Shopify Return Policy Template: Copy It, Then Set It Up in Shopify

Written byAyushi Tyagi

Reviewed byAnuj Goel

This Shopify return policy template gives you the full text of a returns and exchanges policy, ready to copy into your store. Below the template, you will find the steps to add it in Shopify. After that, we cover the return rules to set, so your store behaves the way the text says.

The same text also works as a Shopify refund policy template, because it covers refunds, exchanges and store credit in one place. For the wider process around the policy, read our guide to ecommerce returns management.

Updated: October 11, 2026

What a Shopify return policy has to cover

A Shopify return policy tells the shopper how long they have, what condition the item must be in, what they get back and how to start. The table below lists the five parts to write, with an example line for each.

First, state the window in the opening line, so nobody has to hunt for the number. For reference, Shopify’s return rules offer 14, 30 or 90 days, an unlimited window or a custom number. The count starts from each item’s delivery, or from delivery of the last item in the order.

Next, name every option you offer, in the order you prefer. Shopify’s guide to creating a return in the Shopify admin says that offering exchanges helps you retain revenue. Similarly, Shopify store credit stays in your store. You issue it to a customer, and they pay with it when signed in to their customer account. Our post on store credit or a refund compares the two.

For the condition, write “unworn, unwashed, original tags attached” rather than “in good condition”. Then say how long each stage takes: pickup or drop-off, inspection and the refund.

Shopify return policy template (copy and paste)

Replace the text in square brackets, then delete any line that does not apply.

Optional clause for cash on delivery orders

A cash on delivery order has no card or wallet to send the money back to. Therefore, the policy must say how you pay the refund. In a QuickReturns portal, for example, the shopper picks store credit, the original payment method or a bank transfer. Add the first clause below to your Shopify return policy template if you accept cash on delivery. Before you set the window, read our post on why COD orders are returned more often. If you ship abroad, add the second clause as well.

How to add the return policy template to your Shopify store

Shopify keeps written policies in the admin settings. The steps below follow Shopify’s instructions for a written return policy.

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings, then Policies.
2. In the Written policies section, click Return and refund policy.
3. Paste your edited Shopify return policy template into the editor. Alternatively, click Insert template to start from Shopify’s default text.
4. Review the text against your return rules.
5. Click Save.

Take one caution on board before you publish. Shopify states that its generated policy does not automatically include the return rules you set up. Shopify also says you are responsible for following your published policy. As a result, you have to match the text and the rules by hand, which the next section covers.

Where shoppers see the policy

After you save, Shopify’s store policies feature links your policies in the footer of your checkout pages automatically. A link to the return policy also appears on the order review page. However, your storefront footer needs one more step: add the policy to a menu under Content, then Menus. The policy also has a direct address, yourstore.com/policies/refund-policy, which you can link from anywhere.

Beyond that, two placements put the policy in front of shoppers before and after they buy. First, add a one-line note near the Add to Cart button, such as “30-day returns and exchanges”. Second, put a link to start a return in the order confirmation email.

Set Shopify return rules that match your written policy

Your written policy is the text shoppers read. Return rules, on the other hand, are settings. Shopify applies return and cancellation rules to an order when the customer places it. They control which items are eligible for a return. You will find them under Settings, then Policies, in the Return and cancellation rules section. Because changes apply only to future orders, set the rules before you publish the text.

Return window

Choose a preset of 14, 30 or 90 days, pick Unlimited, or enter a custom number of days. Then set Starting from to the item’s delivery, or to delivery of the last item in the order. For categories that need a different window, add a return window override for specific collections, products or variants. If two overrides cover the same item, Shopify uses the shortest window. Above all, the number must match the first line of your Shopify return policy template.

Return shipping and restocking fees

Shopify gives you three choices for return shipping. You can offer free return shipping, charge a flat fee once per return, or have customers buy their own label. In addition, you can charge a restocking fee as a percentage of the return. However, Shopify’s return rules page states that return fees are not deducted from refunds automatically. Instead, you deduct them yourself when you create the refund. The fee lines in the template mirror these three choices, so keep one and delete the others.

Final sale items

In the same settings, select the collections or products that are final sale. After that, customers cannot submit a return request for those items. Shopify does not let you set bundles as final sale, though. Also write “final sale” on the product page, so the shopper knows before paying.

Selling in more than one market

Shopify can apply a default policy to every market and a different one to specific markets. However, this feature is in early access, and only certain merchants have it. For customers in the European Union, Shopify’s guidance is a return window of at least 14 days. That window starts from delivery of the last item in the order. If you ship abroad without market rules, use the international clause from the template instead. Consumer law differs by country, so check your final text with a local legal adviser, as Shopify itself recommends.

Running your Shopify returns policy day to day

Once your Shopify return policy template is edited and live, requests start to arrive. With Shopify’s self-serve returns turned on, customers submit a return request from their order status page. You then get a notification and approve or decline the request in the admin. Your staff can also create a return from the Orders page. To do that, open the order, click Return, then pick the quantity and a return reason.

According to Shopify’s self-serve setup guide, you turn the feature on under Settings, then Customer accounts. The same guide lists two limits worth knowing. First, customers cannot request an exchange in self-serve returns. Second, self-serve returns do not work with legacy customer accounts.

A returns app is another way to run the policy. QuickReturns, for example, gives your store a branded returns portal with your logo and brand colour, on your store’s own address. There, the shopper looks up the order with the order number and an email or phone number. Next, they pick the items, give a reason and choose how to be refunded. You can also require a photo or a video as proof. As the merchant, you set the return window, and you approve requests by hand or automatically by rule. To weigh other options, see our list of Shopify returns apps for Indian stores.

In our experience, a return handled by email takes about 1 to 2 hours of back-and-forth. With a returns app, however, the same request takes minutes.

Return policy template FAQ

Writing the policy

Running the policy