Manage Order Returns in Medusa Admin

In this guide, you’ll learn about order returns and how to manage them.

Order Returns Overview#

After items have been delivered to the customer, they can return the items for a refund. These items are added back to stock or marked as damaged.

Medusa allows you to automate the Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) process by supporting two ways of creating returns:

1. The customer requests a return for an order through the storefront, which you can view in the Medusa Admin dashboard;
2. Or you can create a return and inform the customer about it.

As an admin user, you can then manage the return to either cancel it or mark the items as received and refund the customer.

Find Return Requests of an Order#

To find return requests of an order:

1. Open the order's details page.
2. In the Activity section, you'll find that a return was requested, which you can manage.

You'll also find the items requested to be returned in the Summary section, with a note below the items to be returned.

Create an Order Return#

You can create a return from the Medusa Admin for delivered items in an order.

To create a return for an order:

1. Open the order details page.
2. In the Summary section, click on the icon at the top right.
3. Choose "Create Return" from the dropdown.
4. In the form that opens:
   • To add items to return:
     • Click on "Add items" in the "Inbound section".
     • In the list that opens, click on the checkbox next to the items you want the customer to return.
     • Once done, click on the "Save" button.
   • You can edit the quantity of the items to return by editing the input next to the inbound item.
   • To add a reason for the returned item:
     • Click on the icon next to the item.
     • Choose "Add Reason" from the dropdown.
     • In the Reason select input shown, choose the reason for the return. You can add return reasons in the Settings to choose from.
   • To add a note for the returned item:
     • Click on the icon next to the item.
     • Choose "Add Note" from the dropdown.
   • To remove an inbound item from the return:
     • Click on the icon next to the item.
     • Choose "Remove" from the dropdown.
   • For the Location input, specify the location to return the items to.
     • While you can choose a location that the item doesn't have inventory in, later, you can't receive the item unless you add inventory for the item's variant in the chosen location.
   • For the "Return shipping" field, you can optionally choose a shipping option to use to return the item, subtracting the shipping cost from the return total, which is refunded to the customer.
     • To modify the return shipping's cost:
       • Click the icon next to the Return Shipping total.
       • Enter the new cost in the input shown.
   • If you don’t want the customer to receive a notification that a return has been created, uncheck the “Send notifications” toggle.
5. Once you're done, click the "Confirm Return" button to create the return, then confirm the action by clicking the "Continue" button in the pop-up.

This creates the return, which you can see in the Summary and Activity sections of the order's details page.

Mark Return Items as Received#

Once the customer returns the item, you can mark it as received. This triggers a refund to the customer and the non-damaged item quantity is added to the stock quantity in the inventory.

To mark return items as received:

1. Open the order's details page.
2. In the Summary section, click on the "Receive items" button.
3. In the side window that opens:
   • For each item part of the return:
     • Enter the quantity that isn't damaged and can be added back into the stock in the input shown next to the item.
     • To add damaged quantity:
       • Decrement the quantity that isn't damaged by the damaged amount.
       • Click on the button next to the item.
       • Enter the damaged quantity.
     • To notify the customer that the return is received, check the "Send notifications" toggle.
4. Once done, click on the "Save" button.

Cancel Requested Return#

You can cancel a return, whether requested by the customer or that you created.

To cancel a requested return:

1. In the Activity section, click on Cancel next to the Return Request item.
2. Confirm the cancellation by clicking on the "Confirm" button in the pop-up.

Refund Customer for a Return#

If a return causes an outstanding amount, you can see it in the Summary section of an order. To learn how to refund the payment, refer to this guide.