How long should a return window be?

Most online stores use 14 to 30 days from delivery. A shorter window protects you on perishable or fast-moving goods. A longer one signals confidence and can lift conversion. Pick a number you can honor every time, then state it plainly.

Do I have to offer free returns?

No. You can ask the buyer to pay return shipping, cover it yourself, or split the cost. Free returns lower buyer hesitation but eat into margin. Whatever you choose, say it clearly so nobody is surprised at the point of return.

What is the difference between a refund and an exchange?

A refund returns the buyer's money. An exchange swaps the item for a different size, color, or product of equal value. Many stores offer both and let the buyer pick. Some offer store credit as a third option to keep the sale.

Where should the return policy live on my site?

Link it in the footer, on every product page near the buy button, and inside the checkout flow. Buyers look for it before they pay. A return policy buried two clicks deep does not build the trust it is meant to build.

Guide

How to write a return policy

A return policy answers one question for a nervous buyer: what happens if this is wrong? Get the answer in writing before you launch, because a missing or vague policy quietly costs you sales you never see.

Why the policy is part of the sale

A buyer on an unfamiliar store is doing risk math. They cannot touch the product, so they look for proof that you will make it right if it disappoints. The return policy is that proof. A clear one removes a reason to abandon the cart. A confusing one adds one.

Write it as a promise you can keep, not as legal cover. The goal is a buyer who reads it and feels safe ordering. Five plain sentences beat a wall of conditional clauses.

The five things to decide

1. The return window

State how many days a buyer has, and say what the clock starts on: the order date or the delivery date. Delivery date is fairer and easier to defend. Common windows run 14 to 30 days. Longer windows reduce buyer hesitation, so use the widest one you can support without it hurting you.

2. Condition rules

Spell out what an item must look like to come back. Unworn, unwashed, tags attached, in original packaging are typical conditions. If you cannot resell opened items, say so. Name the categories you do not accept back at all, such as final-sale products, personalized items, or anything that touches skin for hygiene reasons.

3. Who pays return shipping

Decide upfront and write it down. You can cover return shipping, ask the buyer to, or deduct it from the refund. Many stores cover shipping when the fault is theirs (a defect or a wrong item) and ask the buyer to pay for a change of mind. That split is fair and easy to explain.

4. Refund or exchange

State what a buyer gets back: the original payment, store credit, or an exchange for another item. If you offer refunds, say how long they take to land, since card refunds often take several business days on the bank side. If you only offer store credit, that is allowed, but be clear about it before the buyer commits.

5. How a buyer starts a return

Give one clear path. An email address, a form, or a returns portal all work. Tell the buyer what to include, such as the order number. A return process a buyer cannot find is a return that turns into a complaint instead.

A short template you can adapt

Plain language wins. Here is a skeleton with the decisions filled in. Swap the bracketed parts for your own numbers.

We accept returns within [30] days of delivery. Items must be unused and in their original packaging. To start a return, email [returns@yourstore.com] with your order number.

For a change of mind, you cover return shipping. If we sent the wrong item or it arrived damaged, we cover it. Once we receive and check the item, we issue a refund to your original payment method within [5] business days. Exchanges are available for a different size or color while stock lasts.

Final-sale items and personalized products cannot be returned. Questions? Reach us at [help@yourstore.com].

Read it back as a buyer. If any line raises a question instead of answering one, rewrite that line.

Common mistakes to skip

Promising returns you will not actually honor. A buyer who is told no after reading yes becomes a chargeback and a bad review.
Hiding the policy. If a buyer has to search for it, the trust it would have built never happens.
Copying a policy that does not match your products. A clothing store and a digital download store need different rules. Borrowed text often contradicts how you actually operate.
Leaving refund timing out. Buyers worry when money is gone. A stated timeline keeps a normal wait from becoming a support ticket.

Getting the page made for you

commerce.fyi drafts a return policy page as part of your store, alongside shipping and privacy. The draft is based on the products you describe, and it appears as a real page with the rest of your storefront. You review and edit every line before anything goes live, so the policy stays yours.

That gives you a starting draft instead of a blank page. The decisions above, your window, your shipping split, your condition rules, are still yours to make.

You know what you sell. Get the store.

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