Return Settings & Refunds
Go to WooCommerce → ReturnDesk → General.
Common Settings
These apply to both returns and exchanges.
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Allowed Order Statuses | Completed, Processing | Only orders in these statuses can have requests |
| Excluded Categories | None | See Exclusion Rules |
| Excluded Products | None | See Exclusion Rules |
| Terms & Conditions Page | None | If set, customers must accept this page before submitting |
| Auto Restock Approved Requests | Off | Add returned quantities back to stock when a request is approved. See the note below |
| Refund Method Preferences | Both on | Which refund methods customers can choose: Refund to store credit and/or Refund to payment method |
| Include Shipping Fee In Refund | Off | Include the order's shipping cost in the store credit amount |
When Auto Restock Approved Requests is on, approving a request - by you on the Requests tab, or by auto-approval - adds the requested quantities back to stock for products that manage stock. Each request is restocked only once, and an order note lists the products with their old and new stock levels. This applies to returns and exchanges (the returned item goes back into stock). If you later refund the order in WooCommerce, untick Restock refunded items there so stock isn't added twice.
Return Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Returns | On | Allow customers to submit return requests |
| Return Window (days) | 7 | Maximum days since the order was completed (or paid, or created) |
| Auto Approve Returns | Off | New return requests are approved immediately, skipping manual review |
| Allow Partial Returns | On | Customers choose which items and how many to return. When off, a request covers every eligible item |
| Allow Returns For Sale Products | On | Whether items bought at a sale price can be returned |
| Return Guidelines | Default text | Shown to customers when they submit or view an approved return |
| Return Reasons | 4 defaults | One reason per line |
When Auto Approve Returns is on, a new request is saved as approved straight away. The usual New Request emails are sent to you and the customer, with {status} showing Approved.
Store credit coupons are created as soon as a return is approved - whether you approve it on the Requests tab or it's auto-approved when the customer submits it.
Refunds
When customers submit a return, they choose a refund method from the ones you've enabled:
| Customer's choice | What happens when you approve |
|---|---|
| Store credit | A store credit coupon is created and emailed to the customer automatically |
| Original payment method | A Refund button appears on the request. It opens the WooCommerce order, where you issue the refund with WooCommerce's refund tool |
Store credit coupons
The coupon is created for the value of the returned items (plus shipping, if Include Shipping Fee In Refund is on). It is:
- a fixed cart discount for that amount
- single-use, and can't be combined with other coupons
- restricted to the customer's email address
- sent in a "Your store credit is ready" email with instructions for using it
Gateways that support automatic refunds - such as Stripe and PayPal - refund the customer directly when you use WooCommerce's Refund via [gateway] button.