Returns Flow for Shopify: help guide
Returns Flow books customer returns into Shopify from the warehouse bench: scan the order, scan the returned items, choose a reason, and the app restocks the units and refunds the customer in one step. It is built for a USB barcode scanner and a keyboard; every action has a key.
1. Find the order
Type the order number into the box on the home screen, or scan a barcode that contains it, and press Enter. The leading # is optional.
The order must have fulfilled items. You will see one of these messages if it cannot be used:
Each message names the order you searched for, for example:
- Order #1001 not found: no order with that number on this store.
- Order #1001 has no fulfilled items to return: nothing has shipped yet. Edit the order in Shopify instead.
- All items on order #1001 have already been returned: every fulfilled unit is already on a return.
- Order #1001 was cancelled.
2. Scan the returned items
The order screen shows one row per unit. Scan each unit's barcode; the row turns green and the reason dialog opens. A unit without a barcode can be selected with the arrow keys and Enter, or by clicking it. Units already returned are greyed out.
Other ways to select:
- A: give every remaining unit the same reason (if enabled in Settings).
- M: multi-select. Click several units, then press Enter to apply one reason to all of them.
With Scanning only on (Settings), items can only be added with the scanner. Typed barcodes, clicks and keyboard selection are refused with a yellow message.
3. Choose a reason
Press the number shown on the reason, scan its QR code with a 2D scanner, or click it. Reasons come from Shopify's return reason library; Settings controls which ones appear and in what order. Choosing Other asks for a short note, which is saved on the return in Shopify.
If Ask whether to scrap is on, a second step asks whether the unit goes back to stock (Enter) or is scrapped (S). B goes back.
4. Book the return
Press Shift or the blue Book Return button. Returns Flow creates the return in Shopify and shows a confirmation with the items, reasons, where they will be restocked, and the refund that Shopify calculates for them. The refund amount cannot be edited here.
- Enter restocks the units at the location set in Settings and issues the refund to the
original payment method. The return is closed in Shopify.
- Esc cancels the return that was just created, so nothing is left on the order.
If the order was paid by a manual method (marked as paid, cash on delivery or bank transfer), Shopify records the refund but sends no money. The confirm step warns you; pay the customer back yourself.
The home screen then shows a summary: the return number, what was restocked or scrapped, and the amount refunded.
Returns created earlier
If an order already has an open return that has not been received, the order screen shows an orange Restock button. Press Shift or the button to receive those units and refund the customer. New units can also be scanned to create a further return on the same order.
Keyboard summary
| Key | Does |
|---|---|
| Enter | Load the order; select the highlighted unit; confirm a dialog |
| ↑ ↓ | Move between units |
| 1–9 | Pick a reason |
| S / B | Scrap / back (scrap step) |
| A | Select all remaining units |
| M | Multi-select |
| Shift | Book Return / Restock (the main action) |
| E | Tick or untick "Email the customer" on the confirm step |
| Esc | Close a dialog; cancel a just-created return; go home when nothing is scanned |
Settings
- Restock location: where restocked units go.
- Refund when booking: issue the refund as part of the booking. Off: restock only.
- Refund shipping: include the shipping charge in the refund.
- Email the customer by default: pre-ticks the notification on the confirm step.
- Reasons for return: which Shopify reasons to show, and their key numbers.
- Scanning only, Ask whether to scrap, Select all with A, Multi-select with M.
Errors
A red message in the confirm step is Shopify's own response, for example when a unit cannot be restocked at the chosen location or the refund exceeds what was paid. Nothing is changed when that happens: fix the cause and press Enter again, or press Esc to cancel the return.