy on your budget
Cons:
Not the best for larger businesses
Pricing: $9.97/month
4. Returnly
Returnly helps owners manage refunds with little effort. This self-serve portal for your customers allows them to finalize returns through a simple and straightforward process. Easily track the return product, issue refunds, and communicate with customers regarding the status of their claim.
Highlights
Lots of helpful integrations with logistics organizations and other Shopify apps.
Provides tips on the performance of your refund system
Refunds can be transferred and stored as Returnly credits.
Returnly has multiple l locations ougio[io
Pros
Every page is updated regarding inventory, making real-time changes to alert you of low stocks
Real-time alerts for every step of the return process
Cons
The basic plan is, well, basic.
The customer service team is hard to contact
Pricing: 14-day free trial, then customers have options for Basic for $29/month, Shopify for $59/month, and Advanced for $149/month.
5. Rich Returns
Rich Returns is an app that's known for specializing in RMA returns and exchanges for various digital retailers. One of the most noteworthy features of Rich Returns is the fact that it's available in multiple languages, making the return process easy for shoppers in several countries.
Highlights
Rich Returns works with over 50 carriers, including majors like UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, and more.
Returns can be auto-approved, or you can manually accept them right from the dashboard of the app.
White-label return tracking report available for customers. This is a great selling point and assurance for making a purchase.
Users of other apps can migrate to Rich Returns without losing any information or running into any roadblocks.
Pros:
One of the most affordable options
Multiple hubs make returning easy from any location
Cons:
Owners can't directly contact or connect with carriers, which can be frustrating.
Pricing: Four pricing plans: Standard for $9 per month, Pro for $29, Premium for $99, and Plus for $199.
6. Automated RMAs and Returns
Automated RMAs and Returns is a great application if you're looking for something to handle your store almost completely on auto-pilot. This app handles all the most basic - but pertinent - features you need from a returns app.
Highlights
Saves you a significant amount of time during the returns process
Exceptional for busy store owners who don't have a lot of help
Allows clients to handle every part of the return process without contacting you
Customers can print pre-paid labels at their convenience.
Owners can monitor profit gains and losses during the returns process and update clients from one convenient dashboard
Pros
Great for a one-man operation
Clients who prefer to expedite the process can handle things on their own
Pre-paid labels available for customer convenience
Cons
Not the most advanced if you're looking for upgraded features
Pricing: Starts at $19 per month.
7. Sorted Returns Center
This app provides automated returns for Shopify owners. Use a central dashboard to handle returns on automatic. Create your own guidelines with data tracking for important specs. Offer customers a branded self-serve portal to begin the process and keep track throughout the duration of their experience.
Highlights
Send branded emails and direct messages to customers with updates on the process.
Customers can choose an exchange or a return with a refund
Automatic generation of labels for return packages.
Pros:
Aftership returns center sorts through everything and streamlines the process
Top-tier integration with other applications
Cons:
Expensive at top tiers
Pricing: Free, $20 per month, $50 per month, and $500 per month.
8. ClickPost Returns Plus
Clickpost Returns Plus is an excellent option for handling customer returns and requests for exchanges. Shopify owners can make short work of exchanges and returns and give customers one of the best post-sale treatments in the industry. You'll also have the advantage of receiving automatic tracking information via the notification system, giving you real-time updates
Highlights
A branded portal gives customers a way to track their rescinded orders in real time. This also increases brand loyalty.
Online retailers can post rules for refunds and returns like designated windows, restrictions on certain items, free returns, and more.
Merge all your RMA and exchange instances through one comprehensive dashboard. Separate refund requests by dates, locations, and other specs.
Notify customers automatically using WhatsApp and text. Track and notify regarding customers' refunds.
Pros:
This app collects customer comments and delivers a detailed performance report based on returned items, customer complaints, and performance.
Great customer service and easy onboarding
Pricing: With the free plan, you'll have access to 20 returns. The basic plan for $50 a month includes 120 returns, and finally, the Pro gives you 500 returns for $200 monthly.
9. AfterShip Returns Center
Definitely, one of the best Shopify returns apps, Aftership handles rich returns and optimizes the returns process so you can handle other parts of your business.
Generate brand awareness and engage your customers with portals decked out in your brand swag.
Give customers the power of choice by allowing them to save for store credit or cash.
Set rules to eliminate unnecessary loss and fraud during the returns process
13 carrier options for customers and an aftership returns center for handling large volumes of complaints
Pros
Weekly reports informing you how well the application is operating
Fastest refund processor
Cons
Manual mode can be confusing if you decide to turn off automatic mode.
10. Return Rabbit
Return Rabbit is one of the best returns management apps for handling return requests and helping to automate returns. Prepaid shipping labels are available through the branded returns portal, making it a self-service Shopify store. You'll also reap the rewards of actionable insights regarding trends and numbers on returned products.
Highlights
QR Codes and labels to complete returns
Rules for returns are customizable to automate the process
Tailor-made options for your shoppers that help convert returns into exchanges
Pros
Simple and effective dashboard
Some of the best customer service on the market
Cons
New app so it's still too early to say
Pricing: Standard is $200 per month, Growth is $400, and Market Leader is $515.
Choosing the Best Returns Management Apps for Shopify
1- Cost
When you own a business, you have a certain number you need to hit when it comes to revenue, and understanding your outgoing expenses is important. That said, the cost of any returns management apps should be seriously considered as to whether the application you've selected is giving you your money's worth. Take stock of the features on any returns management apps, and you should be able to get an accurate gauge of whether you're overpaying.
2 - Tracking
When returns management apps allow you to track packages with additional options like your logo, colors, slogan, social media graphics, feed, and more - your customer engagement increases exponentially. Brand loyalty also increases, and your chances for additional sales or upselling also rises.
3 - Refunding
The best returns management apps normally contain multiple options for refunding your customers. These methods include ACH transfers, COD, gift cards, store credit, and other currency or repayment options. When shoppers are happy and feel as if they have options during the returns process, it makes them want to continue to do business with your brand.
4 - Customer Service
It's important that there's a voice when customers want to reach out with concerns/questions or challenges with the returns and exchanges process. This saves your organization from obtaining too many complaints.
5 - Performance Analysis
Optimizing your current customer service and return process is the only way of experiencing better returns. Obtain a returns app that delivers routine analysis that gives you all the pertinent information regarding returns in general and your response to these returns.
6 - Multi-Language Capability
When your store goes global, it's critical that you begin offering ways of communicating with customers who speak different languages across the world. One of the best ways to make foreign-language customers feel at home is by offering services in their native tongue.
7 - Multi-language Support
If your online store has customers from all over the world it's important for you to look for a returns management and exchange app that speaks the language your customers understand. Try to select a Shopify app that provides multilingual support to reach out to customers and provide a holistic shopping and return experience to them.
The Bottom Line On the Best Shopify Returns Apps
The best Shopify returns app can bring a lot to the table for store owners - they can even increase profits and retarget customers. Choosing the most appropriate application that optimizes your return process is important, so you may need to do a little homework and make some important decisions.
How do you envision your returns process going? After a customer returns an item, will you provide cash or store credit? Will you print return labels, or will shipping labels be the customers' job? All of these questions must be answered before you select any returns app - otherwise, you're just wasting your time.
Try a few different options and get a feel for what works best based on the customer journey and the size of your organization. After some trial and error, you'll discover the best Shopify returns apps for your business specifically.
Sources: Shopify 1, 2 | The Digital Merchant | Bugreporting