Shopify Refund Policy Template and Setup Guide (2026)
Where to add your Shopify refund policy, how return rules and the automated policy fit together, the EU, UK and US basics, and a copyable template.
Published Updated 9 min read
On this page
Your Shopify refund policy lives in Settings > Policies, under Written policies > Return and refund policy, and Shopify links it in your checkout footer once you save it. You can write it yourself, start from Shopify’s template or, where your admin offers it, turn on Use automated policy so the return terms come from your return rules. Either way, the window, fees and final-sale items in the text must match your return rules and the consumer law where you sell.
Below: the setup, what to include, a copyable template and a final consistency check. This is general information, not legal advice; ask a qualified professional if you are unsure what applies to your store.
Where do you add a refund policy in Shopify?
Shopify’s Adding store policies guide gives the current steps:
- From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Policies.
- In the Written policies section, click Return and refund policy.
- If Use automated policy is on and you want your own text, turn it off.
- Enter your policy. If Insert template appears, you can click it to start from Shopify’s template.
- Review the text and click Save to publish it.
The saved policy is linked in the checkout footer and on the order review page, and it has its own address at /policies/refund-policy. To add it to a footer menu, go to Content > Menus, open the menu, click Add menu item and search for the policy. Shopify keeps past versions for two years; export them with Get past policies.
Do Shopify return rules now write your return policy?
Only if you use the automated policy. Shopify’s Adding store policies page says the return and refund policy can be automated and that its return terms then come from your return rules; Insert template isn’t offered for policies that support automation. Shopify’s return rules page, which describes the Insert template route, says the generated policy doesn’t automatically include the return rules you set up.
| Setup | Where the return terms come from | What you maintain |
|---|---|---|
| Use automated policy on | Your return rules; the contact address is your Store email in Settings > General | Review the published text after any rule or settings change |
| Automation off, or Insert template | The text you type or insert | Keep the window, fees and final-sale list in step with your rules by hand |
Turning automation on replaces the existing content, including custom translations in languages with an automated template, so save a copy of your wording first. If you run returns through an app, Shopify recommends checking that the automated policy matches the app’s rules. Shopify also says you are responsible for your policies.
How do Shopify return rules and self-serve returns work?
Return rules decide which items customers can return and on what terms. Edit them in Settings > Policies > Return and cancellation rules (Shopify Help Center):
- Return window: 14, 30 or 90 days, Unlimited or Custom days, starting from Item’s delivery or Delivery of last item in order, with an option to extend deadlines that land on a weekend or holiday.
- Return shipping cost: free return shipping, a flat rate fee, or customers buy their own label.
- Restocking fee: an optional percentage.
- Final sale items: specific products or specific collections, not both. Final sale items can’t be returned even under a window override, and bundles can’t be final sale.
- Overrides: a different window for chosen collections, products or variants; the shortest applies when several overlap.
Rule changes apply only to future orders. Shopify also notes that the Shop app might show your return details on product pages, but not if your policy is only free text without a configured return window.
Self-serve returns let customers request a return from their customer account. Turn them on in Settings > Customer accounts with Self-serve returns and cancellations, then choose Return and cancel requests, Return requests only or Cancel requests only (setup guide). Three limits shape your wording: self-serve returns don’t work with legacy customer accounts; you review and decide on every request; and customers can’t request exchanges this way. When you refund, the Refund method menu offers Original payment, Store credit, or Original payment & store credit (Processing returns). Store credit also needs customer accounts: Shopify says it isn’t available for legacy customer accounts. Our guide to refunding with Shopify store credit covers expiry, staff permissions and how customers spend it.
What does consumer law require for returns?
Your policy can be more generous than the law, but in the EU and UK it can’t remove statutory rights. The basics from official guidance:
EU. Your Europe says online customers have 14 days after delivery to withdraw without a reason. You reimburse them within 14 days of being notified, though you may wait until you have the goods back or evidence they were sent, and you refund the standard delivery cost. The refund must use the same means of payment the customer used, unless they expressly agree otherwise and pay no fees as a result (Consumer Rights Directive, Article 13). The customer pays for the return only if you told them in advance. If you didn’t give the required information, they get one additional year to withdraw. Exceptions include perishable, personalised and opened sealed hygiene goods. Shopify’s return rules page adds that EU Directive 2023/2673, in effect since 19 June 2026, requires an electronic way to withdraw. Shopify suggests self-serve returns with Return and cancel requests, cancellation Until item is fulfilled, a window of at least 14 days from Delivery of last item in order with the weekend and holiday extension, and a visible link to both actions. It adds that these tools don’t automatically make a store compliant.
UK. GOV.UK says online customers can cancel within 14 days of receiving an item, then have another 14 days to send it back. You refund within 14 days, including standard delivery, and can’t deduct fees unless the item was used or damaged. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, the refund deadline runs from receiving the goods or proof of return, whichever is earlier, and the refund goes to the original payment method unless the customer expressly agrees otherwise (regulation 34). For orders delivered in parts, the period ends 14 days after the last item arrives (regulation 30). If you don’t mention the right to cancel, customers can cancel for up to 12 months (GOV.UK).
US. No single federal rule gives online shoppers a set return window. The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule doesn’t cover sales made entirely online (FTC), and FTC guidance tells shoppers to check the seller’s website, noting that many stores won’t take returns after a set time, such as 30 or 90 days (FTC). States can add rules; California’s Attorney General, for example, explains a refund-policy display rule under Civil Code section 1723 (California DOJ). Check the states you sell into.
What should a Shopify refund policy include?
Each section should answer one customer question and match one setting or process in your store.
| Section | What to state | Match it with |
|---|---|---|
| Return window | Number of days and when the clock starts | Return window rule |
| Item condition | Unused, tags on, original packaging; what happens to used items | Your inspection process |
| Non-returnable and final-sale items | Categories that can’t be returned and how customers spot them | Final sale items rule; product page labels |
| How to start a return | Account link or email, what to include, return address | Self-serve returns setting |
| Return shipping | Free, a flat fee or a customer-paid label; any restocking fee | Return shipping cost and restocking fee rules |
| Refund method and timing | Original payment, store credit or both; inspection and refund times | The refund method your staff use |
| Exchanges | Whether you offer them and how to ask | Self-serve can’t take exchange requests |
| Damaged or wrong items | Report window, photos, remedy, who pays postage | Your support process |
| EU and UK cancellations | 14-day right, how to cancel, refund deadline | Cancellation rules and return window |
Shopify refund policy template
Replace every [bracketed placeholder], delete options that don’t apply, and keep the numbers identical to your return rules.
Return and refund policy
Last updated: [Date]
This policy explains what you can return to [Store name], how to start
a return and when you'll be refunded. It doesn't affect your rights
under the consumer laws of your country.
1. Return window
You can request a return within [30] days of receiving your order [(or
the last item, if it arrives in separate deliveries)]. If the last day
falls on a weekend or public holiday, you have until the next business
day.
2. Item condition
Items must be [unused, with tags attached, in original packaging]. You
can check an item as you would in a shop. If it has been used beyond
that, we may [reduce the refund to reflect the loss in value].
3. Items that can't be returned
Unless they arrive damaged, faulty or not as described:
- [Gift cards]
- [Personalised or made-to-order items]
- [Perishable goods, such as ...]
- [Sealed hygiene items, such as ..., once opened]
- [Items marked "Final sale" on the product page]
4. How to start a return
[Sign in at [customer accounts URL], open the order and select Return
items.] [Or email [email address] with your order number and the items
you want to return.] We'll reply within [2 business days]. If we
approve the return, we'll send [a return label] [the return address].
Please don't send items back before approval.
5. Return shipping
[Return shipping is free.] [A flat return fee of [amount] is deducted
from your refund.] [You pay for return shipping; we recommend a tracked
service.] [A restocking fee of [x]% applies to [item types], never to
damaged, faulty or wrong items.]
6. Refunds
We inspect returns within [x] business days of receiving them and email
you the result. Approved refunds go to [your original payment method]
[store credit, if you choose it instead] within [x] days. Your bank may
take a few more days to show it.
7. Exchanges
[We don't offer direct exchanges; return the item and place a new
order.] [To exchange, email [email address] with your order number and
the item you want instead. Exchanges depend on stock.]
8. Damaged, faulty or wrong items
If your order arrives damaged or faulty, or isn't what you ordered,
email [email address] within [x] days of delivery with your order
number and photos. We'll [replace, repair or refund] the item and cover
the cost of sending it back.
9. Customers in the EU and UK
You can cancel for any reason within 14 days of receiving your order
(or the last item, if it arrives in separate deliveries). To cancel,
[use the cancel or return option in your account] [email [email
address]], then send the items back within 14 days of telling us. We
refund the price and standard delivery: for EU customers within 14 days
of your notice, for UK customers within 14 days of receiving the items
or proof you sent them. We may wait until the items or proof reach us.
The refund goes to your original payment method unless you ask us for
store credit. [You pay the cost of returning the items.] [We cover return costs.]
This right doesn't apply to personalised or perishable items, or to
sealed hygiene items once opened. Your rights for faulty items are not
affected.
10. Contact
[Business name], [business address]
[email address] [phone number]If you would rather have the policy written around your products and process, ShopOpsy’s Refund & Return Policy Setup is a one-time $49 drafting service, delivered by email as plain text ready to paste into Settings > Policies. The Legal Page Bundle writes all five store policies together so the details match. Neither is legal advice.
Check the policy against your return settings before you publish
Open your return rules and the policy side by side:
- Window. The days and starting point match the return window rule and any overrides.
- Final sale. Every non-returnable item type is set as final sale; otherwise customers can still request a return for it.
- Fees. Return shipping and restocking fees match the rules. For UK cancellations, remember that GOV.UK says fees can’t be deducted unless the item was used or damaged.
- Starting a return. With self-serve returns on, link the customer accounts URL. With legacy customer accounts, describe the email route instead.
- Exchanges. The policy doesn’t promise exchanges through the customer account.
- Refunds. The methods named match what staff choose under Refund method, and EU and UK cancellations go back to the original payment method unless the customer agrees to store credit.
- EU and UK. If you sell there, section 9 is in the policy and your EU settings follow Shopify’s suggested setup.
- Other pages. Your shipping policy, terms and FAQ page state the same window, your privacy policy uses the same contact details, and your order refund notification email names the same refund methods.
- Live check. Open
/policies/refund-policy, read the published text, and update the Last updated date whenever you change it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a no-returns policy on my Shopify store?
You can mark products or collections as final sale in your return rules. In the EU and UK, though, a store policy doesn’t remove the 14-day cancellation right or the rights for faulty items, beyond legal exceptions such as personalised or perishable goods. In the US, it depends on state law.
Can I give store credit instead of a refund?
Shopify supports it: choose Store credit in the Refund method menu when you refund an order or a return. The law limits when you can insist on it. EU and UK cancellations must be refunded by the same means of payment unless the customer expressly agrees otherwise, and in the UK the same rule applies when a customer rejects faulty goods (Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 20). In those cases, offer credit as a choice, not the only remedy. Our Shopify store credit guide has a policy clause you can adapt.
Does changing my return rules update my refund policy?
Only when Use automated policy is on, and you should still review the published text after a change. If you wrote the policy yourself or inserted a template, update the text by hand.
Can customers request an exchange through self-serve returns?
No. Shopify’s self-serve returns don’t accept exchange requests, but you can manage returns and exchanges from the Orders page in your admin. Tell customers how to ask for one, for example by email.
Sources
- Adding store policies — Shopify Help Center, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Setting up return and cancellation rules — Shopify Help Center, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Setting up self-serve returns and cancellations — Shopify Help Center, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Processing and managing returns — Shopify Help Center, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Returns and exchanges — Shopify Help Center, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Store credit — Shopify Help Center, accessed 28 October 2026.
- B2C e-commerce, distance and off-premises selling — Your Europe, European Union, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights, Article 13 — legislation.gov.uk (EU directive as adopted), accessed 28 October 2026.
- Accepting returns and giving refunds — GOV.UK, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Online and distance selling for businesses — GOV.UK, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — legislation.gov.uk, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 34 — legislation.gov.uk, accessed 28 October 2026.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 20 — legislation.gov.uk, accessed 28 October 2026.
- Buyer’s Remorse: The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule May Help — Federal Trade Commission, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Solving Problems With a Business: Returns, Refunds, and Other Resolutions — Federal Trade Commission, accessed 22 October 2026.
- Refund Policies — California Department of Justice, accessed 22 October 2026.
